If you live in a large urban area you probably know how traffic can slow to a crawl during the morning and evening commute. I had one friend report that they would roar through trailer parks at 45 mph, just to save a few seconds or to bypass a light. One correspondent stated that he had installed a Hobbs meter under the dash of a newly purchased car. When he sold the car, he divided the total mileage by the hours and found the average speed of the vehicle of the several years he owned it was 17 miles per hour. Cars are not necessarily faster.
Drive time is only part of the commute.
Then there is the parking. Even if free, its not always close. Even if close its not always vacant. How long do you have to spend driving around looking for a parking spot. However, parking and slow traffic really weren't problems for me.