Do Americans want to pay for public transport?

Does anyone honestly see the US changing its public transport direction? There may be some talk today but to think that Americans are demanding change seems to be a stretch. When oil was cheap a few years ago, the problem disappeared from view so it was conveniently ignored. Sure, a little here, a little there but compared to other industrialized countries it's nothing. Should the US start investing more in public transport as the Post editorial discusses? These projects can take years and there is always going to be a new urgent problem to address and politicians love nothing more than the latest urgent problem that gets media time.

If there is a sense of "common cause" for the nation in this area, I don't see it in the US or at least not enough to move Congress towards real change. The GOP changed the debate in recent years to be focused more on the individual, or at least select individuals, at the expense of the greater good. Until we move the debate back to "what is good for the country" instead of what is good for the wealthiest Americans, public transport will remain an under-funded, often ignored bother.