The Opal card is the most popular payment method that can be used across all types of public transport in Sydney. It took me a little while to get used to particularly as you are not able to pay with cash and therefore need to remember to top up the card with money or otherwise risk being stranded. To use the Opal card, you tap your card on one of the many terminals at the station and then tap off when you get to your destination, at which point the appropriate fare for the journey is debited from your card. In my short time in Sydney, I have come to love traveling around and the metro and other types of transport, combined with my trusty Opal card, make it very easy.
The transit system in Sydney has been designed to move a lot of people around a dense urban environment without generating pollution or traffic. I think this demonstrates the close connection between the system and the environment and without question has a positive impact on the culture of the city. Allowing residents and tourists alike to get around the city quickly, easily and cheaply has significantly increased the quality of life for all who live here. In particular, for people that live outside the city but work in the city, it has become an essential part of how they live. In a sense the transit system here has had a similar effect to that of New York's where people from all walks of life rely on the transit system everyday to get them around the city. A well-designed transit system is a critical part of any city's strategy to improve people's lives, reduce urban pollution and the overall negative impact that these large cities can have on the environment.
