Imagining Life After Cars

IMAGINING A LIFE AFTER CARS

Tuesday, July 28 at 10 a.m. Online

When the very first cars rolled off production lines, they were a technological marvel, predicted to make life easier and better for everyone; yet a hundred years later, that dream is running on empty. Instead of unbounded freedom, the never-ending proliferation of automobiles has delivered a host of costs, among them the demolition of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities to make way for car infrastructure; an epidemic of violent death; countless hours lost in traffic; isolation from our fellow human beings; and the ongoing destruction of the natural world. 

Cars as we know them today are unsustainable—but there is hope. Sarah Goodyear and Doug Gordon, hosts of the podcast The War on Cars and the authors of the bestselling book Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile, will unpack the scale of damage that cars cause, the forces that have created our current crisis and are invested in perpetuating it, and the way that the fight for better transportation is deeply linked to the fight for a more equitable and just society.

This webinar is part of Gil Penalosa's 880 Cities for Everyone initiative whose mission is, "to ignite action and challenge the status quo to create healthier, more equitable, and sustainable cities for all people." The webinar series looks at how communities, planners, advocates, and elected leaders from around the world can make change happen. Check out past and future programs here:  https://gpenalosa.ca/webinar/

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From the League of American Bicyclists:

Last week the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) removed bike lanes, road diets, and speed management from their Proven Safety Countermeasures website. Proven Safety Countermeasures are highly effective, data-driven strategies or physical modification implemented on roads and highways that keep us safe, and which the USDOT highly recommends states and local governments implement.

USDOT needs to explain why it is putting politics ahead of safety. 

On Friday, Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), ranking Democrat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee released a statement asking for a briefing from the USDOT about why these safety measures are no longer encouraged, adding that “It’s not political to say bike lanes and speed cameras improve safety; it’s a statement of fact.”

We need your help in amplifying Rep. Larsen’s message. Please ask your member of Congress to join Rep. Larsen in asking for a briefing. We deserve an explanation on why the administration is erasing protections for vulnerable road users.