European cities, and NYC, and some parts of Chicago; are much denser than the average US city making public transport far more viable.
Another often overlooked fact is that the US rail network is designed for cargo/freight not passengers and is outstanding in that regard.
That's of course a design decision (urban planning). The average US city prioritized cars over efficiency, the environment and people actually having a chance to connect and build an urban culture (like NY or Chicago or SF has -- or had) outside of strip malls.