The War on Cars

Reducing automobile dependence in America’s suburbs, small towns, and rural places is a daunting task. But a tiny non-profit organization in Brattleboro, Vermont is offering a glimpse of how it might be done. Launched in 2010 by bike advocacy legend and psychotherapist Dave Cohen, VBike Solutions is fomenting an electric-assist bicycle revolution in the Green Mountain State. Forging partnerships with state government, electric utilities, financial institutions and local bike shops, VBike is making e-bikes more accessible, affordable and just plain normal. Dave calls it “car reduction therapy for Vermonters." And as War on Cars co-host Aaron Naparstek discovered while playing softball in Brattleboro this summer, it seems like it's working. Plus: Vermont’s state bird makes a cameo! This episode was sponsored by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for bicycle commuters, enter coupon code: WARONCARS when you check out.  Support The War on Cars on Patreon. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. Buy a War on Cars t-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org. SHOW NOTES:  Learn more about Dave Cohen and his organization VBike Solutions: Car reduction therapy for Vermonters.  Brattleboro-Based VBike Is 'Rebooting The Bike' With Electric Assistance via Vermont Public Radio.  Dig in to the State of Vermont’s Renewable Energy Standard.  More on Green Mountain Power’s electric bike rebate program.  This episode was produced by Aaron Naparstek. Editing, sound design and additional production by Ali Lemer. Our music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D Design. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1.  Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org

Angie Schmitt has long been one of the clearest and most passionate voices out there talking about the real price of automobile dependence in the United States. As the national editor for Streetsblog, Angie reported for years about how we design our communities to accommodate cars at the expense of human beings. Now, Angie has a book out. It’s called Right of Way: Race, Class, and the Silent Epidemic of Pedestrian Deaths in America. In it, she gives a compelling analysis of why more pedestrians are dying on American streets now than at any time since the 1990s. We talked with her about the nation’s toxic mix of big vehicles, cheap gas, and utter disregard for human lives — especially when those lives belong to poor people, people of color, people without housing, older people, and people with disabilities. ***This episode is sponsored by Cleverhood. Enter code “WARONCARS” at checkout for 20% off your rain gear purchase, including the sleek new Rover Rain Cape.*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. Buy a War on Cars t-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Purchase Right of Way and other books by authors featured on The War on Cars via Bookshop.org. SHOW NOTES: Follow Angie on Twitter @schmangee 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 Design. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1. Questions, comments or suggestions? Shoot us an email: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org

[This episode was originally released on October 31st, 2019. We're re-releasing it as an end-of-summer extra for new listeners and will be back with new episodes in September.] For a century, the automobile has been sold to Americans as the ultimate freedom machine. In her groundbreaking new book, “Policing the Open Road,” historian and legal scholar Sarah Seo explodes that myth. Seo shows how modern policing evolved in lockstep with the development of the car. And that rather than giving Americans greater freedom, the massive body of traffic law required to facilitate mass motoring helped to establish a kind of automotive police state. Is a car a private, personal space deserving Fourth Amendment protection from “unreasonable searches and seizures?” Or is a car something else entirely? It’s a question that courts have struggled with for decades, ultimately leaving it up to the police to use their own discretion, often with horrifying results, especially for minorities. In this revelatory conversation with TWOC co-host Aaron Naparstek, Seo offers an entirely new way of looking at the impact of the automobile on American life, law and culture. Support the podcast on Patreon. Rate and review us on iTunes. Buy an official War on Cars t-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Buy books from all the authors featured on the podcast at Bookshop.org. SHOW NOTES:  Buy Sarah Seo’s book, “Policing the Open Road: How Cars Transformed American Freedom.” Follow Sarah Seo on Twitter and visit her website. Was the Automotive Era a Terrible Mistake? By Nathan Heller. (The New Yorker) How Cars Transformed Policing (Boston Review) On the Road Police Power Has Few Limits (The Atlantic) Stopped, Ticketed, Fined: The Pitfalls of Driving While Black in Ferguson (New York Times) Why we can — and must — create a fairer system of traffic enforcement. Its discretionary nature has left it ripe for abuse (Washington Post) Driving (and walking) While Black: Sandra Bland, Philando Castile, Michael Brown and The Ferguson Report. This episode was edited by Jaime Kaiser and recorded at Great City Post and the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1 Drop us a line: thewaroncars@gmail.com https://thewaroncars.org  

