I am 26, and when I was living in Europe (Poland) I didn't even bother to get a driver's license - getting around by public transportation was cheaper and faste

I am 26, and when I was living in Europe (Poland) I didn't even bother to get a driver's license - getting around by public transportation was cheaper and faster (especially if you take in account the time you need to find a parking spot and walk from it to your destination). However, moving to the Bay Area made me reconsider. Not being able to drive is a serious handicap. Not only there's no public transportation, but also everything seems to be optimized for cars (no sidewalks in some places, traffic lights giving a low priority to pedestrians, highways all over the place). I tried biking, but the cars seem unfriendly in a way that scares me.