What is one reason why some western cities may not have developed good public transportation systems

A reason for not developing good public transportation systems in some of the western cities is that tectonic activity.

Explanation:

In some parts of the West, tectonic activity presents a massive problem when it comes to developing and maintaining infrastructure, such as transportation infrastructure. There is a transform plate boundary between the North American plate and Juan de Fuca plate, causing constant stress on the crust, resulting in regular earthquakes, but also the formation of faults.

This has prevented multiple cities to create good public transportation, or the one they have is a basic one. It is simply not safe and economically unjustifiable to create underground transportation infrastructure as many big cities have because the earthquakes and cracks in the crust will destroy it, and more importantly, millions of lives will be put at stake each day.