[SFBruin]

I don't think it's just highway subsidies, at least for intra-urban (not sure if that's a term) travel.

There were also street width guidelines, parking minimums, zoning regulations etc. that made the density necessary for transit to function nearly impossible.

They have all contributed towards making motorized personal transit, of which a car is clearly the safest and most luxurious option, the fastest and, often times, only practical way to get around.