The War on Cars
The War on Cars, LLC
Updated 11 days agoThe War on Cars brings you news, commentary and stories about the worldwide battle to undo a century's worth of damage wrought by the automobile.
Are you the creator? Claim this podcast
Episodes (242)
TEASER: Let's Crush These Dirt Bikes with Alex Pareene
***This is a preview of a short bonus episode just for Patreon supporters. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for ad-free access to this and all our exclusive content. Plus, we'll send you stickers!*** The New Republic's Alex Pareene joined us for Episode 78, "311 is a Joke," and we had a lot of fun. We chatted about the battle for scarce street space in the big city and the role that municipal government plays (and doesn't play) in sorting it all out (or not). As often happens when we get going in the studio, our conversation with Alex ran long and some good stuff didn't make it into the final cut. In this bonus episode, we learn about Alex's step-dad Chuck from North Dakota and hear from New York City's now-former Mayor Bill de Blasio as he attempts to destroy a bunch of dirt bikes on Staten Island. TheWarOnCars.org
311 is a Joke with Alex Pareene
Alex Pareene, a contributing editor to The New Republic and the author of The AP (Alex Pareene) Newsletter, joins the podcast to talk about his recent run of stories on cars, parking and the competition for scarce space on city streets. We discuss 311 — the non-emergency phone number for accessing municipal services — and what it tells us about how government works (or doesn't work). What message are police sending when they fail to enforce illegal parking? As far as driving is concerned, does anything go? And how does Elon Musk's insistence on beta-testing Full Self-Driving on public streets relate to it all? ***This episode is sponsored by our friends at Cleverhood.*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon for access to ad-free bonus content. SHOW NOTES: Subscribe to The AP (Alex Pareene) Newsletter. Read Alex in The New Republic. Listen to The Politics of Everything. "The Lawlessness that Cops Ignore." (The Atlantic) "Losing a Streetfight to Elon Musk." (The AP) Read "Fighting Traffic" by Peter Norton. Get official War on Cars merch at our store. Purchase books by podcast guests at Bookshop.org. Follow and review us on iTunes. It helps people find us! Twitter: @TheWarOnCars TheWarOnCars.org
TEASER: Cars as a Virus with Hermann Knoflacher
***This is a preview of a bonus episode. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for ad-free access to this and all our exclusive content.*** Perhaps you've seen pictures of a person walking around in a large, wearable wooden frame meant to illustrate the space taken up by one person in a private automobile. That's the gehzeug — or walkmobile — and it was invented by the Austrian civil engineer and professor Herman Knoflacher. Professor Knoflacher, 81, is the head of the Institute of Transportation at the Vienna University of Technology. Long before the current global pandemic, he compared cars to a virus. It's a provocative analogy, but Knoflacher makes a compelling case. And rather than searching for vaccines and other ways to fight this particular threat, humanity has actively helped the spread of cars, much to the detriment of the built environment, children's health and safety and even our future on this planet. TheWarOnCars.org
Curbing Traffic with Melissa and Chris Bruntlett
In 2019, Melissa and Chris Bruntlett and their two children moved from Vancouver to the small city of Delft in the Netherlands. The experience of transitioning to and living in a place that puts people first over automobiles forms the basis for Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives. The book, the Bruntlett's second on the lessons offered by Dutch cities, explains the many benefits of car-free and car-lite spaces, from lower anxiety and stress, better social trust, improved health and increased independence for people of all ages and abilities. Plus, as you'll hear, cities with fewer cars are quiet! ***This episode is sponsored by Rad Power Bikes.*** SHOW NOTES: Buy Curbing Traffic and Building the Cycling City by Melissa and Chris Bruntlett, along with titles by other guests of the podcast, at the official War on Cars page at Bookshop.org. Learn more about Melissa and Chris at ModacityLife.com Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to exclusive ad-free content. Plus, we have a new reward: Water bottles! Get official War on Cars merch at our store. Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us. Follow us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars TheWarOnCars.org
Smells Like Teen Climate Anxiety
