Public goods are those that are not produced only because the marginal benefit to a given producer is captured by others; i.e., free riders. An arguable example is pharmaceutical research, where the benefit of spending truckloads of money on research can be captured by others who then produce copycat generic drugs. The government tries to solve this problem by granting monopoly sales rights (patents) to the firm that does the research.
From a consumer's perspective, public goods are not purchased only because the marginal benefit to a given consumer is zero; i.e., they can free ride off the purchases of others. An example is the catalytic converter. The benefits of clean air can be captured if everyone else installs one; the marginal contribution of your installation is negligible and not worth the price. The government therefore forces everyone to have one in their car.
Transit
Transit producers already collect fares, demonstrating that they can capture benefits. And the utility of transit to its users is greatly increased when they use it; they don't receive the benefits if they stay at home. This is how airlines, private bus lines, cargo carriers, etc. operate. Transit systems have the same properties.
Education
Education is already being privately supplied for Pre-K and college in exchange for tuition; there is nothing about K-12 that makes it any different. And education consumers capture the benefits of education when they get a job. Also, many people see education as an end in itself which doesn't even require financial returns from a well-paying job; e.g. degrees in psychology, linguistics, etc.
People who feel that transit and education should be publicly supplied should rely on other arguments; these services are not public goods.
From a consumer's perspective, public goods are not purchased only because the marginal benefit to a given consumer is zero; i.e., they can free ride off the purchases of others. An example is the catalytic converter. The benefits of clean air can be captured if everyone else installs one; the marginal contribution of your installation is negligible and not worth the price. The government therefore forces everyone to have one in their car.
Transit
Transit producers already collect fares, demonstrating that they can capture benefits. And the utility of transit to its users is greatly increased when they use it; they don't receive the benefits if they stay at home. This is how airlines, private bus lines, cargo carriers, etc. operate. Transit systems have the same properties.
Education
Education is already being privately supplied for Pre-K and college in exchange for tuition; there is nothing about K-12 that makes it any different. And education consumers capture the benefits of education when they get a job. Also, many people see education as an end in itself which doesn't even require financial returns from a well-paying job; e.g. degrees in psychology, linguistics, etc.
People who feel that transit and education should be publicly supplied should rely on other arguments; these services are not public goods.