The War on Cars

Episode 51: Getting the Car Out of Carbon Emissions

The long-awaited electric car revolution is finally upon us. Are you ready? Are you excited? Last week, General Motors officially launched the electric version of the Hummer. The Hummer, of course, is the purposely intimidating sport utility vehicle based on the U.S. military’s HumVee. Popularized during America’s turn-of-the-century oil wars, the Hummer has long been one the personal vehic...

Love Affair - Episode 50 Patreon Extra!

We're pleased to present this bonus mini-episode of The War on Cars, exclusively for you, our awesome Patreon supporters.

If you listened to Episode 50, then you heard my interview with historian Peter Norton about the phrase “America’s Love Affair with Cars.” There were a few things I had to leave out in the interest of time, and I’m happy to share them with you now. In the spiri...

Episode 50: America's Love Affair With Cars

It’s often said that Americans have a “love affair” with cars and driving. Where did this oddly specific expression come from? Most people probably assume it was something that developed organically, like so many common sayings. But Peter Norton, the author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City, points to a little-known 1961 NBC TV documentary starri...

Automobilism - Episode 49 Patreon Extra!

Dear Patreons: We’ve got some bonus War on Cars content just for you! 

If you’ve had a chance to listen to Episode 49, “Winning the War on Cars in Rural America,” then you know that I spoke with Dave Cohen about how his organization V-Bike is working to encourage the use of electric-assist bicycles in hilly, sprawly, rural Vermont. 

When I sat down to interview Dav...

Episode 49: Winning the War on Cars in Rural America

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-a...

The War on Cars + Cleverhood = 20% off your purchase!

***SPONSORED POST***

You might have heard the news on our latest episode, but The War on Cars has teamed up with Cleverhood, the maker of awesome rain gear for walking and biking, to offer our listeners an exclusive 2020-09-14 17:30:32 +0000 UTC View Post

Episode 48: Right of Way

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...

Special T-Shirt offer for Patreon Supporters!

Who needs a t-shirt?!?!

Funny story...

The War on Cars crew was supposed to head to Washington, DC for the National Bike Summit in March. We also were hoping to do a couple of other live shows this year, one in our home base of Brooklyn and another in [REDACTED], which is one of our favorite cities in the country. Part of our plan was to have t-shirts avail...

Episode Transcripts Now Available!

Hello!

It's long overdue, but transcripts for episodes of The War on Cars are now available. We're slowly making our way through past episodes and posting them as they're ready. For now, you can check out the transcripts for "Policing the Open Road" and 2020-09-01 17:32:37 +0000 UTC View Post

Episode 30: The Automotive Police State [Rerelease]

[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, “...

Episode 47: Vehicles as Weapons

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 ...

Apple Podcast reviews, Bookshop Dot Org, and More!

Hello supporters of The War on Cars!

We are so appreciative of your ongoing support of the podcast. Whether you've been listening for a long time or just discovered us recently, we really couldn't do it without all of you.

If you have a moment, please consider leaving a review for ...

Episode 46: "Crash Course" with Woodrow Phoenix

“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 autom...

T-shirt update

Hello, supporters!

Now that things are slowly getting back to normal, we should be able to get to the post office to mail out t-shirts to anyone who subscribed at the $15/month level or higher. We are hoping to get t-shirts out to people by the end of July or early August. If you haven't already, please let us know your size via the Google Form you should have received when you signed up....

Episode 45: StreetRidersNYC

In the span of one month the StreetRiders, a group of seven Black men, 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 foun...

Episode 44: Democracy in the Streets

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 was killed on the street. The global demonstrations that followed Floyd’s murder are also playing out ...

Black Lives Matter

Dear supporters,

The fundamental question of our podcast has always been “Who are streets for?” This question cannot be separated from the legacy of racism, police violence, white supremacy and other systems of oppression. Streets can never be truly open and safe until they are open and safe for everyone.

We will have new episodes soon, but owe it to you, our supporters, and to ...

