NYC's is on the order of Paris of London by way of comparison.
Washington D.C. (within the city) is a bit like a second tier European city, still quite good within the city, but D.C. has a huge metro area and it's spotty in the outer bits. There's lots of different jurisdictions that don't always integrate their bus systems well and building out the metro system has been slow going.
Portland has an excellent integrated system.
Chicago, Seattle, Boston, have decent, but limited systems.
However, even in places with almost no effective rail system, like Orlando, there's usually a comprehensive public bus system. They just run slowly, but they're relatively cheap, transfers are usually free and will get you close to where you want to go. Most public transport in L.A., for example, consists of the bus system.
Washington D.C. (within the city) is a bit like a second tier European city, still quite good within the city, but D.C. has a huge metro area and it's spotty in the outer bits. There's lots of different jurisdictions that don't always integrate their bus systems well and building out the metro system has been slow going.
Portland has an excellent integrated system.
Chicago, Seattle, Boston, have decent, but limited systems.
However, even in places with almost no effective rail system, like Orlando, there's usually a comprehensive public bus system. They just run slowly, but they're relatively cheap, transfers are usually free and will get you close to where you want to go. Most public transport in L.A., for example, consists of the bus system.