You’re the one that tried to reframe the argument around energy usage when it was originally “public transport would be universally better if we just invested more”. An argument which is fundamentally flawed, which I have proved is fundamentally flawed and you have no response to.

Reframe it? Efficiency was one of the first things I mentioned. Most modern trains are electric, just like your car. Their usually still diesel in the US because we haven’t invested anything in the infrastructure in decades.

You simply cannot acknowledge that there are tangible benefits and advantages to private transport. You have not conceded or even acknowledged a single point which I made where cars clearly have an advantage.

The benefit is point-to-point travel, but good public transport can do that too, especially with things like bike rental and stuff. Cars make it worse, if not impossible though because we have to spend at least as much space for every business on parking. Most places literally have minimum parking laws, where some estimate of maximum occupancy is used for requiring parking spaces. Get rid of cars and we can have places a lot closer so public transport stops will be closer to where you want to go.

I guess there’s also the benefit of never interacting with anyone, though I’d personally say that’s a negative. I think a lack of interaction with people who live in the same area as you with similar problems to you has been a major detriment to the US. It’s part of why things are so polarized. People sit alone at home, alone traveling to work, mostly alone at work, and then back. Additionally, denser spaces and public transport allow for third places to succeed. They can’t exist in a suburb hell scape.