>>1660163This article makes some valid points but also some crass mistakes. There's something to that "Louvre effect", and of course xar travel is perfectly widespread in Europe, especially outside of major cities where traffic makes cars less practical and public transit is expansive. Your average city of +1 million in Europe has easily a modal share of 50% public transport. In the US, that's the exception in cities like maybe New York and Chicago. Smaller cities in Europe compensate that with car use at US levels.
But then there's also the question of level of service. Even with overall modal splits being comparable, those actually using transit in Europe get massively better service than in the US, and anything up to lower middle class is perfectly common on public transit, with middle and upper classes found in big city public transit, while in the US public transit is reserved for the absolute dregs of society, with abysmal service that only someone with absolutely no other choice would use, again except for specific cities.
So the main difference is essentially the on Europe the car is a choice for most people who use it, and public transit usually a fair alternative, while in the US the car is a necessity, and public transit a measly catch-all for the poorest of the poor.
