I think you are right and this is one of my issues with busses in most American cities. Basically, it's just going to be viewed as a worse version of your car.

I think you are right and this is one of my issues with busses in most American cities. Basically, it's just going to be viewed as a worse version of your car. You have to create a categorical change and that's best achieved with rail, biking, and walking which can't be replicated by cars or busses. This doesn't mean we shouldn't have bus routes or anything, that's not great either, but we need to break the habit of hopping on/in motor vehicles if we want to see change. But also, we need to actually fund public transportation. In most states the amount of funding allocated toward non-car infrastructure amounts to a rounding error. So what can be done? Write to your representatives at your city, county, and state level. When your state's department of transportation issues surveys or maps for feedback make sure to give feedback! If there are other opportunities where your local leaders are engaging with the public just mention you'd like to see better transit and walking infrastructure to reduce cost for taxpayers and increase quality of life. Ask for a meeting. Ask for explanations. Ask questions and keep asking questions.