There’s a nasty cycle of car dependency. The government makes driving easy and alternatives hard through toll free highways, and mandated parking minimums aroun

There’s a nasty cycle of car dependency. The government makes driving easy and alternatives hard through toll free highways, and mandated parking minimums around every building. Entire neighborhoods are zoned for low density housing making apartments and even duplexes illegal. The government underwrites mortgages through Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Many neighborhoods lack continuous sidewalks, bike lanes safe enough for kids to use, and safe ways to cross the road. Faced with government preference for car infrastructure only, employers take the path of least resistance in building parking, and individuals buy cars and drive everywhere. Which leads to induced demand for more car infrastructure and resistance to throwing a bone to alternates (“Don’t waste gas tax money on public transit!”)