You make a good case that it can't work for you. Its based on distance you have to travel, and the mobility of familly members.
taxis solve the mobility issues. Tandems could also partially help. Rural intercity bus trips tend not to be defined as local mass transit. As long as the schedules are reliable, it may not be essential to have frequent service. Folding bike would supplement distance bus rides well.
Urban living where everything of interest is 2-10k away can make the transit system fairly irrelevant.