The War on Cars

Once a year, the world descends on Manhattan for the New York International Auto Show, an extravagant, multimillion-dollar celebration of all things car. From the most “sinister” Dodge Challenger to a Kia that can sense a driver’s mood and adjust the vehicle’s interior accordingly, the Auto Show isn’t just a showcase for new products, it’s a vision of the future of the North American city—a future that is built around the car. What will it take for foot soldiers in the War on Cars to go up against this well-funded juggernaut? Is it possible that a band of guerrilla activists, spurred by tragedy and armed with nothing more than red cups and tomatoes, can take on an empire? Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive stickers, t-shirts, exclusive access to special audio content and more. Buy an official War on Cars T-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Rate and review The War On Cars on iTunes. SHOW NOTES:  Aaron infiltrates the International Auto Show and reconnoiters the Kia HabaNiro, Subaru's greenwashing, the new Rolls Royce SUV, and one particular set of vehicles that were well designed for the urban environment.  Cyclist Killed Was a Longtime Bike Advocate Who "Lived and Breathed Making the Streets Safer" (WAMU 88.5)  D.C. Bike Advocate’s Death Highlights Slow Progress Toward Safe Streets (Streetsblog USA) Simple but Empowering: Cyclists Place Red Cups Along Bike Lanes to Show How Vulnerable They Are” (Bicycling) Bike Lanes Need Barriers, Not Just Paint (Curbed) Paint Is Not Enough: Red Cup Project Shines Light On Bike Lane Dangers (WBZ4 CBS Boston) Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1. This episode was produced by Ben Ellman.  Questions? Suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

In 2002, Theresa Sareo, an up-and-coming singer, had her life changed forever when a reckless driver hit her as she stood on a Manhattan sidewalk waiting to cross the street. She lost her leg and nearly died, making her one of the millions of people injured by automobiles in the United States every year. In New York City alone, the toll was more than 59,000 people in 2018. Theresa tells her story of recovery and resilience in the face of overwhelming odds. 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: Visit Theresa Sareo’s personal website to find out more about her story and her music. Read the New York magazine article about the crash and its aftermath. Find data about auto-related injuries and fatalities on New York City’s crash data map. Follow us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars. Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, and Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek. This episode was produced and edited by Sarah Goodyear. Do you have an issue you want to discuss with us on the show? Send a voice memo to: thewaroncars@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you. 

A new generation of urban leaders is rising to power and they’re kicking butt and challenging long-standing assumptions about the role of the car in the city. Among them is Corey Johnson, New York City’s new City Council Speaker. At 37 years old, Corey is the first bonafide, avocado toast–eating Millennial to hold citywide elected office. We ride the subway with Corey to learn more about his plans to “break car culture” in the Big Apple. So can Millennials win the War on Cars? What even is a Millennial anyway? Plus, a special round-up of the all-time great historic speeches in The War on Cars. 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: Watch New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson’s 2019 State of the City Address on Vimeo. Or read a transcript of the speech. "Why Housing Policy Is Climate Policy," by California State Senator Scott Wiener and Prof. Daniel Kammen. Vancouver, British Columbia Legislative Assembly Member Bowinn Ma teaches her fellow elected officials about induced demand. Car-free Oklahoma City Councilor JoBeth Hamon has “resting bicycle face.” And here are some more exciting, up-and-coming local elected officials: Michelle Wu, Boston; Lisa Bender, Minneapolis; Pete Buttigieg, South Bend; Scott Wiener, San Francisco; Mitra Jalali Nelson, St. Paul; Jason Dozier, Atlanta; Rob Dooling, Washington D.C.; Antonio Reynoso, Brooklyn; Teresa Mosqueda, Seattle; Meghan Sahli-Wells of Culver City is “burning calories, not carbon.” Check out this Twitter thread for dozens more urban leaders who are fighting and winning The War on Cars. Thanks for all of your suggestions and tips. The full report that Corey Johnson’s office released along with his speech: “A Case for Municipal Control and a Comprehensive Transportation Vision for the Five Boroughs.” And a very special thanks to Steve Ross for his impressions of FDR, JFK and Reagan. You can find more of Steve’s work on YouTube. Follow us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars. Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke. Our show is produced and edited by Curtis Fox Productions @curtisfox. Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email or send a voice memo to: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

For nearly thirty years, brothers Ray and Tom Magliozzi were the hosts of NPR's "Car Talk" and the voices of American car culture. Famous for their distinctive Boston accents and infectious laughs, Click and Clack didn’t just diagnose engine troubles, they recognized that people’s personal relationships often revolved around their automobiles. In a War on Cars exclusive, Doug sits down with Ray Magliozzi to talk about car culture, the brothers’ surprising war on SUVs, and whether or not “Bike Talk” could even be half the phenomenon “Car Talk” was… and still is. Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive exclusive access to the extended interview with Ray Magliozzi plus TWOC stickers and other rewards. Buy a “buttery soft” War on Cars T-shirt at Cotton Bureau. Rate and review The War On Cars on iTunes. SHOW NOTES: Learn more about Car Talk… …and listen to “The Best of Car Talk.” “Car Talk’s Tom Magliozzi: An Unlikely Environmental Advocate.” (ThinkProgress) Tom and Ray’s “Live Large, Drive Smaller” anti-SUV campaign. (The New Yorker) Tom and Ray’s 2007 letter to Congress in favor of higher fuel standards. (Car Talk) Dispatches from Aaron's years-long Twitter crusade to banish "Car Talk" from WNYC.  Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1 and producer Curtis Fox @curtisfox Questions? Suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

What if you could get around quickly and reliably in a state-of-the-art vehicle that you didn’t have to drive, park, fuel, or insure? No, it’s not an Uber or a self-driving car... it’s the bus! In this episode, we talk to Cam Hardy of the Better Bus Coalition in Cincinnati, Ohio, about why buses are chronically unloved and underfunded. Plus, we look at attempts to make buses cool through the power of advertising, and hear the latest battle news from the global War on Cars. 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: Cincinnati’s Better Bus Coalition Cam Hardy’s epic Facebook Live bus rant “The Bus” from Greater Toronto’s GO Transit Midttraffik bus ad from Denmark Human Transit, Jarrett Walker’s blog Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1, Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, and producer Curtis Fox @curtisfox. Questions? Suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com.

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.