It's the same over here. People who live in the villages around Würzburg wouldn't agree with me. They too think a car is an absolutely necessity. I don't say they have to give up driving. If you live in a rural area you probably need your car: to get to your office, for shopping foods and all the other stuff, to drive your kids to school and where ever they have to go, to take grandma to see her doctor ...
But when you live in a average middle european city you often only need a car because you think you need it and for prestige.
I am sorry, you can't take your bike anymore. I was in small towns in the state several times. What always seemed very strange to me that you couldn't go to the supermarket or a library on the other side of the road without a car. You would risk your life going there... I couldn't live that way!