The War on Cars

On Super Bowl Sunday, a hundred million Americans gathered in front of their TVs and absorbed a fearsome barrage of automobile advertising. While most viewers munched on snacks, guzzled beer and focused on the game, our crack team of intelligence analysts were busy studying the car commercials. What do these multimillion-dollar productions say about car culture, the fantasy of driving versus the reality, and about America itself? To win The War on Cars we must understand the enemy.  Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get exclusive TWOC stickers and other rewards. Buy a War on Cars T-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Rate and review the podcast on iTunes. SHOW NOTES: Hyundai, "The Elevator." Audi, "Cashew." Mercedes-Benz A-Class, "Say the Word." Kia Telluride, "Give It Everything." Jeep "More Than Just Words." How much it costs to air a commercial during the Super Bowl (CNBC) Super Bowl draws lowest audience in more than a decade (CNBC) “Stand Up” by Ludacris featuring Shawnna (YouTube) Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, Questions? Suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

You're listening to WCAR talk radio with Spoke and the Mad Dog. In this episode we take listener questions and comments, tackling everything from fixing the suburbs, tips for lonely bike advocates, why car-free days are one of the best tools for improving cities and how to make even the most sprawled-out metropolis in America better for people on two feet, two wheels or transit. Plus, can a War on Cars t-shirt get a person out of jury duty? Don't touch that dial!  Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get exclusive TWOC stickers and other rewards. Buy a War on Cars T-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Rate and review us on iTunes. SHOW NOTES: Safe Streets Advocates: Whoopi’s ‘Apology’ Just Isn’t Enough (Streetsblog) Ellen Dunham Jones, “Retrofitting Suburbia” (TED) “An advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use public transport.” - Enrique Peñalosa (TED) Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1. Questions? Suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com. Send us a voice memo and maybe we’ll play it on a future listener mailbag episode.

When New York City mayor Bill de Blasio went on ABC’s "The View" to discuss universal health care, little did he know he’d be on the receiving end of an epic anti-bike-lane rant courtesy of Oscar-winner and daily car commuter Whoopi Goldberg. Whoopi’s fact-free diatribe exposed one of the biggest obstacles cities face as they try to modernize their transportation systems: The liberal blind spot for cars. In this special episode of The War on Cars, we discuss why it is that even the most liberal people in the most progressive cities are so often unable to see the problems wrought by automobiles, much less support alternative forms of transportation. Plus, as civilization faces a looming climate catastrophe, can the Green New Deal offer some hope or will Baby Boomer talk show hosts doom us all? Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get exclusive TWOC stickers, t-shirts, and other rewards. Plus, be entered to win a Cleverhood rain cape by donating at any level in January. Rate and review us on iTunes. SHOW NOTES: Whoopi Goldberg slams Bill de Blasio on ‘The View’ over NYC bike lanes (NY Post) Day Two: Whoopi Goldberg still pissed over NYC bike lanes (NY Post) Mom of slain cyclist slams Whoop Goldberg for bike lane gripes (NY Post) Whoopi issues non-apology to families of people killed by drivers. (@WhoopiGoldberg) Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek. Questions? Suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

Which is more destructive? Cars or guns? A recent study showed that guns are now the second-leading killer of children in the U.S. But what does it say about our culture that the press seemed to gloss over the first? (Spoiler alert: It’s cars.) In this episode, we discuss the similarities between these two threats to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Plus, what can safe streets advocates learn from gun control advocates, and vice versa?  Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get exclusive TWOC stickers, t-shirts, and other rewards. Plus, be entered to win a Cleverhood rain cape by donating at any level in January. Rate and review us on iTunes. SHOW NOTES: Guns now the second leading killer of kids, after cars. (NBC News) “Monster” vehicles more likely to cause fatal collisions. (National Post) Death on Foot: America's love for SUVs is killing pedestrians and federal safety regulators have known for years. (Detroit Free Press) Charlton Heston’s “My cold dead hands” NRA speech. (YouTube) Dodge needed a spokesman for their muscle cars. They chose the actor Michael C. Hall when he was playing a serial killer on the popular Showtime series "Dexter." (YouTube) “Buy a little freedom, buy a Yugo!” (YouTube) Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, Questions? Suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

The stakes are literally life and death, but can humor be an effective weapon in the war on cars? In this episode we talk to Charlie Todd, the founder of Improv Everywhere, about how using the city as a stage for elaborate comedy scenes can help people see public space in a new light. What’s the connection between turning parking spots into parks and unleashing hordes of pants-free people on the subway? Plus, how does a father of two become radicalized against automobiles? Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get exclusive TWOC stickers, t-shirts, and other rewards.  Rate and review us on iTunes. SHOW NOTES: Charlie Todd on Twitter: @charlietodd Improv Everywhere turns a pair of payphones into a coworking space. A brief history of Park(ing) Day. (CityLab) Jonathan Fertig’s “Flower Lanes.” (Boston Globe) Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1. Questions? Suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

