What he and all the others fail to recognize is that our cites are based upon foundations that are completely opposite to those in Europe, and are held up as shining examples of bicycle accommodation.
European cities grew out of the Middle Ages with their forms, roads, movement patterns and social structures shaped by a world before the automobile.
The die was cast long before the start of the 20th century. The car was always the outsider, unsuited to the road networks and successfully rivalled by public transit as the efficient means for mobility.
Additionally, fuel was expensive, land more costly and automobiles were not priced for mass usage. This left plenty of room for the more “liveable” assets such as bicycle accommodation. Bicycles were always part of the mix.