Using a vehicle as an instrument of terror is nothing new. Over the last decade, extremists proclaiming affiliation with ISIS and other terrorist groups have used trucks and cars to murder pedestrians in London, Barcelona, Nice, Berlin, New York...the list goes on. Recently, however, the United States has seen a new and frightening development with vehicular assaults. These attacks are not random. The targets are protesters using highways and streets to exercise their First Amendment rights, to demand justice, and to call for the reform of policing and other systemically racist institutions. Some of the attacks have been carried out by people affiliated with right-wing hate groups, some by people with no known affiliation, and still others have involved the police themselves. In this episode, Sarah talks with Ari Weil, a University of Chicago Ph.D. student researching vehicular attacks, about this terrifying trend. We also hear from Robert Foster, who was at a protest in Austin, Texas, where a confrontation between a marcher and a driver turned fatal. Support The War on Cars on Patreon. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. Buy a War on Cars t-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Purchase books by authors featured on The War on Cars via Bookshop.org. SHOW NOTES:  Follow Ari on Twitter @AriWeil Read more about Ari Weil’s research into right-wing vehicular attacks. (NBC News)  Ari Weil’s interview with Vox.com about the “far right ecosystem online” that’s encouraging vehicular attacks and congratulating the people who carry them out.  Vehicular Attacks Rise as Extremists Target Protestors. (NPR) Police officers in SUVs rammed protestors and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio initially defended the cops. (New York Times) The states that introduced bills in 2017 to protect drivers who run over protestors. (CNN) 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 Design. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1.  Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com TheWarOnCars.org

“I wrote this book to make you mad.” So declares British writer and artist Woodrow Phoenix in the afterward of his new graphic novel Crash Course. Subtitled, “If You Want To Get Away With Murder, Buy a Car,” the book explores the powerful and toxic relationship between people and automobiles. With its stark and beautifully hand-drawn images of roads, traffic symbols, cities and highways, Crash Course takes aim at the ways in which cars have shaped the built environment, politics, and even the human psyche, largely for the worse. Crash Course unpacks the term “road rage,” explains why traffic accidents are anything but, and dispels the notion that people can be neatly separated into categories such as motorist, cyclist or pedestrian. It also examines the dangers of SUVs, the perils of driverless cars and the recent and growing trend of vehicles being used as weapons against demonstrators in places such as Charlottesville, Virginia. In this one-on-one conversation, Woodrow Phoenix talks to Doug about the unique combination of artistry and journalism that makes Crash Course an effective polemic, one that will hopefully persuade people to think carefully about their responsibility when they get behind the wheel of a car. This episode was sponsored by Sidewalk Weekly, the new podcast from Sidewalk Labs. Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get nifty rewards like stickers, t-shirts, and even a copy of Crash Course. Buy a famous “buttery soft” War on Cars t-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. SHOW NOTES:  Purchase Crash Course and other books featured on The War on Cars via our official Bookshop.org page. More about Woodrow Phoenix at Street Noise Books. Superman battles reckless drivers in Action Comics No. 12, May 1939. (The War on Cars on Twitter) The Solo Cup Bike Lane (BrookynSpoke) and the #RedCupProject (Bicycling Magazine). This episode was produced and recorded by Doug Gordon and edited by Ali Lemer. Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1.  Questions, comments or suggestions? Shoot us an email: thewaroncars@gmail.com https://thewaroncars.org

In the span of one month the StreetRiders have become a major presence in the Black Lives Matter movement in New York. Their weekly bike protests have taken over streets, bridges and highways and attracted thousands of people of all ages to rally against police violence. In this interview, Doug talks with StreetridersNYC co-founder Orlando Hamilton about how he found his voice as a political organizer, what bicycles bring to the protest movement and what it feels like to look out and see 10,000 people filling the streets of Times Square all in support of Black lives. This episode was sponsored by Sidewalk Weekly, the new podcast from Sidewalk Labs. Support The War on Cars on Patreon. Contribution levels start at just $2/month! Rate and review us on iTunes. Buy a famous “buttery soft” War on Cars t-shirt at Cotton Bureau. SHOW NOTES:  Learn more about the StreetRidersNYC and follow them on Instagram and Twitter.  “How Protestors Are Using Their Bikes to Fight Racism” (Bicycling) “‘There’s no Bike Lanes. It’s Not Even Nice Roads’ - Biking As a Means of Protest and Exposing Racism” (Streetsblog) “10,000 bicyclists participated in Black Lives Matter bike ride” (Brooklyn Vegan) This episode was produced, recorded and edited by Doug Gordon.  Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1.  Questions, comments, ideas, complaints? Shoot us an email: thewaroncars@gmail.com https://thewaroncars.org

