The War on Cars

Two years after it was first announced, a tunnel project in Las Vegas by Elon Musk’s Boring Company was finally revealed to the world. Originally conceived as a way to whisk Las Vegas Convention Center visitors from one side of the sprawling complex to the other in futuristic-looking pods, the $53-million project turned out to just be… just a bunch of Teslas in tunnels. Oh, and there were flashing lights. Nevertheless, in a recent CNBC segment, anchor Shep Smith and reporter Contessa Brewer were tasked with making “a highway underground” sound innovative, thrilling and worth the hype. So how’d they do? Not great. Aaron Gordon — senior reporter at Vice’s Motherboard — called the segment, “the most embarrassing news clip in American transportation history.” Aaron, not to be confused with the podcast’s other Aaron and other Gordon, joins all three The War On Cars hosts to discuss the disappointing project, the embarrassing coverage and whether any of it will make a difference in changing people’s perspective on the alleged genius of Elon Musk. This episode was sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. To celebrate the arrival of spring, listers of The War on Cars can receive 25% 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 episodes and more. SHOW NOTES:  Watch CNBC’s Shep Smith and Contessa Brewer go giddy for “a highway underground." Aaron Gordon saw the segment and declared, "This Is the Most Embarrassing News Clip In American Transportation History.” More from Aaron Gordon at Motherboard, Vice’s tech news site. Subscribe to Aaron Gordon’s newsletter, Urbababble. Pick up a copy of On Bicycles: A 200-Year History of Cycling in New York City by Evan Friss and other titles at our Bookshop.org page. Get the new “Aaron Napper Sack” tote bag and other great merchandise including coffee mugs, stickers and apparel at our store.  Follow us on Apple Podcasts and leave a review. This episode was edited by Doug Gordon. 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. Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org

From “sexy bike lanes” to just what constitutes a “bicycle accident,” transportation is making headlines like never before. Aaron, Sarah and Doug are together again to consider the burning questions filling our airwaves and social media feeds right now. Will US DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg force all Americans to ride cargo bikes filled with Dr. Seuss books and dump them in a compost pile, or is that just a Fox News fever dream? Is New York’s congestion pricing plan, the first in the nation, finally about to get rolling? And is it really part of a de Blasio/Cuomo/Biden war on cars? What can Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo teach us all about the harms of highway widening? What should be done about e-bike batteries? Plus, is America down with VMT?  This episode was sponsored in part by Cleverhood. To celebrate the arrival of spring, War on Cars listers can now receive 25% 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:  Industry needs to clean up electric batteries, including the ones that power your e-bike.  Shawn Bradley wasn’t injured in a “bicycle accident.” He was injured when a driver hit him with a car. Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo explains everything wrong with expanding highways. The US DOT is using the Civil Rights Act to pause the widening of 1-45 near Houston. A US Congresswoman thinks Bill de Blasio, Andrew Cuomo and Joe Biden are waging a war on cars. Fox News freaks out over “sexy bike lanes.” It might be time to use Vehicle Miles Traveled to tax drivers instead of just the gas tax. Secretary Pete appears to walk back a VMT tax. Get the official War on Cars coffee mug, t-shirts and our new “Cars Are Death Machines” sticker  at our new store. Plus, check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Follow us on Apple Podcasts and leave a review. WCAR theme music by Michael Hearst. Sound effects by deleted_user_3544904 at freesound.org. This episode was produced by Aaron Naparstek and edited by Ali Lemer. 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. Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org

Mikael Colville-Andersen is an urban designer, TV host and writer whose name is practically synonymous with Copenhagen, bicycling and smart urban design. Doug had a chance to interview him for this special bonus episode. The full interview is available exclusively to Patreon subscribers of The War on Cars. Become a Patreon supporter for access to this episode and all premium content. Staring at just $2/month, you'll also get free stickers and other goodies as well as a discount on merch in our official store.***

New York Times columnist Jamelle Bouie has been riding an electric-assist bicycle around Charlottesville, Virginia for almost a year now, and he is convinced: E-bikes are the future of transportation. Not only has the e-bike transformed his own personal mobility, it has changed the way he looks at his city and gotten him more deeply involved in local planning and policy-making. In this one-on-one conversation, Jamelle and Aaron start off discussing e-bikes and end up talking about what it’s going to take to push America’s sclerotic political system to solve increasingly urgent housing and transportation crises in U.S. cities. Plus, Jamelle offers some helpful advice to anyone accused of waging a war on cars or fanning the flames of America’s culture wars. This episode was sponsored in part by Cleverhood. To celebrate the arrival of spring, War on Cars listers can now receive 25% 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:  Find Jamelle Bouie’s New York Times column here, a lot of his photography is here, his Twitter account is here, and his personal web site is here.  Feb. 17, 2020: “Our next major household purchase is going to be an e-bike!” Feb. 26, 2021: “seriously i’m convinced that e-bikes are the future of transportation” Why housing in Charlottesville is so expensive.  “Ted Cruz’s Excellent Adventure” (New York Times) “2020 Shows Why the Electoral College Is Stupid and Immoral” (New York Times) Slate’s Jamelle Bouie is also a pretty good street photographer (Washingtonian)  Pillsbury Funfetti Cereal, Reviewed (Serious Eats) The Tern GSD e-bike.  Get the official War on Cars coffee mug, t-shirts and more at our new store and check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Rate and review us on iTunes. This episode was produced by Aaron Naparstek and edited by Ali Lemer. 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: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org

