The problem in the United States is that most roads are too dangerous for bicyclists and many are seriously injured or killed after being struck by inattentive or overly aggessive motorists. When traveling in Europe I was immediately aware of the difference with many city streets closed completely to motor vehicles of any kind. There would be elderly men and women out on their bicycles running errands around town - and they were on the whole in much better shape and far fewer super fat people as is now common in the states.
This is not by accident. A company was formed shortly after World War II and funded by Standard Oil, Firestone Tire, and General Motors. This company bought up all the electric trollery car operations across the country and then burned the coaches and ripped up the tracks and replaced this green infrastructure with buses from GM burning fuel from Standard Oil and running on Firestone tires. Roadways for cars also need more space than trolley car lines and houses need space to garage cars and this created the suburban sprawl in this country.
I envy the people of Europe who in many cases do not even own a car and will rent one for a vaction but do not have the expense of buying and insuring and maintaining and storing one year round. The savings often go into a second home instead which is why so many Europeans own two homes free and clear. In American cities literally 50% of the land is taken up to accommodate motorists and their cars and it is being subsidized by everyone.
The Europeans also have access to high speed rail as this form of transportation is not subverted by auto manufacturers as in the USA. Sitting across from my wife in a comfortable seat with a table for laptops or a meal and going a 200 mph from city to city is a very different experience than having to fly while jammed into an aircraft and traveling at an effective speed of 50 mph, It takes me 1.5 hours to drive to the nearest airport and then another 2 hours before I board the plane and then I need to wait for my luggage and the get to a rental car agency and then get to the rental car, for a total elapsed time of more than 6 hours to go 300 miles. Unless someone has spent time in Europe or China they are ignorant of how screwed up our privatized transportation options are and how expensive they are.