The War on Cars

Tell us YOUR origin story!

Hello everybody,

By now you've probably heard our November bonus, Origin Stories, in which Aaron, Sarah and I talked about our jouney from ordinary c...

BONUS: Origin Stories

Hello, all you beautiful Patreon supporters!

Have you ever found yourself wondering, how did Aaron, Doug and Sarah get mobilized into the war on cars? What made them this way?

If so, you’re in luck. In this bonus episode, ex...

LIVE at Caveat: Patreon Early Access Tickets!

Hello, friends!

Aaron, Sarah and I are very excited to announce that we'll be returning to Caveat in New York City on Wednesday, January 31st at 7 PM for another live show! 

2023-11-17 11:30:01 +0000 UTC View Post

EPISODE 114: John Bauters, America's Bike Mayor

I am so happy to be able to bring this episode to you from a recent West Coast swing. While I was in the Bay Area, I got to meet and ride along with John Bauters, the mayor of Emeryville, California, who has become known as "America's Bike Mayor" ...

EPISODE 113: Dark PR with Grant Ennis

Hello, supporters of The War on Cars!

First, some big news.:

1. We're writing a book! You might have seen the announcement on social media already, but we singed a deal with Thesis, an imprint of Penguin Random House, ...

EPISODE 112: Unintended Consequences with Steven Johnson

Hello, Patreon Supporters:

Episode 112 is here!

This year, 2023, marks the hundredth anniversary of the invention of leaded gasoline. Of all the many harms that the automobile has imposed on the environment and humanity over the last...

BONUS: Celebrating Your Wins

Hello dear people of Patreon!

We're kicking off October with a bonus episode just for all of you. 

As you can imagine, news happens fast and sometimes there are stories we're dying to talk about that don't quite add up to enough m...

EPISODE 111: Why Congestion Pricing Matters with Diana Lind

Hello, Dear Enlistees:

If congestion pricing is the White Whale of New York City transportation policy then I might be 2023-09-19 09:59:59 +0000 UTC View Post

BONUS: Coach Balto's Bike Bus Lessons

Hello all! I'm super excited to share this bonus episode with you all. While working on Episode 110, Back to School with the Bike Bus...

We want to hear about your wins!

Hello, friends!

It's hard to believe, but our 5th Anniversary is coming up. Yep, we launched the podcast in September of 2018 and here we are five years later. Thank you for coming along for the ride and making it all possible!

On the ...

Episode 110: Back to School on the Bike Bus

Greetings! I hope you had a great summer and were able to get out and have some fun.

We are celebrating the return to school with a look at the bike bus movement that is rapidly growing around the globe.

2023-09-05 10:01:59 +0000 UTC View Post

EPISODE 109: Inclusive Transportation with Veronica O. Davis

Hello supporters of The War on Cars!

In her new book, Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, 2023-08-22 10:02:00 +0000 UTC View Post

BONUS: Chaos in the Bike Lane with Aaron Gordon

Hello!

For this month's Patreon-only bonus episode, we welcomed journalist Aaron Gordon back to The War on Cars. Aaron was previously a guest on 2023-08-08 10:01:02 +0000 UTC View Post

BONUS: Live from New York!

Hello, Patreon supporters!

For this bonus episode of the podcast, we are finally releasing our live show, recorded way back in November 2022 at Caveat on Manhattan's Lower East Side. It was a really fun night with a sold-out crowd of 120 fri...

Episode 108: Traffication with Paul Donald

Dear Patreon folks,

On this episode I talk with conservation scientist Paul Donald about his ground-breaking new book, Traffication: How Cars Destroy Nature and What We Can Do About It. I think it's one of the most important books o...

SPECIAL: Freeway Exit

Hello, Patreon friends:

Please enjoy this special presentation of the first episode of Freeway Exit, a six-part series produced by award-winning re...

EPISODE 107: Is It Worth It To Confront Drivers?

Dearest Patreons:

A couple of weeks ago we asked you to share your stories of confrontations with drivers and, wow, did you deliver. Thanks to everyone who sent in voicemails. We received loads of great contributions and Episode 107 is the r...

BONUS: Inside Automotive Journalism with Bob Sorokanich

Hello, Patrons of The War on Cars!

Have you ever wondered what the reporters who cover the auto industry think about oversized SUVs and pickups and whether the fever for these gas-guzzling, space-hogging, planet-heating and people-killing mo...

Confronting Drivers: We Want Your Stories!

UPDATE: We are all set for submissions. We recorded this episode last week. Listen for it soon. Thanks!

Hi all,

For an upcoming bonus episode we're going to tackle a question that everyone who walks, runs, rolls or bik...

EPISODE 106: Nick Offerman

Hello, friends of The War on Cars!

You know how sometimes we tweet "Welcome to The War on Cars" at notable people who post or say anything we consider to be within the podcast's wheelhouse? Well, not too long ago we did it to the actor, humo...

BONUS: Hollywood and Bikes, Take 2

Hello lovely patrons of The War on Cars!

We're closing out Bike Month with a surprise bonus episode — a bonus bonus episode? — that offers Sarah a chance to weigh in on a subject we covered in episode 103, "Why Does Hollywood Ha...

EPISODE 105: Paved Paradise with Henry Grabar

Hello War on Cars supporters!

We've got a great one for you this week as we welcome Slate staff writer Henry Grabar back to the podcast to discuss his outstanding new book, Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World. (H...

BONUS: Discovering Oil with Amy Westervelt

Hi, Patreoners:  

We talk a lot about cars here at The War on Cars (big surprise!). But what about that vast flow of seemingly magical dinosaur juice that makes all of those cars go "vroom?" What about oil?    

It...

EPISODE 104: Arrested Mobility with Charles Brown

Hey, War on Cars friends and supporters:

Did you know that in Huntsville, Alabama, it’s illegal to play ball on any street, alley, or sidewalk? And in Lewiston, Maine, pedestrians need to keep to the right half of the crosswalk while cross...

BONUS: Into the Fold with Brompton's Will Butler-Adams

Hello, Patreon Supporters!

On our last episode, we mentioned the brief cameo that a Brompton folding bicycle had on season 2 of Ted Lasso and why that was a very deliberate choice meant to convey something special about the characte...

EPISODE 103: Why Does Hollywood Hate Bikes?

Hello, supporters of The War on Cars!

Winning the war on cars isn't merely a matter of changing policies or installing a few bikes lanes — it's also about winning hearts and minds. But doing that is made a heckuva lot more difficult when m...

BONUS: You Can’t Afford to Live Here Because of Cars

Hello, Dear Patreon supporters!

What if we told you that some of the biggest, most exciting, and potentially transformative victories in The War on Cars are being fought and won these days by people working on affordable housing? In this s...

EPISODE 102: CONSPIRACY!

Hello Patreon supporters!

Many of you are probably aware of the recent controversies and conspiracies surrounding "15-minute cities," a mundane urban planning concept that's become the latest grist for the culture-war mill.

2023-03-21 10:02:00 +0000 UTC View Post

Episode 101: Feminist City with Leslie Kern

Hello to all you Patreon supporters, new and longstanding!

In our latest episode, we shift the paradigm and ask what it would mean to live in a "feminist city" — and whether that is a goal policymakers should pursue.

Cities have almo...

BONUS: Super Bowl Roundup

Hello, friends of The War on Cars!

For this exclusive bonus episode just for Patreon supporters, we present our annual Super Bowl roundup. It's our yearly look at the big game's car ads, which this time out included Will Ferrell cruising thr...