You're right that public transit is inefficient for people living in rural areas, but 83% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas so to simply discount public transit as an "urbanist hobby horse" seems pretty hand-wavey.
You only have to look to other developed countries to see how fast, cheap, and efficient public transit is not only a major and driving force in the economy, but also a critical part of the social safety net. Just because America's public transit systems have been hobbled by the oil-industry doesn't mean we shouldn't be improving it for everyone's benefit.
Go look at the Census definition of “urban.” Sibley, Iowa, where my wife grew up, is classified as an “urban area.” It’s in the middle of nowhere surrounded by farmland.
You only have to look to other developed countries to see how fast, cheap, and efficient public transit is not only a major and driving force in the economy, but also a critical part of the social safety net. Just because America's public transit systems have been hobbled by the oil-industry doesn't mean we shouldn't be improving it for everyone's benefit.