[alamortsubite]

Almost all the problems you've listed are implementation issues with bus routes. Adding more buses, stops, and/or express routes is a slam dunk compared to what you describe. I agree on your vision, but until it happens it seems unreasonable to dismiss attempts to help the homeless like the one Austin is taking.

[faeriechangling]

I mean, it’s not just implementation problems, these are trade offs. You can increase frequency but might need to reduce geographic coverage. You might increase geographic coverage by using more buses but might need to increase fares. You might be able to tweak things and improve efficency but you can only do so much, it’s not like the people planning this stuff are all incompetent.

There is one and only one way to improve every aspect of the bus system at once and that is to increase ridership by increasing density. There is a reason public transit downtown is so much better than public transit in rural areas. It’s not because city folk are smart megageniuses who know how to run a bus system.

P.S. there’s often ways for citizens to get involved with planning things like bus routes if you look into it… I knew one guy who did this.