This entire issue is a symptom of the way our society has viewed and continues to view public transit. It is always held to an unfair standard in comparison to cars and roadways specifically.
Most people who live here think transit is an unnecessary social welfare system that, somehow at the same time, needs to generate revenue to justify its existence. Roads, on the other hand, are necessary, must be free for everyone to use, and must be maintained no matter the cost. This is so unfair, and leads to a self-fulfilling prophecy where public transit users need to struggle with the dilemma of higher fares vs. less frequency and coverage, whereas drivers can keep doing their thing without having to worry about what's happening externally. I guess its only natural that most people think like this, since they've known owning a car and driving as the only reliable way to do anything and go anywhere, which is true if you live outside of Edmonton's urban core.
Public transit should be free as well, or roads should generate revenue on a per-person basis for the government. Either is a form of leveling the playing field here.
P.S.: "Drivers have to pay for gas, insurance, and do pay taxes! This makes it fair!" - Driving a car creates negative externalities which directly harm the environment, strain the public healthcare system, and lead to less social cohesion and productivity on a societal level. Public transit isn't perfect, for sure, but its positive externalities justify it costing measurably less than using a car.