It may come as a surprise that, according to Brookings, only seven percent of jobs in the nation's largest metropolitan areas can be reached by residents in 45 minutes during the morning peak period (when transit service is the most intense). Among the 29 metropolitan areas with more than 2,000,000 population, the 45 minute job access average was 5.6 percent, ranging from 12.6 percent in Boston to 1.3 percent in Riverside-San Bernardino. The New York's metropolitan area's 45 minute job access figure was 9.8 percent (Figure 1).
I don't have broad experience with transit systems in US cities, but this statistic certainly rings true for me. The main problem seems to be that most transit systems are focused on the downtown core, when only 10% of urban area jobs are there.
I wonder what the similar statistic is for Canada's major urban areas?
http://www.newgeography.com/content/002251-transit-the-4-percent-solution?