Young people want to live. It seems kind of basic, right? Anyone over the age of 35 or so probably grew up thinking that the desire to live was something to take for granted, at least on a societal scale. But many members of Gen Z worry that the places they live today will soon be uninhabitable. That they won't be able to realize their dreams or raise their children the way previous generations did. That their very survival is at stake. And they don't see meaningful action from the adults in charge. In this episode, we hear from some teens in Brooklyn who are demanding radical improvements in bike infrastructure to make emission-free transportation safe and accessible to all. We also talk with Dr. Elizabeth Marks, a clinical psychologist who has co-authored a new study about climate anxiety in ten thousand young people all over the world. Sixty percent said that they are either "very worried" or "extremely worried" about climate change. There's a crisis in intergenerational trust. How can we begin to repair the damage? ***This episode is sponsored by Rad Power Bikes and Cleverhood.*** SHOW NOTES: Read the preprint of Dr. Elizabeth Marks's study of climate anxiety among young people. Watch Joe Manchin get confronted by young climate activists. Learn about The Tube, a radical proposal for a safe bike network in New York City. Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to exclusive ad-free bonus content. Plus we'll send you stickers. Get official War on Cars merch, including our new CARS RUIN CITIES t-shirt, at our store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Follow and review us on iTunes. It helps people find us! Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. TheWarOnCars.org
Live in New York with Choire Sicha
On Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, The War on Cars recorded a live show at Caveat on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Our special guest for the evening was Choire Sicha, an editor at large at New York Magazine, who joined us to talk about YIMBYism, "bike fascism" and life in the suburbs. Plus, why does Eric Adams, the newly elected mayor of New York City, need to fix his bike's front fork? This episode is sponsored by Rad Power Bikes and Cleverhood. For 20% off the purchase of Cleverhood rain gear, use code HOLIDAYRAIN at checkout through December 31st. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars and get access to the full-length video of our live show along with all of our exclusive content. Get official War on Cars merch at our store. SHOW NOTES: Yes, Build the Windowless, Bathroomless Dorm in My Backyard (Choire Sicha at Curbed) How to Ride the Bus (Choire Sicha at Curbed) Eric Adams' Fork is Backwards (reddit.com/r/NYCbike/) Curtis Sliwa Hit By Cab, Does Radio Show Before Going to Hospital (NBC 4) Curtis Sliwa vows to end the "war on vehicles." (New York Post) This episode was edited by Ali Lemer. It was recorded live at Caveat. Theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. thewaroncars.org
Not Just Bikes with Jason Slaughter
Jason Slaughter is the creator of Not Just Bikes, the wildly popular YouTube channel that covers urban design and daily living in the Netherlands. Jason's videos are informative and entertaining, and whether they're about the shaky finances on which the suburbs are built or something as simple as grocery shopping, each one helps viewers understand larger concepts about building cities for people, not cars. Doug sat down with Jason in Amsterdam to talk about the origins of Not Just Bikes and why places that force everyone to drive whether they want to or not just plain suck. ***The episode is sponsored by Rad Power Bikes.*** SHOW NOTES: Subscribe to Not Just Bikes on YouTube. Follow Not Just Bikes on Twitter. Watch the videos mentioned in this episode: Why Many Cities Suck (But Dutch Cities Don't) Why Grocery Shopping is Better in Amsterdam Why Dutch Bikes Are Better (and why you should want one) The Wrong Way to Set Speed Limits How Suburban Development Makes American Cities Poorer Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to exclusive ad-free bonus content. Plus we'll send you stickers. Get official War on Cars merch, including our new CARS RUIN CITIES t-shirt, at our store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Follow and review us on iTunes. It helps people find us! Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. TheWarOnCars.org
Third Anniversary Mailbag
To celebrate the podcast's third anniversary (how did that happen?) we open up the listener mailbag and field your questions and comments. Is it time to take more subversive action in the fight for safe streets? With all the evidence on our side, why does it sometimes feel like cities keep having the same arguments over parking spaces? Why don't strollers get more respect as transportation? Is it ok to drive an SUV while wearing a War on Cars T-shirt? Plus: The marketing push for the 2022 Chevy Inundator begins today. This episode is sponsored by Rad Power Bikes and Cleverhood. Support The War on Cars on Patreon and cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content, merch discounts and more. SHOW NOTES: "More Transit Agencies Allow Open Strollers on Buses" (Streetsblog) Get official War on Cars merch, including our new "CARS RUIN CITIES" sticker, at our store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Follow and review us on iTunes! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio and edited by Matt Cutler. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Additional music by Michael Hearst. Manly voiceover on the fake Chevy Inundator ad by Curtis Fox. Fake ad music, "The End of a Decade" by Of Water, courtesy of Epidemic Sound. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D.
