notable reasons cars are used over public transport (excluding cost):
privacy
carrying your own stuff
being together
accessibility
convenience
last-mile routes
preferred routes
driving for sport and leisure
comfort/safety/security, psychological factors
short distances
we have extensive road networks already
large and awkward freight
motorhomes and travelling lifestyles
solutions:
most of these can be solved with funding and efforts going towards green automated public services that self-co-ordinate with a degree of separation and a degree of choice
think land-ferry, rail-car
accessibility by default
driving for sport and leisure can remain on dedicated sites as with eg rallies, motor racing, bike sports. Cars for hobbies, vanity and collecting can remain.
yet to find an answer
psychological factors
- factors of owning your own safe space and/or escape route (unless individual ‘pods’ are still owned personally and just interface well - but equity issues remain in this model eg high cost may be associated, and youth rights affected)
short distances
a general accessibility issue in that ‘walkable’ routes are not walkable for everybody but public transport tends not to serve these distances. Solutions are few and far between, personal electric vehicles for one are difficult/expensive to access (think mobility scooter) and tend to have complex rules of use (think e-scooters)
extensive road networks left just to large freight?