I was talking about incremental investment. Increasing I-10 West in Houston to 14 lanes (# from memory) by buying the old KATY RR ROW. adding freeway lanes just about anywhere has higher incremental costs (even 4 lanes > 6 lanes for rural interstates typically costs more than half of the inflation adjusted original 4 lanes, although not dramatically more and some contra examples exist for rural interstates. From memory 6 lanes carry about ~45% more traffic than 4 lanes. Increased lane changes are the reason given).

I personally hate BRT (as least as promoted by GWB). I have ridden the Lex at the tail end of the rush hour (8:40 AM or so) and it was MUCH better than the worst public transit experience I have ever had. The southern terminus of the Miami Metro (extraordinarily pleasant view, the orange-red trees were in bloom, all else nice) transfers to BRT on a bus & official vehicles only busway. Desperately crowded, smelly armpits (it was June from memory) raised all around as the bus jerks and rolls like overloaded buses do, with a/c less than needed. And the GWB administration points to how much cheaper and successful this particular BRT was than extending Metrorail further south.

I noted a mixed crowd on MetroRail, but the last of the apparently middle class people walked towards the Park & Ride at the southern terminus and only a subset waited for the BRT.

There is a place for BRT, but a small place.

Alan