In my experience, Google Maps' Transit coverage is far far greater than "a handful of U.S. cities". It's worked everywhere I've been in Japan, in Singapore, Hong Kong, Sweden, London, Athens...
The beauty of Google's Transit compared to apps maintained by the transit companies themselves is that it supports cross-company travel.
Cross company travel may not be much of an issue in the longer run, as the transit apps are not restricted to be offered by the companies themselves, so the apps offering an integrated view should win out.
Hoever, planning e.g. a trip from London to Paris, with local transit on both sides, may be difficult.
The beauty of Google's Transit compared to apps maintained by the transit companies themselves is that it supports cross-company travel.