[kindatrue]

"I really hope US cities head in this direction"

The US is headed on the path of autonomous vehicles as the solution. It's the perfect combination of things our society loves: 1) No new public investment. 2) Continuous, end-to-end air conditioning

[HEmanZ]

I suspect the US is going to get a super bifurcated urbanist result across cities in the next 20 years. Places like NYC, Boston, Chicago, Seattle, Portland, and San Francisco (maybe not these exact cities but you get the gist) are going to move strong towards European style urban infrastructure. It seems to be one topic that really does mobilize voters, especially younger educated voters, in these cities. It will in turn attract a lot more of these kinds of people, accelerating the change.

The rest of the US is just going to double down on sprawl.

[lotsoweiners]

Those cities you mentioned already have European style urban infrastructure. In my opinion the big difference is that the drivers in the European cities seemed crazier than their US counterparts.

[twoWhlsGud]

Done properly (I know…) autonomous vehicles could be a godsend for cycling in the US. If vehicles behaved properly you wouldn't theoretically need cycling infrastructure at all – the dream of vehicular cycling would actually start working and you could share the road anywhere.

[beppuboy]

+100...I love driving and will miss it with autonomous cars but I like being able to ride my bike without being nearly killed in the city every week. Autonomous cars (assuming they're trained to deal with bikes) would be a massive benefit I'm keeping my fingers crossed for.

[trgn]

the aspirational future of AI-traffic is kei cars and vans puttering around. Hope to see it in my lifetime still.

[al_borland]

Autonomous vehicles will make traffic worse, not better. Now we won’t even need people in cars to create traffic.

[NegativeLatency]

3) A technical solution to a societal problem

[rangestransform]

I would definitely prefer end to end AC over cycling in >30c heat

[doctor_phil]

I don't get the American fixation of cars. Isn't public roads a mild form of communism?

[NegativeLatency]

Lots of money has been successfully spent on convincing Americans that car ownership directly makes them more free. Car == freedom

This is sorta true in part (in some places) because other options like walk/bike/bus/train have been so disinvested that in many places you really do need to own a car to get around with any level of dignity.

It does seem to be changing on larger US cities though, so I’m hopeful.

[ThunderSizzle]

Freedom of movement. Cars represent freedom of movement akin to a horse with a trailer, except you have an engine instead of a horse.

I dont think Americans care for the current road monopoly states have, or the monopolistic tolls and enforcement.

The idea of freedom of movement isn't really a European-centric ideal - its more uniquely American and derived from being a nation derived from those escaping injustices of Europe and searching freedom and liberty.

With the history of Europe being based in serfdom - peasants being forced to work their lord's land for protection - the idea of freedom of movement never really seemed to be of importance.

Those who deemed it important probably emigrated from Europe to America.

[carlosjobim]

Imperialism rather.