TEASER: Hashtag Ban Cars With Michael Hobbes
***This is a preview of a short bonus episode just for Patreon supporters. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for ad-free access to this and all our exclusive content. Plus, we'll send you stickers!*** Michael Hobbes, a journalist and podcast host known for his work on Maintenance Phase and You're Wrong About, joined The War on Cars for episode 72 to discuss what bikelash has in common with moral panics. In this short bonus episode, hear a part of our conversation that was left on the cutting room floor. We cover everything from how newspaper headlines absolve drivers who hit vulnerable road users and offer some advice to people who are freaking out about the #BanCars slogan. TheWarOnCars.org
You're Wrong About Bikes with Michael Hobbes
What does bikelash have in common with moral panics? Has Paris really descended into anarchy because of all the cyclists? Are e-bikes and scooters the biggest threats to pedestrians on the mean streets — and sidewalks — of New York? What happens when reporters misunderstand statistics and rely on anecdotes to paint a picture of an urban transportation landscape that's spinning out of control? To answer these questions and more, we're joined by journalist Michael Hobbes, the co-host of the podcasts Maintenance Phase and You're Wrong About. Michael explains what a moral panic is and helps us debunk some commonly held misconceptions about what happens when cities make streets for people, not cars. This episode is sponsored in part by Rad Power Bikes and Cleverhood. Support The War on Cars on Patreon and cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content, merch discounts and more. SHOW NOTES: Subscribe to Confirm My Choices, the newsletter from Michael Hobbes. Listen to Maintenance Phase and You're Wrong About wherever you get your podcasts. Follow Michael Hobbes on Twitter. "As Bikers Throng the Streets, 'It's Like Paris Is in Anarchy'" (New York Times) "As E-Scooters and E-Bikes Proliferate, Safety Challenges Grow' (New York Times) "Cycle lanes, scooters and terraces — is Paris still safe for pedestrians?" (The Local) Get official War on Cars merch, including our new "CARS RUIN CITIES" sticker, at our store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Follow and review us on iTunes! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio and edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Additional music by Michael Hearst. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. TheWarOnCars.org
Lab Meat and Electric Cars with Alicia Kennedy
Alicia Kennedy is a food writer whose weekly newsletter covers the way food culture intersects with politics, media, labor rights and climate change. On the surface it might not seem like it has much to do with the war on cars. But it does. Because what Alicia is doing in her work is really similar to what we do: she tries to make the invisible visible. She shines a light on how huge political and commercial forces are constantly manipulating our emotions about food for their own profit, with reckless disregard for the natural world and human health. It's pretty much the same thing we see every day in transportation and urban planning. Sarah talked with Alicia about what electric cars have in common with lab meat, and how to deal with people thinking you're a joyless Puritan just because you don't want our society to go up in flames. ***This episode is sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking, enter coupon code BANCARS at checkout now through November 1.*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content and more. SHOW NOTES: Learn more about Alicia Kennedy and subscribe to her newsletter. Buy advance or livestream tickets for our November 2 live show at Caveat in NYC. Get official War on Cars merch at our store. Follow, rate and review us on iTunes! This episode was produced and edited by Sarah Goodyear. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. Find us on Twitter: @TheWaronCars, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke. Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us at [email protected].
