Now go look at what passes for public transit in Houston. Or Phoenix. Or basically anywhere in America that isn't New York or Chicago.
Suddenly that 38 Geary doesn't look so bad.
A conversation making the rounds among San Franciscans right now captures a feeling many of us have had: the strange, almost guilty realization that SF's public transit is… actually decent? Not world-class. Not even close. But functional enough that hundreds of thousands of residents can genuinely live without a car — and that puts us in rare company for an American city.
As one local put it bluntly: "It's good for an American city. That's about it." And that's fair. Compare us to Tokyo, Seoul, or Singapore and we're playing JV ball. Those systems run with a precision and cleanliness that would make BART engineers weep into their overtime pay stubs.
But here's the thing fiscal hawks should actually care about: the why behind America's transit gap isn't just cultural — it's decades of policy choices that subsidized highways and auto infrastructure while starving rail and bus networks. One SF resident put it plainly, pointing the finger at GM and the rest of the auto industry's historic lobbying against public transit alternatives. That's not a left-wing talking point; that's taxpayer money directed toward one mode of transportation at the expense of competition and choice.
Another resident offered some needed perspective: "I still feel lucky to live in a city where I don't need a car. I've lived in Asian cities, I know it can be much better, but that doesn't mean we should take what we have here for granted."
Exactly right. You can hold two truths simultaneously: BART and Muni need serious reform, better fiscal management, and actual accountability for the billions we pour into them — AND what we have is legitimately valuable compared to the car-dependent hellscape most American cities offer their residents.
The goal shouldn't be complacency. It should be demanding that every transit dollar delivers real results. We've got the bones of a great system. Now make the bureaucracy earn the budget.
