ok, I don’t get it - I lived in NYC 2006-2008 and traffic was insane, and since 2010 I’ve lived in Warsaw, Poland.
Warsaw has implemented miles of bicycle paths - bikes are supposed to use those paths alone, or, if unavailable, the roads. No pavements.
We have great public transport, and if you want, you can rent bicycles (50 cent an hour) or electric scooters or mopeds.
We don’t have so many bicycle accidents with bicyclists hitting civilians - in fact I’ve heard of just 1 in the past 3 years and that was an injury. No deaths.
Perhaps the key is a civil society?
Well, that might just be the answer.