It's very plausible to have public transit systems be publicly owned by a mix of local, regional, and national bodies. Each of which might have their own local

It's very plausible to have public transit systems be publicly owned by a mix of local, regional, and national bodies. Each of which might have their own local goals to incentivize with no regard for what a system on the other side of the country wants. Public ownership and good organization can be, and frequently are, two very different things.