It worked for me but I think I would have performed better with later classes. 10AM classes are probably the best. Not too close to lunch, not too early.
But also, outside a few areas in the US on the coasts, this country is much bigger and more spread out than EU countries. This makes driving a necessity for many people. People mostly burn gas because the alternatives aren't practical.
In any case, many US universities are in rural towns that only really exist to serve that university. And you would find that the transportation patterns are entirely different for a big city school vs a rural one. While the bicycle transportation options in a university town are generally pretty good, it's also true that many people prefer to drive vs biking in 40F rain, -10F ice, or 90F and humid.