And there it hits again: the core of the issue is not the bus agency, but the lack of support for excellent public transit.

I don’t control the busses. I don’t dictate to the busses when they need to come. I don’t dictate to the busses what routes they take, or where they will actually go. I can only accept whatever level of service they are willing to provide.

I do control my car. I do dictate to my car when it needs to go. I create the level of service I will receive.

The monetary price of a bus fare is significantly less than the cost of a car trip. But even with the absolute best public transit system, the opportunity costs vastly exceed the difference. An hour commute turns a $25/hr job into a $20/hr job. Employment and/or housing choices are limited: Job and home need to be on the same bus line, because a twice-daily transfer is just going to kill hourly earnings. And, of course, there is the premium on urban housing.

Between the time costs, the housing costs, and the restrictions on employment choices, busses are a massive cost borne primarily by the impoverished.