Substitute liberalism for traffic and the same thing is true. How much money has been spent on mass transit, and people still prefer to drive their cars. It that money was spent on roads, the cost would have already been spent. So now, when things are more expensive cities have to spend money on roads. 

Neither the automobile or petroleum industry is responsible, they provide a product, that's it. How that product is used is the purchaser's decision. And the more liberalism preaches, for mass transit, and it's problems, the more cars end up on the roads.  And the more freedom and liberty, people have.