That's true in most metro areas. You don't need state and federal mandates you need local cooperation. Los Angeles is expanding light rail at a breakneck pace. Why? Because they have one dominant transit authority and a unified plan.

Compare that to the nine county Bay Area. There's nearly one transit agency for each county and a few regional agencies (BART, Caltrain) to contend with. The constant bickering and infighting is exactly why nothing gets done.