Seventy years ago, the writer Lewis Mumford warned that urban highways would be a disaster: “This is pyramid building with a vengeance, a tomb of concrete roads and ramps covering the dead corpse of a city.” He was right. We just didn’t listen. My homage, in Bloomberg CityLab:

Bloomberg.com

The Dark Prophet of Car-Clogged Cities

70 years before congestion pricing landed in New York City, Lewis Mumford sounded the alarm on letting automobiles run amok in America’s downtowns.

#cities #history #highways

Because of tariffs and recession fears, Americans are more likely to buy a sedan instead of a pricey SUV or truck. But Detroit doesn’t offer any sedans. Foreign automakers do. In Fast Company, I explained why car bloat leaves the Big Three uniquely vulnerable to Trump’s economic chaos. https://www.fastcompany.com/91296810/detroit-killed-the-sedan-trumps-trade-war-will-make-them-wish-they-hadnt #cars #trump #detroit #trade

In Bloomberg CityLab, I argued that "shrinking" mass transit -- replacing buses and trains with pods or shuttles -- is a fool's errand. Small transit vehicles cannot scale w/o massive subsidies. It's a problem that cripples PRT, the Vegas Loop, and microtransit alike.

Bloomberg.com

Don’t Shrink the Bus

Could Tesla’s Cybercab and similar smaller vehicles replace traditional trains and buses? Unfortunately, the idea of “personal rapid transit”...

#transit #transportation

In Slate, I explained why a newborn, job change, or closed highway can disrupt our travel habits, prompting us to form new ones -- and perhaps leave the car at home. It's a lesson with huge implications for policy.

Slate Magazine

The Psychological Traps That Keep Us Stuck Commuting Via Car

Even when better options are available, switching modes is tough.

#cities #urbanplanning #policy

My latest in Fast Company: We need to stop saying “road safety is a shared responsibility.” Road engineers, automakers, and policymakers have the power to reduce the sky-high number of US crash deaths. Individual road users don't. https://www.fastcompany.com/91233037/whos-really-to-blame-and-who-isnt-for-americas-traffic-death-epidemic #crash #safety

In a new Fast Company story, I argued that focusing on range and acceleration -- the most popular metrics for EV quality -- will lead to confused customers, wasted resources, and needless road deaths. https://www.fastcompany.com/91227386/forget-about-ev-range-and-focus-on-this-instead #electricvehicles #cars #climate #climatechange

In US cities, ~2/3 of crash deaths occur on streets owned by the state – not local gov. Outdated, deadly state roads are preventing cities from building the safe, comfortable, and transit-friendly streets that residents want. My deep dive, in Vox.

Vox

The most dangerous roads in America have one thing in common

We can fix our staggering car fatality crisis. Start with these roads.

#transportation #cities #states #visionzero

Me, in Bloomberg CityLab: Robotaxi companies are presenting themselves as transit’s new best friend. Don't fall for it. Cities full of robotaxis would be a disaster for public transportation. #AVs #selfdriving #cities #transit

Bloomberg.com

Robotaxis Are No Friend of Public Transportation

AV companies like Waymo are promoting the idea that driverless technology can complement transit service. Recent ride-hailing history suggests othe...

On NPR 's On Point, I discussed the feds' proposal to restrain car bloat: "It's a watershed moment for NHTSA, [proposing] not a suggestion, but a rule within the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards to protect pedestrian safety." Recording/transcript:

Trucks and SUVs are bigger — and more dangerous — than ever. New safety rules aim to fix that

Pedestrian deaths in this country are at an all-time high. And now, the government is stepping in. For the first time ever, the National Highway Tr...

The only way to avoid crash deaths from oversized SUVs & pickups is to reduce car bloat. Technology alone won’t do it – even if automakers claim otherwise. Me, in Slate

Slate Magazine

The Solution to Giant Killer Cars Is Really, Really Simple

It’s not cars that are more sophisticated.

#cars #safety