Sweden also stopped investing in infrastructure in the 1980s but not because of privatisation. It's just very expensive. Now everyone one is blaming each other when everything breaks down, especially politicians that are no longer in the government. There is no "accountability" for the government.
Similar thing happened to German telecommunication infrastructure (for an industry nation our internet is notoriously bad in compatison to EU neighbours), happened to our public transport infrastructure, especially to our trains, and is currently happening to our hospitals.
Privatizing critical infrastructure has never been a good idea.
I hate the roads here in the UK. I feel like I'm driving a slalom every time I get in the car. So many potholes. Some are pretty tiny, but others are like god himself fisted the road
Keep in mind that it's actually really bloody hard to get potholes filled as a "private entitty" the only real option you have is to literally throw money at the "Local Government" whatever it might be called for you then tell them the flow will stop unless they do it.
Free market can't do shit unless it's actually free to do stuff like this.
As an American with a lot of experience with this exact problem, it really depends on what city in the US you live in. Some places hate pedestrians like they are Satan's ass cancer, and some places it's so common no one even notices. It all depends on the city's involvement with infrastructure.