What are streets for? Who are streets for? And what makes a street feel truly safe, welcoming and comfortable for everyone? On May 25, police officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota murdered George Floyd sparking an international uprising against systemic racism and police brutality. George Floyd’s murder took place in public, on the street. The global demontrations that followed George Floyd’s murder are also playing out in public, on the street. We often tend to look at the street as the place where the dramas of transportation policy play out -- bikes vs. cars vs. transit vs. pedestrians, and on and on. Oonee CEO Shabazz Stuart (remember him from Episode 34) has been out marching the streets of Brooklyn, dodging police batons and helicopters, and writing about the experience. In this episode he joins the War on Cars crew to talk about a more fundamental role for urban public space than mere transportation: “Streets,” Shabazz argues, “are for Democracy.”  We appreciate your Patreon contributions more than ever. Become a member and we’ll send you stickers, t-shirts, and more.   Rate and review us on iTunes. We love to see people marching in comfortable, light-weight War on Cars t-shirts and you can buy one at Cotton Bureau.  SHOW NOTES:  “Let the People March” by Shabazz Stuart (Streetsblog) ‘Safe Streets’ Are Not Safe for Black Lives by Dr. Destiny Thomas (CityLab) “To Trumpers, the Shared Space of the Street Is an Unprivatized Threat” by Justin Davidson (New York Magazine) “The Bicycle as a Vehicle for Protest” by Jody Rosen (New Yorker) “We Must Talk About Race When We Talk About Bikes” by Tamika Butler (Bicycling) “In Protest, the Power of Place” by Michael Kimmelman (New York Times) Tahrir Square Before and After This episode was edited by Ali Lemer.  Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1.  Questions, comments, ideas, complaints? Shoot us an email: thewaroncars@gmail.com https://thewaroncars.org

As cities around the world have gone into lockdown and instituted social distancing measures to slow the spread of the covid19 pandemic, something unexpected has happened: We’ve gotten an impromptu demonstration of the benefits of living with fewer cars and less driving. Seething gridlock has vanished, smoggy skies have cleared, global carbon emissions are way down, and forward-thinking mayors are rapidly re-programming their streets to give human beings the space that once belonged to motor vehicles. Is the world witnessing the wrenching, difficult birth of the car-free city? Or are we merely living in the brief moment before cities snap back into even deeper automobile dependence, the car serving as the ultimate personal protective equipment? Plus: We hear from City of Oakland Transportation Director Ryan Russo. Chip in a few bucks and support the war effort on Patreon. We will send you stickers and t-shirts!  Rate and review us on iTunes. Shouldn’t you buy your friend a War on Cars t-shirt at Cotton Bureau? Show Notes:  New Yorkers Are Thinking About Getting Cars Because of COVID-19. (Vice) Oakland banishing cars from 74 miles of city streets. ‘Oakland Slow Streets’ will open 10% of city’s roads for cyclists, pedestrians (Mercury News) Urban planner Mike Lydon is keeping track of all of the cities launching #Covid19Streets. Cities Close Streets to Cars, Opening Space for Social Distancing (New York Times) To help get essential workers around, cities are revising traffic patterns, suspending public transit fares, and making more room for bikes and pedestrians (CityLab) This episode was edited by Ali Lemer. Newsreel voiceover by Mike Rock. Parody ad voiceover by Leora Kaye. Newsreel and parody ad production by Curtis Fox.  Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1.  Questions, comments, ideas, complaints? Shoot us an email: thewaroncars@gmail.com https://thewaroncars.org

Historian Gretchen Sorin has written a fascinating new book, “Driving While Black: African American Travel and the Road to Civil Rights,” that dives into the role the car played in the 20th-century African American experience. Sorin talked with Sarah about how in the Jim Crow era, when riding public transportation was often humiliating and downright dangerous for black Americans, the automobile provided a way for black families to get around with safety and dignity. She also explains how cars played an instrumental role in building the civil rights movement, and why white etiquette expert Emily Post wasn’t so comfortable with the rising popularity of the automobile.

The War on Cars is taking the stage for Podapalooza, a virtual podcast festival for the benefit of COVID-19 relief, on April 25th and 26th. We'll be releasing one of our favorite old episodes to introduce the podcast to new listeners and hopefully give fans a chance to catch an early one they might have missed.  Purchase tickets here: plza.org. You'll get access to an outstanding lineup of some of the biggest names in podcasting, yours to listen to as they're released. Over 100 podcasts are participating and tickets are pay-what-you-want. It's a great deal and a great cause! All proceeds of your purchase of a Podapalooza Pass go to GiveDirectly, which delivers cash payments of $1,000 to vulnerable households in areas affected by COVID-19.