Electric bikes shorten commutes, flatten hills and make cycling accessible to anyone who might need a boost. They’re also great tools for replacing car trips and fighting climate change. Unfortunately, they’re still a little pricey for some people. That could change thanks to a new bill in Congress: the Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment Act. Co-sponsored by Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon, the E-BIKE Act would offer a tax credit of 30% of the price of an electric bicycle, something that could bring the joys of e-bike ownership within  reach of more Americans. Congressman Blumenauer joins The War on Cars to discuss the bill, why commuter benefits ought to apply to bicycle sharing systems, and the economic, environmental and social benefits of bike commuting in general. (Spoiler alert: cyclists typically don’t murder each other over parking.) Plus, he offers his thoughts on Democratic control of the House and Senate and the recent appointment of U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.  ***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 — and 30% off their new anorak rain jacket — 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:  Support the E-BIKE Act by contacting your representative in Congress using this handy tool from PeopleForBikes or look up your congressperson and get in touch directly. Get the full details on the E-BIKE Act via BikePortland.org Learn more about Congressman Earl Blumenauer’s life and career.  “E-bikes are expensive, but this congressman wants to make them more affordable” (Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge) “E-Bikes for Everyone!” (David Zipper, Slate) Get the official War on Cars coffee mug and other merch at our store. Rate and Review us on iTunes so more people can find The War on Cars. Sign up for our new newsletter, The Dispatch. This episode was produced and edited by Doug Gordon. 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: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org  

What would it be like to walk out of your home and see other people instead of cars? Can you imagine opening your door and letting your kids run around outside independently? Residents of Cully Green — a 23-home community in Portland, Oregon developed specifically to encourage a car-free or car-light way of life — don’t have to imagine it. They’re living a life more akin to the idealized version of the suburbs of the past than the reality often found across the country today. Why are developments like this so unusual? Because in most of America it’s illegal to build thanks to single-family zoning. So is Cully Green the kind of thing that could only work in Portland because, you know… Portland? Or is this a model for building better cities and better communities all across the country? ***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 — and 30% off their new anorak rain jacket — 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:  More about living at Cully Green and Cully Grove, including the bees and chickens. 14 urban planners weigh in on the single-family zoning debate. (Sidewalk Talk)  Community advocacy group Living Cully works to keep the neighborhood affordable and accessible. Questioning the single-family ideal. (New York Times) Rethinking the American Dream. (Washington Post) Get the official War on Cars coffee mug at our new store and check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Rate and review us on iTunes.   This episode was produced by Sarah Goodyear and edited by Ali Lemer. 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: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org  

The Super Bowl is more than a football game — it’s a massive opportunity for the automobile industry to inject slickly produced propaganda directly into the eyeballs of over 100 million television viewers. In these trying times, how did car companies handle the task of making their pitch to the public? What do these ads, dripping with nostalgia, say about America, politics and the future of our planet? What does Will Ferrell have against Norway? What was up with that Bruce Springsteen ad for Jeep? And what about all the ads that weren’t directly about cars but had everything to do with car culture? Aaron, Sarah and Doug critique this carnival of capitalism and consumerism. ***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 — and 30% off their new anorak rain jacket — enter coupon code WARONCARS at check out.***  Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get stickers, access to exclusive bonus content and more. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. Get the official War on Cars coffee mug at our new store. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. SHOW NOTES:  Vulture rounds up all the 2021 Super Bowl Commercials. Emily Atkin of Heated wants to talk about GM’s Norway ad. Was it cover for the company’s many years of climate denial? Norway had a “56 percent EV market share for sales in 2019 while they were just 2 percent in the US.” (Lili Pike at Vox.com) “If Bruce Springsteen’s Jeep commercial doesn’t bum you out, congrats on the purchase of your new Jeep.” (Chris Richards at The Washington Post) This episode was edited by Ali Lemer. Our music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D Design. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek. Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org  

