The current bus network alone is more comprehensive and far reaching, with better frequency on many lines. However most people aren’t aware of this as the bulk of la metro riders are working class and therefore invisible in mass media.
LA buses are a joke. Bus stops are often a bench (if even that) and a tiny sign put on a lamp post with a line number. No maps, schedules or anything of the like. Going out of a subway stop to find the connected bus stop is a challenge due to lack of way finding, even on very touristy routes (the bus to go up to Griffith's Observatory).
The only people who think that's okay are those who haven't experienced what a proper bus system looks like.
What killed the streetcars (car-company conspiracy, or simple economics) is disputed, but makes for good reading.