I think part of it is caused by a growing awareness that we can't have good car infrastructure and good public transportation infrastructure ("can't" in the sense of "not enough political will", rather than "not physically possible").
People want good public transportation, and they recognize that they aren't going to get it in a car-centric society
I would add that cars have become outrageously expensive in the past so-many years as well.
My sister and I watched day-time game shows on days when we were stuck inside during the Summer months as kids in the mid 1970s. Even as kids we knew when watching The Price is Right that the first digit in the price of a new car was a "3".
(Oh, forgot to mention the price of a new car was also only four digits.)
I know, I know, that was nearly five decades ago....
People want good public transportation, and they recognize that they aren't going to get it in a car-centric society