[0]> But fluid and traffic are not the same thing, as shown by 60 years of governments trying and failing to road-build their way out of congestion. The idea of induced demand – more road space brings more cars – has been known for decades, and it also works in reverse. This is especially so with bike lanes, which are such an efficient use of the same space that they can often mean the same amount of space carrying more people overall.
[1]> Yes, traffic jams have worsened in some cities where bike lanes have been built, but studies show this is largely down to other factors, for example the growth in the number of Uber-type private hire vehicles and Amazon delivery vans.
I agree with you, especially because the crux of the matter is convenience of car versus public transit.
Cars are VERY convenient, so public transit needs to be on time, frequent, and very close by to compete. The other option is to make cars inconvenient, which is politically unpopular.
It's not 20 minutes. It's 20 minutes more than the normal trip duration.
That 2 hours rule seems to be health related. But a lot of food gets bad much before it becomes unsafe to eat.
Anyway, city traffic is not caused by people getting to a grocery store. That's all a red herring.