Sadly a great many people share Musk's antipathy to transit. In the old days the highway lobby tried to portray streetcars as rattletrap toonervilles and autos a status symbol. But these days the negative image of transit is more sinister: dangerous and grungy. The NYC subway has had this image for years but it has spread to other outfits, like BART.

My 3 daughters would not ride a bus. Of course their jobs have always been in the 'burbs.

But consider Muni's new Siemens streetcars with all longitudinal seating. Not very inviting.