The War on Cars Dispatches from Book Tour, Part 2
11 snips
Dec 23, 2025 Join the hosts as they share vivid travel tales from their book tour across cities like Austin and Houston. They discuss the surprising impacts of freeway expansions, while highlighting successful urban reclaiming efforts. Delight in their observations of vibrant local cultures, including Austin's community resilience and Denver's placemaking successes. They also touch on serious topics like homelessness and transit funding crises. Expect heartfelt moments as they celebrate the kindness of locals and the stories shared with them along the way!
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Episode notes
Providence’s Weathered Charm And Transit Fight
- In Providence Sarah and Doug described cold, rainy conditions but praised downtown's human-scale streets and river reclamation.
- They noted a new pedestrian bridge reused old highway pylons and advocates fighting to save RIPTA transit funding.
Parking Podiums Dominate Austin
- Austin shows extreme parking dominance with tall podiums and abundant surface lots that choke downtown life.
- Even after removing parking minimums, developers still build huge parking because cities lack parking maximums.
Austin’s Mixed Bike Infrastructure
- Doug rode a protected bike lane from downtown Austin under I-35 into an eastside neighborhood with retail and light rail.
- He then hit a poorly designed painted bike lane with fast pickup trucks and abandoned that route.
