I think the point is that one reason why we've ended up in the situation you describe is because car use has been subsidized. In the early 20th century every ma

I think the point is that one reason why we've ended up in the situation you describe is because car use has been subsidized. In the early 20th century every major city in the U.S. had a large streetcar network (with 'streetcar suburbs') and access to intercity rail for longer distance commutes / trips. e.g. Indianapolis served 200 trains a day at its central station in 1900: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis_Union_Station https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis_Union_Station It now serves 7 Amtrak trains a week.