Public transit is divisive, but nowhere does it draw more controversy and deliver worse results than in the United States. This is the richest nation on Earth, yet driving is far more common than public transport and ridership here is low relative to any other developed country. In the decades after WW2, the U.S. deliberately reshaped itself into a car-centric nation. The “American Dream” sold families on a big house, a yard, the latest appliances, and your own car in the driveway. Yet cities like New York City, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco, and Boston all boast the highest public transit ridership in the country despite this generational prioritization of cars. While public transit has been underinvested through history, it’s not accurate to say that there’s been no investment. U.S. public transit agencies serve fewer riders than their international counterparts, yet cost more money than anywhere else, with annual operating budgets that exceed billions of dollars.