So, I want to be more productive in this thread than the typical orange-pilled response. That is, "fix the zoning, housing is in all the wrong places, stroads are awful, hostile architecture everywhere..." and so on. Problem is: I know more about running from these problems and zero about fixing them with my own two hands.

So, I have questions.

What resources should we be sharing to help address this? How do we take local zoning laws head-on to get more practical mixed-use and pedestrian-friendly options going? What does it actually take to get safe bike infrastructure in place?

As someone who couldn’t drive for several years due to epilepsy, and living in an area with precisely zero public transportation, can confirm. My mental health improved dramatically once I felt I was in control of when and where I could go again.

And the public transportation bit is the biggest hurdle in the US. It’s a very spread out country and public transportation, trains, and the like are not seen as a priority for those spending the tax dollars.

So true. Infrastructure issues aside, car insurance companies are horrible and need to be taken down a peg. I hate being legally required to buy insurance on a beater car I've already paid off because American health insurance is terrible and has shifted responsibility in collision-related healthcare to car owners.

Makes sense. Paying thousands of dollars in order to be able to travel from the place people live to the place people get food isn’t natural.

It did, so I left America. Now I live somewhere that prioritizes human-scale design, pedestrian safety, bike infrastructure, and public transit. Most days, I walk anywhere I need to go (supermarket, pharmacy, restaurants, shopping).

I'm so glad that Imperial Beach is installing protected bike lanes on some of the roads. Hopefully they will continue.