Return of the Vermonter
On July 19, 2020, Amtrak restarted passenger rail service on its Vermonter line after a 16-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You wouldn't necessarily think that this would be all that big of a deal. The Vermonter runs just one train per day in each direction between Washington, D.C., and St. Albans, a small town near the Canadian border. This train is kind of slow, frequently late, and only serves 100,000 passengers a year — a drop in the bucket compared to nearby Interstate highways. And yet, in the village of Bellows Falls, the return of the Vermonter was cause for major celebration and an outpouring of civic pride. Why does intercity train service mean to a small town like Bellows Falls? And what is it about the train that people love so much? ***This episode is sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking enter coupon code BANCARS at checkout now through November 1.*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content and more. SHOW NOTES: In Bellows Falls, train love runs deep. (Brattleboro Reformer) Amtrak returns to Vermont after a 16-month pandemic absence. (VT Digger) A presentation by Carl Fowler of the Vermont Rail Advisory Council on the history and evolution of rail passenger service in Vermont and northern New England. (Sustainable Transportation Vermont) The mysterious petroglyphs of Bellows Falls. (Obscure Vermont) Bellows Falls history and historic photos. (Lost New England) Ride the Vermonter and go see some leaves turn colors. (Amtrak) Get official War on Cars merch at our store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Follow, rate and review us on iTunes! This episode was produced by Aaron Naparstek and edited by Ali Lemer. Original music scoring and sound design by Bob Pounding. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke. Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: [email protected] TheWarOnCars.org
The E-Bike Radicalization of Jessica Valenti
Jessica Valenti, the noted feminist writer, was curious about e-bikes. So, as one does, she posted a question about them to Twitter. Thus began her path to radicalization. After buying an e-bike of her own, she quickly found how life-changing it was — a not uncommon feeling among the converted. A lifelong New Yorkers, Jessica found that riding an e-bike changed her perspective on the city and offered her new insight on being a woman in public space. In this spirited and far-reaching conversation, Jessica talks about e-bikes as vehicles of feminist empowerment, means of escaping harassment and good plain fun. Plus, we dig into history and discuss the similarities between the "resting bitch face" of today and the "bicycle face" of the late 1800s. ***This episode was sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and cycling, enter coupon code BANCARS at checkout now through November 1st.*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content and more. ***Get tickets for The War on Cars: Live in New York! Tuesday, November 2nd at Caveat in Manhattan.*** SHOW NOTES: Learn more about Jessica Valenti. (JessicaValenti.com) Thanks to riding an e-bike, Jessica Valenti's road rage "has ascended." (Twitter) "Bicycle face": a 19th-century health problem made up to scare women away from biking. (Vox) Check out the work of Bekka Wright, the artist also known as "Bikeyface. (Bikeface) Episode 7: Nice Legs, Dude (The War on Cars) Get official War on Cars merch at our store. Read up with books from The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Follow, rate and review us on iTunes. This episode was edited by Ali Lemer and engineered by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. Our music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. Email us: [email protected] TheWarOnCars.org
SUMMER SPECIAL: Meet Mr. Barricade
This episode was originally released as a Patreon exclusive. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for bonus episodes, early releases and more. Combine a deep love of cities and urban planning with a penchant for wearing stylish suits, smooth dance moves set to Swedish rap music and a curious fascination with drainage and what do you get? Mr. Barricade, an unlikely TikTok star. Vignesh Swaminathan, who runs his own engineering and design firm in California, has built a huge following on the video-sharing platform based on his unique ability to explain everything from how protected intersections work in busy downtowns to the ongoing impacts of redlining and segregation. Doug talks to Vignesh about his viral videos, tricks for successfully fighting racism online and the power of TikTok to help people see and experience their streets and communities in new ways. SHOW NOTES: Follow Mr. Barricade on TikTok. Learn more about Crossroad Lab, Vigesh Swaminathan's engineering and urban design firm. Read all about Vignesh in the San Jose Mercury News. Pick up official War on Cars merch at our store. Receive 20% off the purchase of stylish rain gear for walking and cycling from our friends at Cleverhood by entering code WARONCARS at checkout. Buy books from podcast guests and check out The War on Cars reading list at Bookshop.org.
SUMMER SPECIAL: Being Gary Fisher, the Interview
To celebrate the last days of summer, we're re-releasing our Patreon special interview with the man who introduced the world to mountain biking: Gary Fisher. Sarah talks with Gary about his sometimes psychedelic autobiography, Being Gary Fisher and the Bicycle Revolution. We also got his opinions on the failed promise of the automobile, the bike boom of the late '70s, and what the world can learn from COVID about building better streets.
