New York public high school students rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall in October for better bike infrastructure.

Young people want to live. It seems kind of basic, right? Anyone over the age of 35 or so probably grew up thinking that the desire to live was something to take for granted, at least on a societal scale. But many members of Gen Z worry that the places they live today will soon be uninhabitable. That they won’t be able to realize their dreams or raise their children the way previous generations did. That their very survival is at stake. And they don’t see meaningful action from the adults in charge. In this episode, we hear from some teens in Brooklyn who are demanding radical improvements in bike infrastructure to make emission-free transportation safe and accessible to all. We also talk with Dr. Elizabeth Marks, a clinical psychologist who has co-authored a new study about climate anxiety in ten thousand young people all over the world. Sixty percent said that they are either “very worried” or “extremely worried” about climate change. There’s a crisis in intergenerational trust. How can we begin to repair the damage?

***This episode is sponsored by Rad Power Bikes and Cleverhood.***

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On Tuesday, November 2nd, 2021, The War on Cars recorded a live show at Caveat on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Our special guest for the evening was Choire Sicha, an editor at large at New York Magazine, who joined us to talk about YIMBYism, “bike fascism” and life in the suburbs. Plus, why does Eric Adams, the newly elected mayor of New York City, need to fix his bike’s front fork?

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Jason Slaughter is the creator of Not Just Bikes, the wildly popular YouTube channel that covers urban design and daily living in the Netherlands. Jason’s videos are informative and entertaining, and whether they’re about the shaky finances on which the suburbs are built or something as simple as grocery shopping, each one helps viewers understand larger concepts about building cities for people, not cars. Doug sat down with Jason in Amsterdam to talk about the origins of Not Just Bikes and why places that force everyone to drive whether they want to or not just plain suck.

You can find the full transcript of this episode here.

***The episode is sponsored by Rad Power Bikes.***

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Introducing the 2022 Chevy Inundator

To celebrate the podcast’s third anniversary (how did that happen?) we open up the listener mailbag and field your questions and comments. Is it time to take more subversive action in the fight for safe streets? With all the evidence on our side, why does it sometimes feel like cities keep having the same arguments over parking spaces? Why don’t strollers get more respect as transportation? Is it ok to drive an SUV while wearing a War on Cars T-shirt? Plus: The marketing push for the 2022 Chevy Inundator begins today. 

You can find the full transcript of this episode here.

This episode is sponsored by Rad Power Bikes and Cleverhood.

Support The War on Cars on Patreon and cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content, merch discounts and more.

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***This is a preview of a short bonus episode just for Patreon supporters. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for ad-free access to this and all our exclusive content. Plus, we’ll send you stickers!***

Michael Hobbes, a journalist and podcast host known for his work on Maintenance Phase and You’re Wrong About, joined The War on Cars for episode 72 to discuss what bikelash has in common with moral panics. In this short bonus episode, hear a part of our conversation that was left on the cutting room floor. We cover everything from how newspaper headlines absolve drivers who hit vulnerable road users and offer some advice to people who are freaking out about the #BanCars slogan.

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What does bikelash have in common with moral panics? Has Paris really descended into anarchy because of all the cyclists? Are e-bikes and scooters the biggest threats to pedestrians on the mean streets — and sidewalks — of New York? What happens when reporters misunderstand statistics and rely on anecdotes to paint a picture of an urban transportation landscape that’s spinning out of control? To answer these questions and more, we’re joined by journalist Michael Hobbes, the co-host of the podcasts Maintenance Phase and You’re Wrong About. Michael explains what a moral panic is and helps us debunk some commonly held misconceptions about what happens when cities make streets for people, not cars.

You can find the full transcript of this episode here.

This episode is sponsored in part by Rad Power Bikes and Cleverhood.

Support The War on Cars on Patreon and cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content, merch discounts and more.

SHOW NOTES:

Subscribe to Confirm My Choices, the newsletter from Michael Hobbes.

Listen to Maintenance Phase and You’re Wrong About wherever you get your podcasts.

Follow Michael Hobbes on Twitter.

“As Bikers Throng the Streets, ‘It’s Like Paris Is in Anarchy'” (New York Times)

“As E-Scooters and E-Bikes Proliferate, Safety Challenges Grow’ (New York Times)

“Cycle lanes, scooters and terraces — is Paris still safe for pedestrians?” (The Local)

Get official War on Cars merch, including our new “CARS RUIN CITIES” sticker, at our store.

Check out The War on Cars library at Bookshop.org.

Follow and review us on iTunes!

This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio and edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Additional music by Michael Hearst. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D.

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Alicia Kennedy is a food writer whose weekly newsletter covers the way food culture intersects with politics, media, labor rights and climate change. On the surface it might not seem like it has much to do with the war on cars. But it does. Because what Alicia is doing in her work is really similar to what we do: she tries to make the invisible visible. She shines a light on how huge political and commercial forces are constantly manipulating our emotions about food for their own profit, with reckless disregard for the natural world and human health. It’s pretty much the same thing we see every day in transportation and urban planning. Sarah talked with Alicia about what electric cars have in common with lab meat, and how to deal with people thinking you’re a joyless Puritan just because you don’t want our society to go up in flames.

You can find the full transcript of this episode here.

***This episode is sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking, enter coupon code BANCARS at checkout now through November 1.***

Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content and more.

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On July 19, 2021, Amtrak restarted passenger rail service on its Vermonter line after a 16-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. You wouldn’t necessarily think that this would be all that big of a deal. The Vermonter runs just one train per day in each direction between Washington, D.C., and St. Albans, a small town near the Canadian border. This train is kind of slow, frequently late, and only serves 100,000 passengers a year — a drop in the bucket compared to nearby Interstate highways. And yet, in the village of Bellows Falls, the return of the Vermonter was cause for major celebration and an outpouring of civic pride. Why does intercity train service mean to a small town like Bellows Falls? And what is it about the train that people love so much?

***This episode is sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and biking enter coupon code BANCARS at checkout now through November 1.*** 

Support The War on Cars on Patreon and get cool stickers, access to exclusive bonus content and more.

You can find the full transcript of this episode here.

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Jessica Valenti, the noted feminist writer, was curious about e-bikes. So, as one does, she posted a question about them to Twitter. Thus began her path to radicalization. After buying an e-bike of her own, she quickly found how life-changing it was — a not uncommon feeling among the converted. A lifelong New Yorkers, Jessica found that riding an e-bike changed her perspective on the city and offered her new insight on being a woman in public space. In this spirited and far-reaching conversation, Jessica talks about e-bikes as vehicles of feminist empowerment, means of escaping harassment and good plain fun. Plus, we dig into history and discuss the similarities between the “resting bitch face” of today and the “bicycle face” of the late 1800s.

You can find the full transcript of this episode here.

***This episode was sponsored in part by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for walking and cycling, enter coupon code BANCARS at checkout now through November 1st.***

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This episode was originally released as a Patreon exclusive. Become a Patreon supporter of The War on Cars for bonus episodes, early releases and more.

Combine a deep love of cities and urban planning with a penchant for wearing stylish suits, smooth dance moves set to Swedish rap music and a curious fascination with drainage and what do you get? Mr. Barricade, an unlikely TikTok star. Vignesh Swaminathan, who runs his own engineering and design firm in California, has built a huge following on the video-sharing platform based on his unique ability to explain everything from how protected intersections work in busy downtowns to the ongoing impacts of redlining and segregation. Doug talks to Vignesh about his viral videos, tricks for successfully fighting racism online and the power of TikTok to help people see and experience their streets and communities in new ways.

You can find the full transcript of this episode here.

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