I think that's exactly what that person is saying though. There is plenty of opportunity for good public infrastructure, but bad policy and auto lobbies have prevented them from happening. A good example is how most neighborhoods are not allowed to be located with businesses/shops/restaurants, and vice versa. This simple change would make so much more of the country more walkable

Maybe vote for somebody who will give you better public transport and cycling infrastructure.

Commuting from the suburbs to the city center is a perfect use case for advanced high-capacity public transportation. It's something that most cities on earth manage, the US could too.

Also this isn't theoretical. The deliberate prevention of new and in some cases destruction of existing public transportation in the US to increase car dependency is well-documented.