I have zero evidence of this, but having witnessed Uber and Lyft spending over $8 million dollars trying to pass pro-ridesharing legislation here in Austin (which failed, thankfully), I can't help but wonder if these types of "Transit is Failing" stories might be their astroturfers/PR agencies at work.
Think about it: as a ridesharing company, the more you convince people that public transit is in bad shape and getting worse everyday, the more they will clamor for your ridesharing service.
As I mentioned in my other comment, I'm not against Uber, Lyft or ridesharing in general. I'm against letting them self-regulate with regards to running background checks on their drivers. They have zero incentive to do so, because it makes hiring drivers more expensive and (more importantly) brings them closer to employee status, which would sink both companies.
Think about it: as a ridesharing company, the more you convince people that public transit is in bad shape and getting worse everyday, the more they will clamor for your ridesharing service.