The War on Cars

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      

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.

***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

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

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 thewaroncars@gmail.com.

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: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org

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: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org

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.

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. 

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.