War on Cars Shortie: The Toronto Bike Brigade

As a special thanks to our Patreon supporters, we're happy to present this short interview with Dave Shellnutt, founder of The Toronto Bike Brigade. Founded to help deliver groceries, medicine and other essential items to people unable to get such th...

Live Q&A with Doug Gordon & Jennifer Keesmaat, Hosted by Livable City

Hello, War on Cars fans! We thought you might be interested in this live event featuring one of our own.

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Livable City is very pleased to announce the first ever live online event with former Toronto Chief City Planner, mayoral candidate and urban planner Jennifer Keesmaat, as we...

Episode 42: “Driving While Black” with Gretchen Sorin

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 automo...

It’s Zero Percent About Transportation with Alex Brook Lynn

Enjoy this special re-release of episode 6 of The War on Cars from November 2018. 

In "It's Zero Percent About Transportation," Aaron talks to podcast producer Alex Brook Lynn about her beloved Cadillac. Because sometimes a car is mostly just a living room in a free on-street parking spot. 

We're working on some big new episodes, but wanted to drop this one into your feed ...

Episode 41: Cars, Climate and Cities with Bill McKibben

From his 1989 book The End of Nature, which was the first to explain global warming to a general audience, to co-founding the climate-change activism group 350.org, there are few people with more experience in taking on powerful inter...

Episode 40: Field Dispatches from Four Continents

In this, our second episode of the COVID-19 era, we hear from listeners around the globe about how their cities look and feel. Is it safe to ride transit? How does it feel to walk through towns and cities as people protect themselves and others by wearing masks? There’s been a surge in the number of cyclists — and speeding drivers — on city streets. But will people keep biking when this e...

New episodes coming soon!

Hello, War on Car warriors!

We thought you'd all enjoy this photo of Doug's improvised bedroom recording studio, set up for an interview he conducted yesterday. We're adjusting to live under self-isolation like everyone else and are getting new episodes ready for you this week and next. 

We want to hear from you! How are you getting around your city if you're able to go out? Wh...

Episode 39: Riding out the Pandemic

Recording from their makeshift home studios, Sarah, Doug and Aaron check in with each other, field listener voicemails and reorient themselves to the new normal of the coronavirus crisis. Not a lot of answers in this episode, but plenty of questions: How is the social distancing going? Where would you rather be right now, the city, the suburbs or a remote rural place? And what does a global pan...

Episode 38 - On the Bus with Pat Kiernan and Jamie Stelter

Pat Kiernan and Jamie Stelter are the dynamic duo of local TV news. As two of the hosts of “Mornings on 1” on Spectrum NY1, Pat and Jamie do more than just wake up early to deliver the latest updates on current events or the daily commute. They experience New York City as New Yorkers do: by subway, bus, bike, taxi, and foot. Pat, who may be familiar to non–New Yorkers as TV anchor Pat Kie...

New episode coming soon

Hello, friends of The War on Cars.

We'll have a new episode for you hopefully by tomorrow. As you can imagine, things have been thrown off a bit by everything going on right now but we should be back on track soon. We know how important the show is to so many people and appreciate your support more than ever.

We are planning to do an episode on the coronavirus and its effects on how...

Washington DC live show cancelled

Hello, friends of The War on Cars.

We wanted to pass along this note from the League of American Cyclists about the National Bike Summit. We were supposed to do a live show this Monday, March 16th but that, along with the annual National Bike Summit, has been cancelled. This is the right decision and we fully support the League's choice. 

If you were planning to attend and had ...

Episode 37: Finnish Lessons

Our new episode is here!

What can cold cities, where people nonetheless bike year-round through snow and seemingly endless hours of darkness, tell us about what it takes to make better streets? In this episode, Sarah reports back from her trip to Finland and the the 8th annual Winter Cycling Conference, held in Joensuu and Helsinki in early February. How does active transportation figure ...

Thanks, Denver!

The War on Cars crew had a great time in Denver at Bicycle Colorado's Moving People Forward conference. We hope you've all had a chance to listen to the episode by now and wanted to share this excellent overview of Denver's transportation challenges and developments from Chase Woodruff of Westword.

Enjoy!