> governments also defer maintenance on the infrastructure; especially since you mention roads and transit

Roads are the outliers here because governments usually have direct oversight on them. They are more infrastructure rather than utilities.

Unlike roads, everything else discussed here (electricity, water, sewage, transit), even when public, is operated by a public company, not the government. Maintenance is part of the company's operating costs and is accounted for in the price consumer pays. And while there is no competition for reliability, there's also no obligation to maximize profits for the shareholders.