Nice rant. I was born and raised in a “third world country” with better transportation than the US despite much lower density. In fact it would rank just under Oregon, so 39 stated are more dense than my country.

California does not have good public transportation, neither does a lot of the East Coast, for that matter. I have lived on both coasts and the Midwest, and visited over 35 states. Public transportation is mostly crap with a few exceptions in the core of a few Metro areas, and the NE.

Public transportation advocates want more than to add buses and trains, you are misrepresenting what we ask for.