The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast

There's a big difference between knowing what is best of your city's transportation system, and knowing how to fight the often fierce political battles you need to win in order to make it real. Fortunately, one author has written a manual to help transit advocates across America do exactly that, from picking campaigns out of the tangle of interlocking transportation challenges that ensnare our cities, to winning over the skeptical — and everything in between. On this episode of The Brake, we're joined by Carter Lavin's to discuss his new book "If You Want to Win, You've Got To Fight: A Guide to Effective Transportation Advocacy," which host Kea Wilson called "the book the transportation reform movement has been waiting for."

What will it take to wake more of the world up to the dangers of mass automobility — and could a book be help Americans imagine a future beyond car dominance? That's what Sarah Goodyear and her co-authors are hoping as they release their new book "Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves From the Tyranny of the Automobile." Along with Doug Gordon and Aaron Naperstek, with whom she co-founded the legendary "War on Cars" podcast, she's bringing the conversation about transportation reform to a new audience, and hoping to give even veteran advocates new tools to talk about why we need to radically rethink our streets. We sat down with Goodyear at the Vision Zero Cities conference in New York City last week to dig deep into the research about how, in her words, "cars ruin" so much of our world, why we can't dismantle other forms of violence without confronting our violent transportation system, and the one politician she most wants to pick up this book.

Hey everyone, it's Kea; welcome the brake. If you've ever taken a stroll on New York's High Line or ridden along Missouri's Katy Trail, you might assume that it was a no-brainer for communities across the U.S. to rip up the old abandoned train tracks that used to run there and build a sanctuary for people outside cars. In actuality, though, the story of the rails-to-trails movement is one of the most epic, controversial, and still ongoing tales in the history of American advocacy — and now, it's finally getting a film that's worthy of that epic narrative. On October 15th PBS.org and member stations near you will air a new documentary called From Rails to Trails, which "captures the 60-year struggle — and transformative triumph — of one of America's most unlikely grassroots movements." It's a star-studded affair featuring narration by academy award nominee Edward Norton and cameos from folks like Pete Buttigieg, but one of its highlights are interviews with author, activist, and now, executive producer Peter Harnik, who literally wrote the book on the history of the rail-trail movement and its role in challenging car dependency. On this episode of the Brake, we sat down with Harnik to talk about the secret history of one of the fiercest battles over public space in U.S. history, the time rail-trails ended up before the Supreme Court, the Trump administration's recent clawbacks to trail funding, and more.

Car culture has a higher body count than both world wars combined. So why don't we think of automobility in the same way we think about the bloody and destructive global conflicts that dominate the news — and what would it take to transform our streets into a tool to make our whole society more peaceful, rather than more violent? Today on the Brake, we sat down with PhD candidate Ashton Rohmer to talk about her fascinating new paper that looks at our transportation culture through a "peace and conflict studies" lens — and why car domination is a kind of warfare unto itself, even if claims of a counterattack are seriously overblown. And then we dig into what shifts when we approach transportation reform advocacy as a part of the larger "peacebuilding" project — and why self-proclaimed peacebuilders need to embrace ending car culture, too.

Active transportation advocates constantly get accused of waging a "war on cars." But when you look around our communities, it sure looks more like we're in the middle of a war on walking and biking — and the wrong side is winning. In today's episode of The Brake, we sat down with Dr. Tepi McLaughlin, who co-authored of a provocative new paper that argues it's time to name the "enemies of physical activity" and dismantle policies they push, rather than just focusing on the additive benefits of building more sidewalks and bike lanes. And along the way, we talk about some of the hidden ways that corporations and policymakers have made non-automotive transportation so dangerous and rare, and what we can do to change it.

Secretary Sean Duffy withholding grants for America's first high speed rail line. Congress surprisingly showing up for Amtrak in its annual budget. Elon Musk pushing for privatization. A surprisingly strong showing for trains in the Senate's budget proposal, and advocates who have even bigger hopes for the future. It seems like every time you turn on the news, there's an explosive new headline about passenger rail in America — but what's really driving them all? On this episode of the Brake, we sat down with the most plugged-in rail advocate we know, Jim Mathews of the National Rail Passengers Association, to break down some of the biggest rail stories of the day and give us a sense of where the State of the Union stands for this critical mode. And along the way, we dig into some stories you might have missed, like the massive freight merger that should make Amtrak passengers nervous, and more.

USDOT is accepting public comments about what it should propose for the next surface transportation reauthorization bill — and one advocate is hoping that legislation will finally give victims a voice at USDOT. Today on the Brake, we're talking to Marianne Karth of AnnaLeah and Mary for Truck Safety, who's pushing for the creation of a new, non-partisan "National Roadway Safety Advocate" position, which will give victims, survivors, and advocates against traffic violence a champion at the nation's highest transportaiton advocacy. Already the subject of bicameral legislation, Karth calls the job the "missing piece" in our roadway safety puzzle, and a key guide to help the public understand what it takes to enact laws that save lives — and help DOT officials understand what victims need from them, too. Listen in to learn more about what a National Roadway Safety Advocate would do, and check out Karth's step-by-step directions to leave a comment in support of this idea here.

Autonomous vehicle giant Waymo is starting to experiment with subscription packages for teens — including those too young to drive. But as America's kids gain high-tech motorized independence, what will they lose in exchange? Today on the Brake, host Kea Wilson is going solo for an informal chat about the debate over driverless cars as a youth mobility solution, how autonomous vehicles could even further isolate young people from their communities, and the dangers of relying on corporations for our basic human needs. And along the way, she touches on teen driving safety, the concept of "bumpability," and why parents are scared to let their kids outside on their own, even if they're not worried about car crashes.

We've all heard the argument that the soul of America's economy is based on how much we all love to drive. But does the data support the narrative that cars connect us to far-flung opportunities to make and spend more money — or has our country's car-powered productivity revolution actually stalled out? Today on The Brake, we're talking to Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute about his new paper on the "mobility-productivity paradox", and why so many economic indicators actually go down the more we collectively rely on automobiles — and many go up when we build a more multimodal future. And then we get into the really hard question: how to get our fellow Americans to believe it.

Greg Shill, an author, attorney, and law professor, dives into the pressing need for cities to adapt their transportation systems as the Baby Boomer generation ages. He discusses the concept of 'design essentialism' and argues for necessary traffic enforcement measures. Shill highlights the mobility struggles seniors face as driving becomes less viable, advocating for urban planning that caters to their unique needs. He also emphasizes the importance of fostering safer, more accessible communities to enhance the quality of life for elderly residents.