I remember the same arguments you’re using against HSR being cited against Bart, in the Bay Area. (Or, more recently, against the new international airport outside of Denver and light rail.) All three proved to have been pretty solid investments, lol.
Public transportation costs - it also generates jobs and value. Suburban and urban areas close to public transportation are more desirable, lose less in value during recessions, and are overall a better investment. A society that pits one of these investments against the other is short sighted. Both are crucial to growth and progress.