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Most motorists probably know what they paid for their personal vehicle.  They also know how much they pay for insurance, maintenance, gasoline, and tolls.  Many of them know the fuel taxes that are embedded in their gasoline or diesel.  I suspect that few motorists believe that driving is free.  Most motorists probably don't fully know how the nation's roadways (federal and state highways, county roads, and city streets) are funded.  They probably know that their fuel taxes are used to fund the nation's roadways; they probably don't know that the fuel taxes are not sufficient to pay all the costs of building and maintaining the roadways.  They probably know that most police forces are paid for with state and local taxes, although they probably don't know how much it costs to police the roadways.  Most airline passengers, train riders, and bus takers don't know how much it costs to transport them.  They know the fares, to be sure.  But I have yet to meet an Amtrak passenger who has even a clue as to the amount of subsidy they receive.  The same applies to my acquaintances who ride the Trinity Railway Express.  The impact of personal vehicles on the environment, at least the cost of compensating for it (clean up), and the impact on health, is largely unknown.  Oh, there are lots of opinions about the impacts, but there is very little hard data to support them one way or the other. Costs are important.  But cost is not the only variable.  Economy, comfort, convenience, privacy, etc. are important variables in choosing a mode of transport, whether it is to get across town or across the country.  Most Americans travel by car because of the intangible variables mentioned.  And if driving costs more than taking a train or bus, they have demonstrated consistently that they are willing to pay for it.  This is not likely to change in most areas.  Especially Texas.  No matter what those of us who like trains believe!
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