Just to compare, this is the utopian dream for Toronto:
There are approx. 18 cars and trucks in that image.
They are taking up SIGNIFICANTLY more space, and are causing traffic.
Still, we keep saying, “give us more of this, please!”.
Insanity or stupidity?
The only true counter to all of that is Amsterdam was basically go-engineered to be pretty much flat. Most cities in the US have a lot more elevation change than that, making bikes a bit less practical.
To counter that, we’re also talking about the difference of people riding single speed bikes vs bikes with gears and ebikes. The latter of which pretty much deals with hills. 😄
I have some pretty wild elevation changes around me, but even hauling groceries, this is rarely an issue. Of course, as I got used to cycling, it got much easier, so just getting out of the car is where most people will find the greatest difficulty.
I walk up and over a hill to get my grocceries. It is literally uphill both ways but I still prefer to walk instead of driving my car because the walk is just so much more enjoyable and only about 15 minutes one way. Even in the winter the walk is nice, the hill actually helps me stay warm.