Résumé
The analysis we submit in this article rests on the UITP (International Association of Public Transport) database--"The millennium Cities Database"--which is based on a 100 city urban transport systems data collection. Data concern demography, urban structure, transport networks, mobility, impacts on the environment, etc. The analysis shows the gap between intensive versus extensive profiles of urban transport systems. After which we assess the role of the main variables on the public transport modal share that is both the geographical and the economical conditions on the one hand, both the characteristics and the performances of the transport systems on the other hand. We propose an econometric analysis of the public transport modal share. To conclude, this analysis highlights the key features in favour of the urban public transport use which allows questioning the risk to the "European mobility" to slide along "American mobility".