Work: Close to double the distance, fast roads, aggressive drivers, and lack of bike lanes on some parts of the route.
School: Wife takes the kid, and she hasn't ridden since her childhood. Similar safety issues.
Groceries: It's possible to be out and back in the car in the time that it would take just to get there on the bike. The car can carry a week's groceries. Long hill on the way back, when already laden with food.
In all the cases, there isn't a culture of cycling in the area, aside from packs of dozens of lycra-clad people on the weekends. Cyclists are seen as an annoyance, and the minority of drivers that are dangerous and unpredictable to other cars are worse to cyclists. That's the biggest thing stopping me (although time and laziness are certainly factors, too).
Yes! It was GREAT! Take the train into the city, hop on a HubWay, bike from South Station to the Seaport, work, reverse. Really, really nice.
“People don’t have time to ride bikes” - this is exactly what the article is about: using bikes for normal tasks, like taking kids to school, going to the grocery store, commuting to work. Not for recreation in your off time, or as a sport.
Journeys up to 6-7km are absolutely normal, you don’t have to live next door to the office to cycle. What else is stopping you?