I think the major issue is that we prioritise roads for cars. When I was in Orlando, Fl., we tried crossing the junction near our hotel on foot and gave up and drove. We need to prioritise walking, then cycling, and then driving. Segregating each form of transport is key. In the USA, putting roads onto a "road diet" is easier in many cases due to the size of the lanes you have. http://gizmodo.com/what-the-heck-is-a-road-diet-1727066519