It's not the only reason, but in general in American history, "why is this weird thing this weird way?" is usually answered in part by "racism".
Avoiding public transit has historically been one way affluent white people avoided contact with poor people in general and black people specifically; underfunding or shutting down public transit in turn disproportionately hurts those populations.
Again, not the only explanation, but it's the simplest for a number of things.
Avoiding public transit has historically been one way affluent white people avoided contact with poor people in general and black people specifically; underfunding or shutting down public transit in turn disproportionately hurts those populations.
Again, not the only explanation, but it's the simplest for a number of things.