Public transport systems in Baltic states

Abstract

Rapidly developing and equality-based society needs a reliable and attractive public transport system. Pursuing the main aim, i.e. sustainable integration of the public transport into the urban development process by optimally satisfying the needs of Lithuania’s people, it its necessary to consider such aspects as general planning of development of residential and business areas, at the same time expanding the priority system of the public transport that is environment-friendly and safe, integration and inter-coordination of the public transport modes, also hierarchisation and inter-coordination of the public transport modes. In many countries the public transport is recognized to be a priority branch of urban transport in order to at least partially solve the problems of urban transport. After regaining independence, the post-Soviet countries saw a rapid growth in the level of automobilization, which resulted in transport problems in small and medium size towns. In 90’s the public transport system was neglected; and only recently it has been recovering the former level of services. Most attention is paid to the solution of the public transport problems of major towns of the country that are widely described and considered. The goal of this article is to review the PT systems of large and medium size towns (50-400 thou. population) of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia and to compare them in the contexts of other countries of Lithuania.