What I see as a major part of the problem is zoning laws that require commercial buildings to be grouped away from residential areas. So you have a large number

What I see as a major part of the problem is zoning laws that require commercial buildings to be grouped away from residential areas. So you have a large number of people commuting to the same area every day and none of them are able to live within walking/cycling distance. If US zoning were more like Japan, where the intended use is a "maximum" limit not an exclusive limit. So you'll see houses and commercial buildings mixed together, so it's possible to live close to work, reducing the number of cars on the road. http://urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html http://urbankchoze.blogspot.com/2014/04/japanese-zoning.html