I haven't had time to read most of the article, but the comments about how "the way we plan our cities affects how we live for many years to come" is right on. I'm sure the auto companies knew this when they aggressively pushed for the monopoly of public transport. Once this position is gained, it's hard for anyone else to wrestle it away.

I live 14 miles from work and where I live, that's close. Cycling is a very competative alternative to motoring, but when you live that far away, you still depend on motorised transport some of the time.