Honestly? At least in Poland, I get the feeling that most cities would jump on having a subway, the problem is getting it started (as for various reasons Poland

Honestly? At least in Poland, I get the feeling that most cities would jump on having a subway, the problem is getting it started (as for various reasons Poland isn't exactly flush with investment capacity) Some built other alternatives to buses or shared-grade trams, for example by putting fast local trains under same ticket system (train-based local transit was very popular in UK till Beeching Axe, too), others experiment with things like separate-grade trams - cheaper than proper train-line, but still achieve separation from car traffic. Because the same thing that gives buses flexibility and cheap start, is the thing that makes the biggest problem - sharing space with car traffic. If there's a traffic jam, buses stop too. If something takes out part of car infrastructure, the dedicated lanes might be lost for a time, too. When Lazienkowski Bridge burned down in 2015 in Warsaw, figuring a connection that allowed one to take train or subway became crucial, as previously very fast buses (bus/taxi lanes!) would give me a commute longer than commuting from Amsterdam to London by train.