No offense intended to OP, but anyone who thinks the world works this way is hopelessly naive about the system we live in.
When it comes down to it, the reason all of these issues exist comes down to Capitalism (Imperialism, Neoliberalism, Fascism, NIMBYism, w/e flavor you want).
Good public transit is a great example because there are so many reasons we don't have it and all of them come down to Capitalism.
the failure of our Healthcare system for the poor, unhoused, and uninsured means that severely mentally ill people make public transit feel unsafe. Ditto for criminalization of addiction and high poverty in general.
The American government's reliance on the Petrodollar to control world trade promotes oil-based transportation options, especially inefficient ones that take more oil (since the goal is increased consumption, not efficiency).
A general lack of tenant's rights and a tendency for local governments to favor landholders and and business owners over working-class renters (who tend to be more transient and are less likely to buy out local politicians) means that more attention is given to individualized transport (car infrastructure) and less to transport methods more suited to higher density. Not to mention the fear the petite bourgeoisie have towards poor people, who might potentially use public transport to invade their walled gardens.
There are so many reasons even on top of these. They all come down to Capitalism; and, no, to the Liberals of Lemmy, I don't mean markets. Markets can do a lot of good when it comes to making efficient public transport, when managed correctly. The issue is the power that those with money (and not just the billionaires; the petty millionaires who own a couple strip malls is just as bad when it comes to opposition towards public transport) exert over our lives and governments.
