Taking a quick look at some population density maps, it’s not hard to see why this might be the case. The US is very spread out in comparison to the world’s denser population centers, and even in comparison to Europe. Buses and trains connecting cities and towns not only have further to go, but the funding for them is more spread out. We’ve got pretty robust subway and bus systems in many of our metro areas, with New York and Boston being particularly notable, but if you want to leave the city you need a car. That means that we’re going to have to cater to that kind of transportation to a greater degree than a smaller country that can easily connect most of its populace with public transportation.

In a lot of the US, if you don’t have access to some sort of personal vehicle or a taxi service, you’re not going anywhere without a major hike. There are some cases where this could be improved, like extending commuter rails further, but it’s not a fix for everywhere.

Also, in the case of states with low population density they both lack the funding and the public support for increased public services like robust transportation. Some of these payee states that can’t cover the cost of their own roads anyway are skeptical of supporting public services, and their conservative legislature seems to like it that way.

We can definitely do better, but sometimes I feel like the folks who say we should just get rid of cars and all take public transport have never been out in the sticks.