[roadcat]

I don't remember reading about "public investments" to build gas stations for horseless carriages.

You may have not read about it, but government did make public investments to encourage use of horseless carriages. Federal, state and local governments built sections of paved roads across the country to encourage use of automobiles. This encouraged private building of paved roads to interconnect the subsidized pieces. This led to the quick decline in use of horses for travel.

[Jacquerie]

The Romans paved roads. Paved roads improve communications, no matter the mode of transportation.