Desired Characteristics of PT Systems

KEY TERMS
service frequency učestalost prometovanja
wait times vrijeme čekanja
scheduled arrival times dolasci u skladu s voznim redom
standing passenger densities gustoća putnika koji stoje
easily accessible lako dostupan
waiting facilities čekaonice
noise level razina buke
quality of ride kvaliteta vožnje
user friendly lagan za uporabu
public transport facilities objekti javnog prijevoza

TEXT SUMMARY
In order to successfully compete with the private car, public transport should provide certain
conveniences such as direct routes to desired destinations avoiding transfers whenever
possible, acceptable service frequency, reliable service with no delays, and travel times
comparable to those of the car. Public transport stations and stops should be comfortable,
clean and accessible, offering protection from the weather, good waiting facilities and feeder
or park-and-ride facilities if necessary. They should be within easy walking distance for most
potential users, and have attractive, well lit and well maintained pedestrian access routes.
The image of public transport needs to be improved through modern design of vehicles, well
maintained and clean stations and stops, better quality and comfort of ride as well as the
attitude and helpfulness of the staff. The system should be user friendly and offer detailed,
up-to-date, clear and readily available information. Security in public transport facilities,
including access routes, should be improved by better lighting, more staff, and the use of
closed circuit TV (CCTV) to protect the passengers and make them feel safe.

TEXT EXERCISES
1) In each of the boxes, write the suggestion from the text that best matches the
picture.
From: COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY MAIN CAMPUS
To : ORCHARD BEACH (BRONX)
Leaving at : 2/25/2013 01:30 PM Map
Itinerary Approx Travel Time : 1 hour 34 minutes
1. Walk 0.49 miles North to WEST 125TH ST &
AMSTERDAM AVE Take the E. HARLEM 2 AV-125 ST via
BWAY via AMSTE bound M100 Bus departing at 1:43 PM
Get off at EAST 125TH ST & LEXINGTON AVE at 1:58 PM
Public transport should offer direct
2. From 125TH ST STATION 4/5/6/METRO-NORTH Take routes to desired destinations avoiding
the PELHAM BAY PARK bound Train departing
at 2:11 PM Get off at PELHAM BAY PARK STATION 6 at transfers whenever possible.
2:43 PM
3. Walk 0.06 mile East to CHARLES CIMI BLVD & SUBWAY
OVERPASS BAY Take the CITY ISLAND bound BX29 Bus
departing at 2:49 PM Get off at ORCHARD BEACH CIRCLE
& CITY ISLAND RD at 2:55 PM
4. Walk 0.53 miles (11 minutes) North to destination

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2) Conduct a survey
In groups of five choose one of the topics, decide on three questions to ask your
classmates in other groups; analyze the results and write a short report to read together.
Topics:
a) Preferences in using transportation modes – which is the most popular, what is
the reason, etc.
b) Satisfaction with a particular mode of public transport in a town/country – rating
the overall level of satisfaction, cleanliness, service frequency and reliability etc.
c) Public/private transport – reasons to use one or the other, situations in which
one or the other is used, etc.
d) Analysis of the quality of infrastructure – vehicles, roads/tracks, stops/stations,
facilities, etc.
e) Other topics of your choice – consult the teacher.
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 Guide to making the questionnaire:
a) Keep the questions short and concise.
b) Ask only one question at a time.
c) Types of questions:
fixed response – chose one or more answers
scale – rate answers on a scale or chose the degree up to which you agree with
the question
open ended – provide your own answer

Guide to writing the report:

a) What was your goal, what were you analyzing?
b) What questions did you ask, what type of questions (fixed response, scale, open
ended question)?
c) Have you achieved your goal, what were the results?

