How reliable is public transportation?

Reliability of public transportation varies drastically depending on which city you are in and depends on investment and maintenance of existing infrastructure. For example, the public transportation network in Switzerland spans a wide network that comprises of trains, trams, busses, and ferries, runs timely on a schedule to the minute, and is used as a primary mode of transportation for many residents. In contrast, it can be challenging to get around many cities in the United States without a car. Public transportation ridership often depends on reliability, which in turn often determines the availability of investments in the required infrastructure. This creates an unfortunate cycle making it very difficult for public transportation to become more reliable without external investments where the system is funding itself.