Was it worth it, though? Was it worth the loss of mass transit?

Trivial answer. Yes it was.

It is worth noting that car-centered infrastructure and sprawl are far more expensive and less efficient. Cars are also far more damaging to our health and socially isolate us. Never mind the fact that many neighborhoods (usually minority ones because of course) were bulldozed to make room for cars. The Downs-Thomson paradox is something worth researching.