Topic:
Question 1

Answers:

Question 2

Answers:

Question 3

Answers:

Report:

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VOCABULARY EXERCISES
1) Unjumble the expressions from the text, first and last letters of each word are
correct
a) pbuilc tprasonrt
b) svercie frceqneuy
c) drceit roetus
d) raebllie sicerve
e) tearvl temis
f) wantiig faltiiiecs
g) pdaaridrkne fiieliacts
h) wianlkg dicnstae
i) psteadrien aecscs rteous
j) uesr ferindly

GRAMMAR – MODAL VERBS

Go back to the text summary and say if you can explain the meaning of the
underlined verbs. Can you think of any other similar examples?

A modal verb (also modal, modal auxiliary verb, modal auxiliary) is a type of auxiliary
verb that is used to indicate modality – that is, obligation and necessity, offers and
invitations, suggestions and advice, instructions and requests, permission and prohibition,
ability, probability, possibility and impossibility, and habits. Modals are: can, could, may,
might, must, ought to, shall, should, will, would and need (need can be a full verb, too).

We must play football. We might play football.

We will play football. We can play football.
We would play football. We could play football.
We should play football. We shall play football.
We ought to play football. We needn’t play football.
We may play football.

Many modal verbs cannot be used in all of the English tenses, instead we use their
substitutes.
Modal Verb Substitute Example
must to have to I must swim. = I have to swim.
must not not to be allowed to I must not swim. = I am not allowed to swim.
can to be able to I can swim. = I am able to swim.
may to be allowed to I may swim. = I am allowed to swim.
need to have to I need to swim. = I have to swim.
need not not to have to I need not swim. = I don't have to swim.
shall/ should/ to be supposed to/ to I shall/ should/ ought to swim. = I am supposed to
ought to be expected to/ to be to swim./ I am expected to swim./ I am to swim.

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Modal verbs – special notes
1) Do not use modals for things which happen definitely.
The sun rises in the East.
2) They only have one form, you don’t add -s, -ed or -ing to them.
He can play football.
3) Questions are formed without do/does/did, just change the order of the modal and
the subject.
He can speak Spanish.  Can he speak Spanish?
4) It is followed by a full verb in the infinitive.
They must read the book.
5) There are no past forms (except could and would).
He was allowed to watch the film.

Modal verbs – use

GRAMMAR NOTES

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GRAMMAR EXERCISES
1) Match the sentences with the function expressed by the modal verb
Possibility: Suggestions and advice:
Permission and necessity: Requests:
Ability: Offers and invitations:
Certainty: Habits:

1 Can I borrow your car?

2 Free transport can make the system more accessible and fair for low-income residents.
3 Electric cars may get noisier for safety reasons.
4 We can stay till 11, the last bus leaves at 11:30.
5 More people should use public transport to reduce congestion and pollution.
6 He said I couldn’t upgrade to first class because my ticket was on a discounted fare.
7 Could you take me to the bus station?
8 You must be tired after such a long flight.
9 He can get there by tram – lines No. 5 and 17.
10 You mustn’t smoke, eat or drink on the bus.
11 Students and elderly may travel at a reduced price or for free.
12 During our stay in London we would often use public transport.
13 Philly laughed at us, said we should have stayed at the terminal.
14 Could we go there by bus?
15 She could have learned to drive, but she didn’t have time.
16 We could take the next bus.
17 I’ll give you a lift to the airport.
18 Sometimes you must yield the right-of-way; you must let another person go first.

