How many people would use mass transit if the fare was actually high enough to cover the costs?
I'd wager not very many. Due to being so spread out, we only have a city bus system here in Colorado Springs. Those people who've never lived out west seldom grasp just how far apart things are out here.
The city and county governments are fighting over the $5 million in subsidies it takes each year to keep the bus line running (mostly empty). To cut costs, the city government wants to trim some of the routes, but the outlying communities are complaining. They want the city to keep subsidizing their transportation - without them chipping in to help defray the higher costs, of course.