Or do without a car..? I'm quite confused about how car centric one's world view must be to not even entertain the idea of not using one for all these daily things?
That's kinda the point: disincentives, that will make people think twice about how they choose to live.
Over time, changes like these will make people reconsider, and perhaps not move to places without public transit or where schools are far away. Or municipalities will have to change, offer these things or people will abandon them. Either way, it slowly fixes things.
Simple, large popular movements demanding it in the 70s. Before that their transportation was as car-centered as it is today in the US.
Adding a new train line cost $2bn over budget and about 5 years longer than planned.