"The Netherlands is blanketed with intercity rail, high-speed rail, trams, and a couple of subway systems, not to mention buses, probably the world’s most extensive bike lane system, and the odd ferry and canal barge. Yet car-ownership rates are high as well, highways are not noticeably less extensive than in the northeastern United States, and the country is not full of anti-car conformists who hate freedom; indeed it just had provincial elections in which the Christian Democrats (CDA) ran on a highway-building platform under the slogan “The more CDA, the fewer traffic jams.” Also, speed limits are frequently 120 kph, which is near 80 mph and thus higher than limits on most American highways. My experience driving in France is that highways there these days are also newer, better, less crowded and faster than those in the northeastern United States."

-From The Economist, Democracy in America’s response to George Will’s truly bizarre assertion that “the real reason for progressives’ passion for trains is their goal of diminishing Americans’ individualism in order to make them more amenable to collectivism.”

The simple point made at the Economist - similar to one made by Ezra Klein in response to the same column - is that you can have both cars and trains … and planes … and buses … and all sorts of other things. The examples from the quote above are just a few of many.