True, mass transit "loses money", but to be fair, I-94 doesn't exactly turn a profit either! And just like the farebox doesn't fully pay for a city bus ride, it's also true that gas taxes don't come close to paying the full costs of building, patrolling, plowing, and maintaining roadways. Those costs are borne by income tax payers and property tax payers (for example, a lot of travel is on city streets that are paid for by property taxes and that don't receive gas tax revenue). It's all a question of social utility, and I like good roads but I also see the tremendous value in transit, aviation, Amtrak, and so on.