Reaching your destination via whatever mechanism is still a private good.
To wit, a positive externality of transit service is economic gain from the population having improved market access(more goods, services, workplaces within reach).
This is a positive externality of any transit method, including privately owned cars.
Ultimately what you've stumbled across is the fact that nearly any good or service will create gains from trade that are not captured by the producer. E.g., video games, cakes and pies, pornographic videos, and kindles all make people happier and nicer to those around them. This is why encouraging economic activity is generally considered beneficial.
Does this make cakes, pies, video games, pornos and kindles public goods?
To wit, a positive externality of transit service is economic gain from the population having improved market access(more goods, services, workplaces within reach).
This is a positive externality of any transit method, including privately owned cars.
Ultimately what you've stumbled across is the fact that nearly any good or service will create gains from trade that are not captured by the producer. E.g., video games, cakes and pies, pornographic videos, and kindles all make people happier and nicer to those around them. This is why encouraging economic activity is generally considered beneficial.
Does this make cakes, pies, video games, pornos and kindles public goods?