In response to several...
So as an evening meeting to obtain rider input is breaking up, an agency planner is hustling a ride because his home is too far from any route that actually runs past evening rush. "Anectdotal" evidence is what I see that 'you' don't control via tailored surveys/studies. As I don't drive, I am out on the buses and trains daily. I see a few transit officials on these trips, not many. My local bus agency planning people tell their BOD in public mtgs that they are not very confident of their "passenger counts".

I accept that I over generalize. And I should add that in my less cynical moments I am aware that trying to plan service with a perennially inadequate budget and lack of sufficient political clout to get dedicated lanes, signal priority or sometimes simply bus stops near trip generators is not a cakewalk. That said, I also see a great deal of intransigence from transit management often in tandem with an attitude that the next "magic transit solution du jour" will solve bus bunching,dumb scheduling, and deliberate under staffing (which manifests as 'not-outs'). Contemplate a union contract which mandates premium pay for drivers victimized by 'no leader'.
Cutting 'supervisors/inspectors' during budget crises ends up meaning no one is trying to manage problems.

Transit operators in Manhattan figured out dedicated (elevated tracks) would eliminate the sabotage from (horse drawn) traffic congestion. That necessity of separation remains true.
Bob2 is spot on about union obstruction on GPS tracking of buses, trains. I remember the clauses in the Muni-TWU MOU many years ago.

Several weeks ago Muni proudly announced increased service on the N streetcar route.
Assuming 2 minutes between trains (about as close as can be done) the headways they promised in rush would if actually operated relegate the other 4 lines to no better than 16 minute headways in rush.