People love mobility. For some it is bicycle the car but for most it is the mobility. Canadians, Japanese and Western Europeans love mobility, or if your prefer, love their cars as much as Americans. There are a whole host of reasons why, many of which will be discussed in this presentation. But I want to dispense with the factors that aren't the reason.
Culture plays little or no role in travel mode choice.
One could argue, for example, that extensive bicycle use is part of the Dutch culture. But in this context culture is the result, not the cause, of bicycle prominence. Affluence is another non-factor since the countries I am thinking of are all affluent. The challenge I would like to address is how to reduce the share of urban trips made by auto, increase the share made on transit, foot and bicycle and do so in a manner that does not in any way inhibit mobility or discourage socialization. For example, many curbside bus stops force buses to pull out of ongoing traffic and then wait for a gap to bull back in.