This “Highway Trust Fund” is one of the biggest cons going. And the transportation reporters are willing accomplices, who like to potray the money as being needed for “crumbing” roads and bridges.
A big chunk of the money is spent on “green” nonsense projects like bike trails and walking paths. Another big chunk is spent on the mass transit boondoggle. Even a big chunk of the money that is spent on “roads” is spent on unnecessary extravagances like multi-million dollar electronic billboards and traffic monitoring systems.
I road a train once for about an hour. I took a trip up north on Greyhound which I believe is entirely private and I rode the people mover in Detroit once.
The People mover in Detroit is rider funded at a rate of about 7% meaning the other 93% is made up by taxpayer funding in some way or another.
I actually like the variable message signs. The only problem is the all-too-often use of them to lecture us on safe driving, click it or ticket, etc.