TEASER: Going Viral With Tom Flood
Tom Flood used to work in the ad industry in Toronto on campaigns for clients in the auto industry. Today he's a bit of a rebel and uses the power of social media and smart video editing to poke fun at car companies and the kind of commercials that often glorify reckless driving. If you've ever seen commercials for cars like the Dodge Carger then you'll appreciate what Tom does. He takes those amped-up ads and edits in images of his cute kids riding their bikes, making the point that fast cars don't exist in the fantasy world of Madison Avenue but on real avenues and streets shared with people. Recently Toms Twitter account was suspended without explanation. Was it a mistake? A conspiracy by Big Auto? In this bonus episode just for Patreon supporters, Tom joins The War on Cars to break it all down. Follow Tom Flood at his new Twitter account, @TomFloodOne "These aren't accidents. They're results." Check out Tom's creative firm, Rovélo Creative. Save 20% on all apparel orders at The War on Cars store with code SUMMERSALE now through August 31st.
A Word From Our Listeners
We held our very first War on Cars Meetup in Brooklyn a few weekends ago. We actually started planning this event almost two years ago but, you know... a global pandemic kind of got in the way. After so many months of relative social isolation it was great to gather in person, see old friends, meet new friends, and talk with so many of our passionate, dedicated listeners. Part of what was special about the Meetup was its location. Not very long ago, if you had tried to host a social gathering in the middle of Vanderbilt Avenue, you'd have gotten squashed by a speeding car. In 2006, New York City's Dept. of Transportation experimented with its very first "road diet" on Vanderbilt Ave. Today, it's one of New York City's most successful car-free open streets. It's a place to experience how nice it can be when streets are designed and managed as community spaces rather than traffic sewers. ***This episode is sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking enter coupon code WARONCARS at checkout.*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content and more. SHOW NOTES: Vanderbilt Avenue: Open Streets, Good Vibes Eyes on the Street: A Refuge on Vanderbilt (Streetsblog) How New Yorkers Want to Change the Streetscape for Good (New York Times) Statistics on how the Vanderbilt Avenue "road diet" is working (New York City Dept. of Transportation) Get official War on Cars merch, including apparel, pins, patches, stickers and more at our store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. This episode was produced and edited by Aaron Naparstek. Our music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek. Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: [email protected] TheWarOnCars.org
TEASER: Way Too Many Tech Bros
It sure was a busy week for our transportation tech bro overlords. Elon Musk announced a deal to build another one of his car tunnels beneath the waterlogged streets of Fort Lauderdale, Florida while also admitting that, "haha" the self-driving cars he's been promising for years aren't going to happen any time soon. Malcolm Gladwell launched the new season of his "Revisionist History" podcast with an episode that comes across like a demented advertorial for robot cars. And a tech bro named Jason Crawford spent the better part of a day arguing on Twitter that "cars are one of the most amazing and wonderful inventions in all of history." In this special episode for our Patreon supporters, Andrew Hawkins, senior reporter at The Verge, joins Doug and Aaron for a deep dive into the tech bros and their vision for the future of transportation. Plus: Lance Armstrong! As if it couldn't get any more bro-ish. Sign up starting at just $2 per month and you can listen to this episode and lots of other bonus content. Plus we'll send you stickers. SHOW NOTES: Follow Andrew Hawkins and his reporting at The Verge and on Twitter. Elon Musk's tweet announcing that, "Haha" he won't be able to keep his promise to deliver full-self driving car technology any time soon. "I Love You Waymo," the first episode of the new season of Malcolm Gladwell's Revisionist History podcast. "Cars are one of the most amazing and wonderful inventions in all of history." A day-long piece of social media performance art by "former tech founder" Jason Crawford. Elon Musk's Boring Company pitches underground transit loop to Fort Lauderdale (The Verge) Get official War on Cars merch at our store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. This episode was edited by Ali Lemer. Our music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1. Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: [email protected] TheWarOnCars.org
God Help Us, It's Really Infrastructure Week
