The line graph compares figures for monthly travel by commuters in a European urban area using four means of transportation (subway, tram, bus, bike share) over a period of 50 years.
Overall, although the subway was certainly the most popular means of transport throughout the period, other forms of travel became increasingly popular, while bus usage declined.
In 1980, subway ridership, which totaled 2.5 million people, increased to 3.5 million by 2010 before being projected to rise significantly to 4.5 million by 2030. On the other hand, bus ridership, the second most popular way to reach work fifty years ago at around 1.6 million, has steadily fallen and is projected to further decline after 2020 to under 1 million users by 2030.
Of other transportation forms, Tram usage should increase the most significantly. From less than a quarter of a million people in 1980, tram commuters overtook bus riders in 2010 and are expected to increase to over 2 million by 2030. Meanwhile, although bike share use didn’t become popular until 2000, its yearly rise since then is anticipated to begin to challenge bus ridership by 2030.