The War on Cars

Kendra Pierre-Louis, a climate reporter and co-host of the Gimlet Media podcast How to Save a Planet, joins us to discuss storytelling in an age of crisis. How can we effectively communicate that better streets, better cities and a better world are possible? How can we point regular citizens toward solutions that can not only fight climate change but improve their day-to-day lives? Plus, what was up with that Kia ad featuring the dude who drives on a beach to save seat turtles? This episode was made possible in part by our friends at Radpower Bikes and Cleverhood. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for exclusive access to ad-free bonus content. LINKS: Learn more about Kendra Pierra-Louis. Follow Kenra on Twitter. Listen to How to Save a Planet from Gimlet Media. Watch Kendra talk with Jon Stewart. Yeah, that Kia "we save turtles" ad was bad. Pick up War on Cars Merch at our store. Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was edited by Doug Gordon. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo was designed by Dani Finkel of Crucial D Designs. TheWarOnCars.org

According to Jody Rosen, a contributing writer for The New York Times, we live on a bicycle planet. Across the world, more people use bicycles — for transportation, recreation, and their livelihood — than any other vehicle. In his new book, Two Wheel Goods: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle, Rosen attempts to "de-quaintify" the bike, from its invention in 1817 to its current status as a virtuous machine that can save cities and the environment. Spanning centuries and hopping continents, Two Wheels Good weaves connections between various bike booms and asks readers to consider an expansive and inclusive definition of "bicycle culture." Plus, was there really a War on Horses? This episode is sponsored by Radpower Bikes and Cleverhood. Receive 20% off in the Cleverhood store using the coupon code mentioned in the episode. ***Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive exclusive access to ad-free bonus content.*** LINKS: Buy Two Wheels Good and books by other podcast guests at Bookshop.org. Follow Jody Rosen on Twitter. Read Sidewalks by Valeria Luiselli, which contiains the essay Manifesto a Velo Jody mentions in the episode. Pick up official War on Cars merch at our store. Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded by Walter Nordquist at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was edited by Doug Gordon. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo was designed by Dani Finkel of Crucial D Designs. TheWarOnCars.org

The New York International Auto Show was back and bigger than ever... and so were the cars. Our intrepid correspondents Sarah and Doug braved the crowds and sensory overload to hear straight from auto industry reps about the giant SUVs and muscle cars that will be prowling cities and suburban parking lots in the coming years. From the "menacing" and "in your face" Ford Bronco Raptor to the 800-horsepower Dodge Charger, what do the people who sell these vehicles to the public have to say when confronted with questions about safety? Plus, with e-bikes and scooters ascendant, will they one day take the auto out of the Auto Show? This episode was sponsored by our friends at Cleverhood rain gear and Radpower Bikes. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for fun rewards and exclusive ad-free bonus content. Aaron infiltrated the 2019 New York International Auto Show in Episode 17. How big is the 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor? "The Raptor is a lane-filling 9.8 inches wider than the base Bronco," according to Kelly Bluebook. Plus, it's so tall that even the fenders "will be shadiing cars in the lanes beside you." A Dodge Charger driver in Las Vegas killed nine people ranging in age from 5 to 59. Seven were from the same family. The driver was said to have been going more than 100 mph when he ran a red light... ...and that's just one of many horribly violent crashes involving Dodge Chargers and Challengers whose drivers, perhaps taking the brand's marketing to heart, apparently think they "rule the road." Meanwhile, e-bikes were kind of a big deal at this year's Auto Show. (Canary Media) Pick up official War on Cars merch at our store. Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio and edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo was designed by Dani Finkel of Crucial D Designs. TheWarOnCars.org

From the joy of the "Just a Minute" campaign in San Francisco to the members of a colorfully named subreddit creating a digital parking lot, there's a lot of news in The War on Cars. We hear from listeners around the country and across the Atlantic. Is it possible to be more chill about people riding the wrong way in a bike lane? Should public transit be free? Why is it so hard to find a good bicycle with all the accessories you need for regular transportation? Plus, quick dispatches from the hosts' trips to car-dependent parts of the United States. Lear about what makes a good, walkable city from author and urban planner Jeff Speck at the Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education, June 13 & 14. This episode is sponsored by Cleverhood. Receive 20% off anything in the Cleverhood store with coupon code HAPPYCOMMUTE now through the end of April. Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive exclusive access to ad-free bonus content. LINKS: An anti-car subreddit took over a digital canvas and put up a digital parking lot. (Washington Post) San Francisco's "Just a Minute" campaign places cyclist safety over driver convenience. (Stephen Braitsch on Twitter) If you live near Somerville, MA and need a great bike for regular transportation, check out Bicycle Belle. The fundamental problems with free transit. (Alex Schieferdecker) Results from Boston's experiment with free bus fares are mixed. (Boston Globe and WGBH) Pick up some official War on Cars merch. Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio and edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo was designed by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. Easter egg via Treyton Zary. TheWarOnCars.org

