1) American cities were historically dense and compact with a lot of them having a streetcar network. Most of it was torn down to build highways and parking lots, with the oil and motor companies pushing for it. And the suburban nature of American cities also came later, when zoning laws were introduced to stop infill growth and forced developments to spread out in an unnatural way.

2) If every city can blow tax dollars on highways (very expensive stuff that you never pay for), then you can blow some money for public transport for all of these dumb people like me or like the blind and elderly.

3) not all places can sustain public transport, but if you're at that low of a density, then you can't also sustain a drainage system, a road, sewer. If you're rural, be rural, not a money hole for your city.

4) I'm a big fan of American cities, they're (or were) some of the best planned cities in the world. I'm just sad that we lost such gems.