2) Put the corresponding modal verbs into gaps

While using mass transit _____ be a great way to save money while traveling, there are
also several disadvantages of public transportation that travelers _____ be aware of.
Travelers who would like to use public transportation _____ take the time to familiarize
themselves with the systems available in places where they visit so they _____ avoid
difficulties and danger. Those who have disabilities _____ plan their trip even more
carefully, as some public transportation systems _____ be inaccessible to them. A
primary consideration of travelers _____ be whether they _____ actually get to the
places that they wish to visit via public transportation. Public transportation routes
_____ be very limited, presenting one of the primary disadvantages of public
transportation for travelers who _____ use an alternative means of getting around. In
such cases travelers _____ need to inquire about private transportation services such as
taxicabs. Another consideration is that public transportation services _____ be limited
during evening, holidays, or weekend hours which _____ cause significant difficulties
unless the traveler _____ secure private transportation. For many travelers, the greatest
disadvantage of public transport is that they _____ be attacked or robbed while using
public transit. Tourists _____ wish to speak to local guides or hotel employees about the
safety of the local public transportation. The unreliability of some systems remains one
of the more significant disadvantages of public transportation. In some cases, users of
public transportation _____ avoid routes that are having problems by checking the status
of various train lines and bus routes at stations or online.
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GLOSSARY: Desired Characteristics of PT Systems

accentuate to make something more noticeable naglasiti

acceptable fairly good: satisfactory prihvatljiv
access route a road, path, corridor, etc. leading from or to a place prilaz
adequate good enough: of good or acceptable quality dovoljan,
odgovarajući
advantage something (such as a good position or condition) that prednost
helps to make someone or something better or more
likely to succeed than others
arrangement something that is done to prepare or plan for something in postupak
the future — usually plural
arrival the act of coming to or reaching a place dolazak
attitude a state of mind or a feeling; disposition stav
comfortable not causing any physically unpleasant feelings: producing udoban
physical comfort
comparable used to say that two or more things are very similar and usporediv
can be compared to each other
competition a person or group that you are trying to succeed against: a konkurencija
person or group that you are competing with
consistent always acting or behaving in the same way konzistentan,
dosljedan
convenience something that makes something easy or useful by udobnost,
reducing the amount of work or time required to do it pogodnost
desirable having good or pleasing qualities: worth having or getting poželjan
destination place to which a person is going or something is being sent odredište
disabled having a physical or mental disability invalidi
during throughout the entire time of or at some time in the za vrijeme
course of an event, period, occurrence, etc.
elderly old or rather old: past middle age starije osobe
enough equal to what is needed dovoljan
ensure to make something sure, certain, or safe osigurati
fare money one pays to travel by bus, train, boat, plane or taxi cijena karte
give the to seem to be something: to make someone think that a dati/davati
impression person or thing has a particular characteristic dojam
improve to make something better unaprijediti,
poboljšati
induce to cause something to happen or exist izazvati,
potaknuti
interchange the act by which a passenger on a bus or train continues presjedanje
traveling on another bus or train
introduce to cause something to begin to be used for the first time uvesti
involve to have or include something as a part of something uključivati
main most important: chief, principal glavni
maintain to keep something in good condition by making repairs, održavati
correcting problems, etc.

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necessity something that you must have or do; that is necessary potreba
of vital extremely important: crucial ključno, od
importance vitalne važnosti
overall as a whole: in general opći, sveukupni,
u cjelini
park-and- a system in which you drive to a place where you can dnevna
ride leave your car and get on a bus or train that will take you parkirališta
the rest of the way to where you are going
particular used to indicate that one specific person or thing is being specifičan
referred to and no others
peak period time filled with the most activity razdoblje
najveće gužve
perceive to think of someone or something as being something shvatiti, vidjeti
stated
preferably used to say what is most wanted or preferred radije, po
mogućnosti
reach to arrive at a place that you have been traveling to doći
readily possible to quickly and easily get or use lako dostupan
available
reliable able to be believed, likely to be true or correct pouzdan
reverse to change something to an opposite state or condition promijeniti,
preokrenuti
run-down in very bad condition because of age or lack of care oronuo, trošan
service work done by an organization or person that does not usluga
involve producing goods
several more than two but not very many nekoliko
significant very important važan
summarize to tell information again using fewer words sažeti
undertake to begin or attempt something poduzeti
upkeep the process of keeping something in good condition: the održavanje
care or maintenance of buildings, equipment, etc.
up-to-date including the latest information ažuran
usage the act of using something upotreba,
korištenje