> public-transit options between distant suburbia and city centres are roughly comparable in America and Europe
I used to live in America in four different cities, from east to west. I also traveled all over the US.
I now live in Europe, and travel to many countries here as well.
Every time I visit the US these days, I don’t have car access at first. Whether visiting parents or friends in many different parts of the country, it is impossible to exist without a car. I might be able to do a couple things nearby, but not much, and I feel incredibly stranded. The best option is Uber, since one bus an hour that often doesn’t show up at all, is quite hard to plan around.
Meanwhile, every European city that I’ve visited, I haven’t driven a car once. Actually, I’ve never driven a car on this continent despite living here for a year. I’m still able to visit wineries in the countryside of Italy, remote towns with wildlife and hiking, and all of the groceries and restaurants you could possibly need. Only by taking incredibly easy and efficient public transit.
Also in my home country of Europe, I commute to work in a different but nearby town, just like I did in the US. Each commute is similar in length, ~30-35 mins. The difference, is that I pay maybe 60-90 €/month total, for all of my transportation at home. Commuting, visiting friends, going to the further-away park. In the US, it was easily $600-$800 per month for insurance, gas, depreciation, and maintenance, and I didn’t drive that fancy of a car. Multiple that by two for a household and it makes an absolutely enormous difference. Also, it’s a comparably-sized apartment in both places, but in Europe it’s about 30% cheaper and I’m close to the city. It’s just more dense here, which is what makes everything else possible.
So, no, it is not even close.