My local bus service was awarded best in North America a couple years ago, which gives some idea of the sorry state of North American bus services. One way adult fare is $1.25 including two transfers (used to include unlimited transfers). Bus tokens are 10 for $10. I believe a 30 day pass is $31--pretty cheap. Maybe it's $61, still pretty cheap.
Coverage is pretty good with more than 30 routes. 90% of households are within a five minute walk of a bus stop. Ridership is good, with more than 11 million trips a year in a population of half a million people.
Frequency is poor. Most routes are served only every 30 minutes or even less often at non-peak times. A few routes have 10 or 15 minute service.
Hours of service are poor. Only one route operates after 10:30 PM. This was a major problem for me when I worked second shift. Sunday service is limited and there's no service on major holidays.
Safety is fair. The buses themselves are pretty good because there is a zero tolerance policy for disruptive behavior. Security guards ride on some runs, especially past high schools. There was a shooting at the bus station a while back over a girl. Sometimes you see obnoxious behavior at the station, but not so much on the buses themselves.
The bus company has good public support. Millages (publicly voted property taxes) to support it have always passed. You don't hear drivers complaining about the buses like you do in some cities. The financial management seems to be smooth, honest and efficient for the most part.