The problem is largely not about lack of “funding” per se, but more about zoning laws, urban planning more generally, and a whole society organized around drivi

The problem is largely not about lack of “funding” per se, but more about zoning laws, urban planning more generally, and a whole society organized around driving and inefficient sprawl housing with large-scale short-term subsidies but long-term unsupportable infrastructure. (More funding for transit certainly wouldn’t hurt. Also, buses are great, especially BRT with dedicated lanes. Buses, light rail, subways, commuter trains, long-distance trains seem like complementary parts of a transit system more than competitors.) There are plenty of cities in the world with effective subways, light rail, and BRT serving working-class neighborhoods.