alt Hacker NewsThis is why you build transit for everyone. If you look at transit around the world (Japan, Singapore) you'll see transit that the old or infirm happily take. It's possible, you just need to believe that transit CAN be good for everyone! It doesn't and shouldn't be just for the "young and healthy".
All of those places you listed don't tolerate a homeless/mentally unstable on public transport. Thats the only way it can work. No alternative. Strict enforcement of public behavior on them. The left leaning policies in all the big cities, where public transport would benefit most, aren't compatible with this requirement. Ours only recently started gaslighting us into claiming they never supported defunding the police!
I know exactly zero people that use public transport because of safety, specifically homeless/druggies. And yes, we all tried. I was an idiot and went with a kid, for my first and last time, after listening to a local, with mental blinders on.