New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg would like to make the chronic traffic, slow buses and lack of dedicated paths for walkers and bicyclists that plague most U.S. cities relics of the past.

If his vision for the future of New York is realized, people would get around town more easily -- and perhaps safer and happier -- in the coming years.

The trick is to leave cars at home and ride public transit systems, walk or ride bicycles, Bloomberg said.

Cities have become too congested, due in large part to an overwhelming growth in cars over the decades, Bloomberg argued. Speaking at the World Bank today, the 70-year-old mayor said federal lawmakers have not done nearly enough to promote bicycling and public transit. And because of political gridlock, they're not going to anytime soon, he lamented.

Not modernizing infrastructure and railway projects will cause epic traffic jams to continue affecting major cities' economies. Roads were not designed primarily for cars, Bloomberg argued. They were built to allow people to move and to improve commerce, and recently, that hasn't been happening.

A few years ago, Bloomberg called for Times Square and the surrounding area in Manhattan to be blocked off from traffic and used exclusively by pedestrians. Despite push-back from car advocates and the taxi sector, a number of businesses applauded the move, which Bloomberg said has dramatically augmented commerce and tourism.

"We have to start looking at other ways to move people, and we have to understand -- and maybe this is the way you sell safety, and maybe this is the way you sell sustainability -- traffic does hurt your economy," Bloomberg said. "And if you can get people and goods and services delivered much more quickly, then the whole economy benefits, jobs, tax base and that sort of thing."

Aside from adding more walkways for pedestrians, the Big Apple is increasing its bike-share programs in the coming years and is renovating bus and subway systems so they are safer and more energy efficient. Fewer cars also means cleaner air for residents and lower fuel emissions in the atmosphere, the mayor noted.

Other cities have applied pedestrian and bike-friendly philosophies into their societies. In Portland, Ore., the bicycle culture dominates the way residents get around. In Miami, Fla., and Washington, D.C., bicycles are gaining popularity. And other cities are enhancing their light-rail systems to alleviate traffic, sometimes through initiatives backed by the Obama administration.

But don't expect the federal government to resolve a city's traffic woes, Bloomberg added. Residents must demand it from their mayors. And local officials will be the ones responsible for delivering the results.

"Mayors will all tell you the same thing. [Congress] talks a good game. They vote fictitious funds for projects that never get done. But whether you are tackling the environment, or crime, or education or transportation, they're basically done at the local city level, and if you can get some federal money, fine. But the first thing you do when you get the federal money is try to get the bureaucrats the hell away from it," Bloomberg said. "They're the ones who are going to force you to do things that may make sense from a national point of view but don't fit your city."