If you’ve ever spent time leafing through a car magazine or, god forbid, watching car reviews on YouTube, then you know that most of what passes for “automotive journalism” is indistinguishable from automobile marketing. That’s why it was so refreshing to read journalist Andrew Hawkins’ review of the 6,000-pound, 18-foot-long, 2021 Cadillac Escalade in The Verge last October. Rather than simply cooing over the latest high-tech doodads and distractions, Andrew reviewed the $80,000+ luxury truck from the perspective of the people who will be walking, biking, and trying to live their lives on city streets with this gargantuan SUV and its distracted driver in their midst. Aaron chats with Andrew about his stressful test drive of the new Escalade, his confrontation with the product managers at Cadillac, and the role that journalism can (or, perhaps, can’t) play in compelling policy makers and the automobile industry to change for the better.  This episode was sponsored by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking -- and 30% off on their new anorak rain jacket -- enter coupon code: WARONCARS when you check out.  Support The War on Cars on Patreon. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. Get an official War on Cars coffee mug at our new store! And buy a War on Cars t-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. SHOW NOTES:  Andrew Hawkins’ initial tweet with the photo of his three-year-old son in front of the 2021 Cadillac Escalade.  “Driving the 2021 Cadillac Escalade was one of the most stressful experiences of my life.” By Andrew Hawkins in The Verge. Death on foot: America's love of SUVs is killing pedestrians (Detroit Free Press) Better car design could prevent pedestrian deaths, says NTSB report (Curbed) 2021 Cadillac Escalade Review // “The $100,000 Benchmark For Ballers” (Throttle House) Also check out Episode 48 of The War on Cars: Right of Way with Angie Schmitt and Episode 35: Suburbans in the City. This episode was produced by Aaron Naparstek and edited by Ali Lemer. Our music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D Design. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek. Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org

In a sense, cars are a bit like the internet comments section of the real world. Driving, like leaving a reply on a message board or posting something on Twitter, can be done anonymously, dividing people from their fellow human beings and even leading to aggressive behavior… if not the complete corrosion of polite society. With custom details and bumper stickers promoting political ideologies and pithy slogans, cars are also outward expressions of personal identity… just like one’s social media presence. To unpack the similarities between the sprawling systems of online communication and personal transportation, Doug talks to Anil Dash, the tech entrepreneur and pioneering blogger who’s served as a sharp and thoughtful critic of the industry in which he has spent most of his career. Is a better, more humane internet possible? If so, what lessons can be learned for people who want safer, more humane streets? And what would Prince think? SHOW NOTES: Learn more about Anil Dash, including his love of bike sharing and his belief that, as a New Yorker, “there’s never been a better time to walk down the street.”  Follow Anil on Twitter: @anildash “New York City Fit How I Thought The World Should Work.” (TransAlt) This episode was sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. Get 20% off your purchase of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking with coupon code WARONCARS. Support The War on Cars on Patreon for exclusive access to bonus episodes and nifty rewards like stickers and more. Get an official War on Cars coffee mug and other goodies at our new online store. Buy a War on Cars t-shirt or sweatshirt at Cotton Bureau and check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. This episode was produced and edited by Doug Gordon. 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? Send a voice memo of 30 seconds or less to thewaroncars@gmail.com. TheWarOnCars.org

The best thing you can say about 2020 is that it was the year that, well, was. In this year-end roundup, Aaron, Sarah and Doug take some listener voice memos and respond to the stories that flew across the War on Cars news desk. Is it a Good Thing or a Bad Thing that Mayor Pete Buttigieg has been named the next Transportation Secretary? What will it mean for the future of the “third space” now that fast food restaurants are ditching indoor dining and retooling their parking lots and drive-thrus to cater to online orders? What’s the connection between a massive diesel tampering scandal in America and a landmark public health case in the UK? And what will it take to sustain the pandemic-induced bike boom into next year and beyond? SHOW NOTES: Mayor Pete Buttigieg to become Secretary Pete Buttigieg. (New York Times) $14 billion to help stave off transit cuts… for now. (Bloomberg News) Using a Lincoln Aviator not for driving but as a personal sanctuary. (iSpot.TV) How COVID-19 upended the design of fast food restaurants. (CNN) Failing to credit Sarah Goodyear, Ford CEO Bill Ford says “cars and trucks in some ways are the ultimate personal protective equipment.” (New York Times)  Owners of diesel pickup trucks have been tampering with their vehicles’ emissions control technology, “allowing excess emissions equivalent to 9 million extra trucks on the road.” (New York Times) Air pollution a cause of 9-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah’s death, rules UK court. (CNN) How to keep the bike boom from fizzling out. (Andrew J. Hawkins/Verge) This episode was sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. Get 20% off of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking with coupon code WARONCARS. Support The War on Cars on Patreon for access to bonus episodes, stickers and more. Get an official War on Cars coffee mug and other goodies at our new online store. Buy a War on Cars t-shirt or sweatshirt at Cotton Bureau and check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. This episode was produced and 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? Send a voice memo of 30 seconds or less to thewaroncars@gmail.com. TheWarOnCars.org