Is it something with the ideological make up of the USA?
Very much so, yes.
I live in a state that has pretty dang good public transit (by USA standards) and even still, the county I live in is rural with no buses or trains within walking distance. I could bike, but there are no bike lanes or margins on the roads leading to the closest bus stop that I know. This is for the most populous state in the country while simultaneously being one of the smallest geographically.
If we as a society can accept that we need to allocate over an hour (and that’s being generous) for the first leg a 20 mile round trip to make an appointment or whatever at a massive loss of convenience then, sure… maybe we can make it work. Right now? It’s a pipe dream and getting angry at people who own a car to make their schedules work isn’t doing your “side” any favors.
I will admit that I am part of your problem. I really like my car. I like the idea of having a tool that can quickly, conveniently, and comfortably give me the freedom to travel from place to place without having to deal with other people. That is a selfish stance, I admit. Until it becomes feasible to implement public transit at the scale needed to get rid of cars I am likely going to continue to feel this way.
Very much so, yes.
I live in a state that has pretty dang good public transit (by USA standards) and even still, the county I live in is rural with no buses or trains within walking distance. I could bike, but there are no bike lanes or margins on the roads leading to the closest bus stop that I know. This is for the most populous state in the country while simultaneously being one of the smallest geographically.
If we as a society can accept that we need to allocate over an hour (and that’s being generous) for the first leg a 20 mile round trip to make an appointment or whatever at a massive loss of convenience then, sure… maybe we can make it work. Right now? It’s a pipe dream and getting angry at people who own a car to make their schedules work isn’t doing your “side” any favors.
I will admit that I am part of your problem. I really like my car. I like the idea of having a tool that can quickly, conveniently, and comfortably give me the freedom to travel from place to place without having to deal with other people. That is a selfish stance, I admit. Until it becomes feasible to implement public transit at the scale needed to get rid of cars I am likely going to continue to feel this way.