I guess the big question here is what makes the USofA so poor at delivering functional public transport?
It's not like tram | streetcar services can't be built to run safely an profitably.
Trams have operated continuously in Melbourne since 1885 ...
The tramway network is centred around the Melbourne central business district (CBD) and consists of approximately 1,700 tram stops across 24 routes.
It is the largest operational urban tram network in the world and one of the most used,[3] with more than 500 trams and 250 kilometres (160 miles) of double tram track.
It served a patronage of 206 million over the year 2017-2018.
It's not like tram | streetcar services can't be built to run safely an profitably.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trams_in_MelbourneHybrid public transport with trains | trams for major hub routing with buses fanning out from stations work well about the globe.
One notable feature of the US was the post war spread of tying personal freedom to car ownership and then to bigger and bigger cars.