When most destinations are many miles away from your home, including your job, you have to estimate how much time you're going to spend on the road getting to various destinations when you choose your mode of transportation. You might choose to cycle or take a bus one day but when you spend hours doing what you could by driving in less time, it deters choices other than driving. To you, this might not seem like a significant impediment to your freedom but, if not, it is because you have grown to accept the cultural mandate to drive everywhere.

I am not "perverting old laws and debates to extract new meanings that don't apply." I am pointing out that popular sovereignty is a political logic applies today as strongly as it was in the ante-bellum 19th century. People even have the gall to call it the essence of democracy. I am just pointing out that sprawling urban development effectively reduces the freedom to choose forms of transportation besides driving. And even if only a minority of people are willing to acknowledge that they would like to have the choice/freedom to ride a bike or use transit, it's still a significant breach of freedom. There are also future generations who will inherit these sprawling city layouts. We are laying a foundation for them to accept driving as a mandate before their minds even get a chance to consider alternatives. Sad.

Thanks for apologizing. I can see that you have a critical mind so it interests me to see how you're thinking even though your values seem very different from mine.