Breaking News! Following weeks of negotiations, and as a mind-boggling heat wave settled on the Pacific Northwest, President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of ten Senators stepped out of a closed-door meeting at the White House to announce they'd made a deal. There will be infrastructure! $579 billion worth of it, in fact. The biggest federal investment in infrastructure in more than a hundred years and, according to President Biden, the 21st century equivalent to our historic investments in the Interstate Highway System and the transcontinental railroad. But if you're a tad skeptical about what this deal might mean for The War on Cars, you have good reason. Federal transportation investments have not been kind to Americans who wish to live untethered from an automobile. And in U.S. political discourse, "infrastructure" has typically been shorthand for "car stuff." But could this moment be different? Here to help us understand the big infrastructure package and the arcane world of federal transportation policy is Beth Osborne, executive director of Transportation for America. Warning: This episode includes a brief audio clip of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. ***This episode was sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking enter coupon code WARONCARS at checkout.*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content and more. SHOW NOTES: Episode 62: It's Finally Infrastructure Week, April 3, 2021. (The War on Cars) Learn more about Transportation for America here. Follow Beth Osborne on Twitter. President Biden Announces Support for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework (WhiteHouse.gov) What's in the White House, Senate bipartisan infrastructure package (Washington Post) As Feds Debate Transportation Pay-Fors, Don't Forget What We're Buying (Streetsblog USA) Biden's infrastructure deal proves bipartisanship can't deliver (Vox) Get official War on Cars merch at our store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts. This episode was edited by Ali Lemer and produced by Aaron Naparstek. Our music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1. Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: [email protected] TheWarOnCars.org
The One Where They Go Back to the Studio
We're vaxxed and we're back. In this very special reunion episode, Sarah, Doug and Aaron return to the studio for the first time in fifteen months. Fifteen months! The COVID-19 pandemic has been a wild, earth-shattering, world-historic event with far-reaching implications for The War on Cars and pretty much everything else. We revisit some of our predictions from the beginning of the lockdown, take stock of what has changed and what has not, and chatter nervously about the lack of ventilation in the studio. Plus: We review Ford's new, multi-ton. all-electric, pickup truck, the F-150 Lightning. Spoiler: It's bad. ***This episode was sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking enter coupon code WARONCARS at checkout.*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content and more. SHOW NOTES: Episode 39: Riding Out the Pandemic, March 20, 2020. (The War on Cars) Episode 40: Field Dispatches from Four Continents, March 29, 2020. (The War on Cars) Ad for the All-Electric F-150 Lightning: Turning Electric Into Lightning. (YouTube) The Lightning weighs 6,500 pounds! 35 percent more than the gas-powered model. (Slate) It's got lots of torque and its massive battery can power your home for three days while your neighbors deal with rolling blackouts on the rickety public grid. (The Drive) Get official War on Cars merch at our store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Rate and review us on iTunes! This episode was edited by Ali Lemer and engineered by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. Our music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke. Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: [email protected] TheWarOnCars.org
TEASER: Building LEGO Cities with Sean Kenney
***This is a quick preview of a bonus episode. Become a Patreon Supporter of The War on Cars for access to the complete episode and all our exclusive content. Plus, we'll send you stickers!*** Sean Kenney, one of the voices in Episode 65, "Where are the Bike Lanes in Lego City?" is an artist and self-described "professional kid" who designs and creates amazing sculpture and other works of art using nothing but LEGO pieces. Sean provided the original episode with a highly informed perspective on Lego's history and design choices over the years. In this extended conversation just for Patreon supporters of The War on Cars, Sean explains why he moved his family — as well as his enormous LEGO collection — from Brooklyn to Amsterdam, a city that he described as one that was "fully cooked" before the arrival of the automobile. He also provides further theories as to the longtime lack of bicycles Legoland, dives deeper into the evolution of LEGO cars and trucks, explains the unique design challenges that make adding bike lanes to LEGO road plates difficult and waxes poetic about building his idea of a perfect city. SHOW NOTES: Visit Sean Kenney's official website. Purchase a copy of Sean's book, Cool City, and other titles by podcast guests at the official War on Cars Bookshop.org page or at your local bookstore. Follow Sean Kenney on Instagram.
Where are the Bike Lanes In Lego City?
