I agree about the point of different transport options, but then if you want to go full-efficiency with public transport, you have the concept of PRT[0]... which when you look at it you realize it's exactly what Tesla is aiming for with autonomous electric car fleets.
So in this case yes, designing a better car may be a big part of the solution.
Oh yes, absolutely! The other worrying bits there are the need for a standard, for which we have the always relevant xkcd[0], and this:
> The report also concluded that, despite these advantages, public authorities will not commit to building PRT because of the risks associated with being the first public implementation.
Of course, there's also the question of whether this will be more or less efficient than a smart fleet of buses, for example.
So in this case yes, designing a better car may be a big part of the solution.
[0] - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_rapid_transit