I don't quite agree. I mean yes, we use bikes, but Milan is one of the most car-heavy cities I've seen in Europe. There are cars everywhere, parked on tram stops, parked in the middle of the road, etc. It sucks, and I definitely don't feel safe cycling. What you say holds for smaller towns. In my hometown 40 km from Milan I never needed a car nor a bus. (However as soon as you need to go to the next town you need a car.)