Why are there no bike lanes in LEGO City? That's a question Marcel Steeman, a regional councillor in the Netherlands, asked himself one day in 2016 while assembling some LEGO sets with his kids. As a Dutchman, he thought the lack of bike lanes on LEGO's thin plastic road plates was weird. Even weirder, The LEGO Group is based in Denmark, one of the most bike-friendly nations on the planet! How could a Danish company not include bike lanes in its city-themed sets? When Marcel submitted a proposal for new road plates with bike lanes to the company, LEGO rejected the idea, telling him the idea was too political. What's political about bike lanes? As anyone who's tried to change a street in a real city can tell you, the answer is everything. What happens when one of the best selling toys in history doesn't offer children the tools to build a world where it's possible to get around without a car? And why does it matter to a bunch of adults? ***This episode was sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking enter coupon code WARONCARS at checkout.*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content and more. SHOW NOTES: Read friend-of-the-podcast Andrew J. Hawkins at the Verge, who's been covering the quest to bring bike lanes to LEGO City. Check out Marcel Steeman's bike lane design at LEGO Ideas. And here's Marco te Brömmelstroet, the Cycling Professor, asking why LEGO City is so "car centric" back in 2019. Sean Kenney creates amazing sculptures and art with LEGO bricks. Pick up a copy of his book, Cool City, so you can learn to build your own LEGO cities for people, bikes and transit. Learn more about the New England Lego Users Group. Read Thalia Verkade at The Correspondent. (In Dutch.) Get official War on Cars merch at our store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Rate and review us on iTunes! This episode was produced, recorded and edited by Doug Gordon. Music is by Stationary Sign and National Anthem Worx, courtesy of Epidemic Sound. The War on Cars theme is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek. Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: [email protected] TheWarOnCars.org
TEASER: Meet Mr. Barricade
Combine a deep love of cities and urban planning with a penchant for wearing stylish suits, smooth dance moves set to Swedish rap music and a curious fascination with drainage and what do you get? Mr. Barricade, an unlikely TikTok star. Vignesh Swaminathan, who runs his own engineering and design firm in California, has built a huge following on the video-sharing platform based on his unique ability to explain everything from how protected intersections work in busy downtowns to the ongoing impacts of redlining and segregation. In this Patreon bonus episode just for supporters of The War on Cars, Doug talks to Mr. Barricade about his viral videos, tricks for successfully fighting racism online and the power of TikTok to help people see and experience their streets and communities in new ways. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for access to this episode and all exclusive content. As thanks, we'll also send you stickers! SHOW NOTES: Follow Mr. Barricade on TikTok. Learn more about Crossroad Lab, Vigesh Swaminathan's engineering and urban design firm. Read all about Vignesh in the San Jose Mercury News.
The Driver
This show usually focuses on the victims of traffic violence, and that is where the focus belongs. But in this episode, we hear the first-person story of a woman, Shane Snowdon, who killed someone with her car. It happened more than 20 years ago, when she hit an 18-year-old man named Guillermo Venancio on a scenic road in California, ending his life in an instant. It's a difficult story to hear. But we think it can help us understand the reality of a transportation system built around cars and driving. When people have to use a machine that's as deadly as a loaded gun to do everything — go to work, take the kids to baseball practice, buy a quart of milk — it isn't that hard for an ordinary person to become a killer. On some level, we all know this. But when we hear about a traffic crash, we think, that's something that only happens to other drivers. We don't like to believe that we could be responsible for taking another human being's life. It's a worst-case scenario we keep hidden from ourselves. Shane wants people to know that it can happen to them. That's why she reached out and asked to tell her story on The War on Cars. This episode was produced by Sarah Goodyear, with editing and sound design by Ali Lemer. The music is from Blue Dot Sessions. Lear more about Families for Safe Streets.
TEASER: The Miracle Pill with Peter Walker
From cities built for driving at the expense of walking and cycling to jobs that keep people sitting at their desks all day and neighborhoods where children aren't free to roam, it can be challenging for anyone to get the kind of activity needed to keep them healthy. In his new book, The Miracle Pill: Why a Sedentary World is Getting It All Wrong, journalist Peter Walker chronicles the global crisis of inactivity, the pioneering epidemiologists who first noticed its effects, and the people and places working to get people moving. The full interview is available exclusively to Patreon subscribers of The War on Cars. Join The War on Cars today for access to this episode and all premium content. Starting at just $2/month, you'll also get free stickers and other goodies.