Why is driving a car seen as masculine and riding a bicycle seen as feminine? Is it even possible to look like an adult while riding an e-scooter? Our experience of moving through public space is deeply affected by our mode of transportation and our gender identity; the mode we choose affects not only how we are seen by others, but how we see ourselves. In this episode, we cover biking while female, taking the Metro in Mexico City and what The 40-Year-Old Virgin has to say about guys who bike.  Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get exclusive TWOC stickers, t-shirts, and other rewards. Buy an official The War on Cars t-shirt from Cotton Bureau. Rate and review us on iTunes. EPISODE NOTES: How not having a car became Hollywood shorthand for loser. (Slate) You can’t say they’re not trying to make e-scooters manly. (Robb Report) Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek. Questions? Suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

When is a car not a car? When it’s a source of solace and comfort, a curbside living room and a personal aesthetic statement. This episode is brought to you “live” from the interior of a 1987 Cadillac DeVille as we hear from Alex Brook Lynn, the producer of FAQ NYC, about why she escapes to her car for a little private time amidst the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple. What would it take for Alex to quit her car? Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get exclusive TWOC stickers, t-shirts, and other rewards. Rate and review us on iTunes. EPISODE NOTES: Follow Alex Brook Lynn on Twitter.  Listen to the FAQ NYC podcast. Almost half of Americans (45%) go to their car to have a private moment. (Fast Company/IKEA) Follow us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke. Questions? Suggestions? Complaints? Talk to us: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

From coast to coast, electric-bikes are having their moment. But a New York City Police Department crackdown on delivery cyclists who rely on e-bikes to do their jobs has some wondering if a double standard isn’t at play. At a time when big companies are jumping on the e-bike bandwagon, are the immigrant men who deliver food being unfairly punished? We discuss the murky laws surrounding e-bikes and what the future has in store with Helen Ho of the Biking Public Project. Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get exclusive TWOC stickers, t-shirts, and other rewards.  Rate and review us on iTunes. EPISODE NOTES: The Biking Public Project (Tumblr) “One Man’s Fight to Regulate E-Bikes in His Neighborhood” (WNYC) Who really gets fined when the police crackdown on e-bikes? (Gothamist) Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek and Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1. Questions? Suggestions? Complaints about how much we curse? Email us! thewaroncars@gmail.com.

In 2009, soon-to-be Toronto Mayor Rob Ford declared that he would end the war on cars. His remarks were the opening shots in a battle that would come to signify more than just how people get around. How did cars and the urban/surburban divide become a cultural flashpoint? And did you know that a “War on Autoists” was front-page news a century before the War on Cars? Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get exclusive TWOC stickers, t-shirts and other rewards.  Rate and review us on iTunes. EPISODE NOTES: Rob Ford: “There’s no secret about it, there’s a war on cars in the city!” (YouTube) “The War on Cars” by Prager U. (YouTube)  “Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City,” by Peter Norton (MIT Press) "'War on Cars': A History" by Eric de Place (Sightline Institute) Rob Ford: "Yes, I have smoked crack cocaine." (YouTube) Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek. Questions? Suggestions? Want to be a part of our “Quit Your Car” segment? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

With cities on the front lines of the war on cars, can mayors muster the courage to put automobiles in their rightful place? Not to name names, but does it matter if elected officials are driven twelve miles to the gym every day in a three SUV convoy just to jog on a treadmill? Plus, Doug announces his candidacy for mayor. Can he withstand the inevitable barrage of dark money attack ads? Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get exclusive TWOC stickers, t-shirts and other rewards. Rate and review us on iTunes. EPISODE NOTES: Paris mayor’s war on cars moves up a gear with ban in heart of city. (France 24) Watch Oslo transform into a car-free utopia (Curbed) Barcelona mayor delcares war on injustice of private car use (Reuters) In Montreal, an electrifying win for a long-shot who campaigned on better transit and cycling (Streetsblog) Cars set to be banned from half of roads in London's Square Mile (Evening Standard) German cities to trial free public transportation to cut pollution. (The Guardian) Why Jennifer Keesmaat’s Gardiner teardown pitch is key to her campaign (Toronto Star) Car Ownership Continues to Rise Under Mayor de Blasio (Streetsblog) Follow the show on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek. Questions? Suggestions? Gripes? Email us at thewaroncars@gmail.com.