I've learned that Munich has a fabulous public transit system.  Trains in their subway system run every 10 minutes during off-peak hours and every 5 minutes during peak hours.  The trains are 6 cars long and run 24 hours/day.  Here in the U.S. if you miss a bus, it may be an hour before the next one arrives.  You're screwed.  This explains why U.S. public transit ridership has been dropping despite an increase in population. 

Why has Munich been so successful?  Well, I found the answer in the notes I took during a history class in my sophomore year at college.  I audio-recorded my classes and still have all my notes.  During one class, it was said, "In leveling Germany in World War II we paid them a great favor.  It's much easier to innovate when you have you have to start all over again."

This explains why many local people are so enamored with light rail.  They visit Europe and see their marvelous transit systems and return to the U.S. with the expectation that similar results can be attained here.  To get those results, we'll need a world war.  The way Trump has been pounding his chest, that may be part of our future.