Ella

Why is there always steam billowing up from holes in the streets of Manhattan. What is going on down there

Sorry, but this is missing the point. There is an activation energy, especially in the US, needed to get people to ride a bus or subway, and disorder on public transport is a massive turn-off, even if it is statistically rare. (It's also just not crime, but anti-social behavior, and filth) Mothers with children need to feel 100% safe, and pleasant, to get rid of the "ick factor," and if that doesn't happen, then it goes from thriving to withering, and it becomes seen as a charity for the least well-to-do and a few transit geeks like myself. Public transport has a good self-fulfilling path and a bad one, and the perception of complete safety is necessary (but not sufficient) to be on the good path, where more riders means more lines/frequency, which brings in more riders, etc. This is especially true outside of NYC or DC, although it is still true there. I agree, frequency is paramount, but I can tell you that also means (from lots of experience) sometimes you are close to alone on a bus, and that is rarely a good feeling in the US, where crime is high, especially for woman.

We’re so ATL.