Not driving in the majority of the US is flatout not viable for work and groceries

Yeah but if you and 10 friends inconvenience yourselves and do it otherwise, or inconvenience yourself by showing up at 11am on a tuesday to city council meetings you can make the bus a little better, and then it makes sense for a couple more people who were on the fence, which drives more improvements. I don't really care whether you start with the council meeting or the bus ride, we need both really, one enables the other.

This is all just a false dichotomy, it's all the same shit. Phrasing it differently and fighting over it is just distracting.