Back in 1952, the great American science fiction writer Ray Bradbury published a short story called “The Pedestrian” in a small antifascist publication. The story, which was based on Bradbury’s own experience of being hassled by the cops while walking the streets of Los Angeles, imagined a world in which automobile dominance was so complete that walking for any purpose would be seen as a sign of mental illness. We take a look back at Bradbury’s dystopian vision, and talk with four people — paleoanthropologist Jeremy DeSilva and writers Garnette Cadogan, David Ulin and Antonia Malchik — about how walking contributes to our essential humanity, and what we lose when we build environments that make it impossible for people to walk

Spurred by post-pandemic demand and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, gas prices surged past $4 per gallon last week and Americans are suddenly freaking out about “pain at the pump.” What a big surprise, right? Not really! In this episode, Slate’s Henry Grabar joins us to argue that when it comes to the inherent instability in the global oil market, Americans have the memory of goldfish, locked in a ruinous cycle of dependence on fossil fuels and the authoritarian oligarchs who sell them to us. Have we become a nation whose domestic politics and foreign policy are held hostage to its SUVs?  This episode is sponsored by Radpower Bikes and Cleverhood. Receive 20% off in the Cleverhood store using the new coupon code announced in this episode.  Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive exclusive access to ad-free bonus content. LINKS: “Are Gas Prices Too High? Or Is Your Car Too Big?” By Henry Grabar for Slate. President Richard Nixon to Americans: Drive 55 to save gas. Henry Grabar for Slate. Gas prices are way up, but the real cost of driving a mile was higher for most of the past century. (MarketWatch) Russian Fossil Fuel Tracker: Payments to Russia for fossil fuels by European Union nations since the start of Russia's Ukraine war.  * * * * *  Pick up some official War on Cars merch at our store. Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was produced and edited by Doug. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo was designed by Dani Finkel of Crucial D Designs. https://thewaroncars.org

Back in 2004, Denver-area voters supported one of the most ambitious transit projects anywhere in the United States. The plan called for a network of new rail lines that would let commuters glide past traffic and transform Denver into a world-class city in the process. But almost two decades later, an uncomfortable truth has emerged: Denver’s sprawling metropolitan region is as gridlocked as its ever been. This is Episode 1 of Ghost Train, a four-part mini-series from Colorado Public Radio. Hosted by transportation reporter Nathaniel Minor, Ghost Train dives deep into the question that we ask here at The War on Cars: What does it to take to move American cities away from automobile dependence? SHOW NOTES:This episode was brought to you by Colorado Public Radio.  You can find more of reporter Nathaniel Minor’s work here. The remaining three parts of the Ghost Train series...Part 2: The MissionPart 3: An Unexpected SolutionPart 4: Waiting On A Train I made a documentary about RTD. Here are some curious things I found along the way (Nathaniel Minor for CPR) RTD is in Crisis: A three-part series for Streetsblog Denver by Andy Bosselman. Why don’t RTD’s trains go into Denver’s neighborhoods? (Nathaniel Minor for Denverite) The Train That Saved Denver (Politico Magazine, 2016) RTD’s FasTracks Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for ad-free access to this and all our exclusive content. And we’ll send you stickers!Pick up some official War on Cars merch at our store. Follow and review us on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars and Instagram: @thewaroncars. TheWarOnCars.org

***This is a preview of a short bonus episode for our Patreon supporters. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for ad-free access to this and all our exclusive content. And we’ll send you stickers!*** Journalist and producer Amy Westervelt joined us in Episode LXXXI for our annual shredding of the Super Bowl car ads. While we had her in the studio we absolutely had to chat with Amy about her outstanding podcast series, Rigged. In it, Westervelt takes us on a deep dive into the history of the public relations industry and the incredible cast of mid-20th century characters who invented it. We live in a world awash in spin, disinformation, and mistrust of institutions. Rigged helpus us understand how we got here. 

What do robot dogs, Meadow Soprano, WeatherTech bumper protectors and Dr. Evil have in common? They were al featured in ads during Super Bowl LVI, that annual celebration of American consumerism. In what's become a War on Cars tradition, we analyze car commercials that aired during the big game and try to figure out what they say about the future of streets near you. This time, we're joined by journalist Amy Westervelt, whose podcasts cover everything from climate change to the history of propaganda and public relations. Amy helps us connect the dots between early PR efforts by oil companies, tobacco companies and the marketing techniques used by car companies today. ***This episode is sponsored by Radpower Bikes.*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive exclusive access to ad-free bonus content. LINKS: Learn all about Amy Westervelt and check out her podcasts Rigged, Drilled and more from the Critical Frequency podcast network. Listen to Hot Take, Amy's podcast with Mary Annaïse Heglar. Follow Amy on Twitter. Watch all the 2022 Super Bowl commercials. (AdAge) Dr. Evil needs to save the world from climate change with EVs before he can take over the world. (Automotive News) Pick up some official War on Cars merch at our store. Follow and reveiw us on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us! This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Ad music: My Great Undoing by Of Men and Wolves and Micro Evolution by Howard Harper-Barnes courtesy of Epidemic Sound.   Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D. @TheWarOnCars TheWarOnCars.org  

***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.*** Jessie Singer joined us on Episode 80 to discuss her new book, There Are No Accidents. We had promised Jessie she'd get a chance to explain the problem with public service announcements and why educational campaigns don't do much to prevent accidents. TheWarOnCars.org