Yup. Our public transport sucks everywhere. Even NYC. And as much as I would have loved to bike it is not safe. I biked to work for a while in different cities in California and the bike lane quality varied greatly. I am not a fan of LA. Northern California seemed better for biking.

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.