Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Friday Video

Friday Video: How America Got Hooked on Cars

CNBC put together a solid 15-minute explainer on car dependency that's perfect for sending to anyone who's never thought about the role of automobility in their life.

Photo: Still from CNBC

It's Valentine's Day — but U.S. residents aren't all driving for the love of it. And on a recent episode of the CNBC series "Shifting Gears," experts unpacked exactly how more than a century worth of polices have put so many of us in long-term relationships with automobiles, whether we like it or not.

Featuring Peter Norton, Greg Shill, and a few other faces that will be familiar to longtime Streetsblog readers, it's the perfect video to send to folks who have never thought about why Americans rely so heavily on their cars, and what our country might look like if we supported a wider range of options — even if we don't break up with driving outright.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Agenda 2026: Will Zohran Mamdani’s Left-Progressive Backers Mobilize for Faster Buses?

New York's new mayor must mobilize the coalition that got him elected if he wants to avoid his recent predecessors' failure to speed up buses.

December 2, 2025

Opinion: One Less Lane Ought To Fix It

Federal inaction means states must lead on reducing emissions — but their reluctance to reallocate road space for cars may doom climate goals.

December 2, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Fight Fire With Fire

Berkeley, Calif., is far from the only city where the fire department dictates transportation policy.

December 2, 2025

Investigation: How Trump’s U.S. DOT Is Loosening Safety Rules Meant to Protect the Public

In Trump’s second term, the agency opened 50-percent fewer investigations into vehicle safety defects, concluded 83-percent fewer enforcement cases against trucking and bus companies and started 58-percent fewer pipeline enforcement cases compared with the same period in the Biden administration.

December 1, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Go Cold Turkey

Life is a highway, and Congress is going to ride it all night long.

December 1, 2025

OPINION: Where Cities are Investing, Vision Zero is Working 

As the Vision Zero Network turns 10, it's time to look at what works and what is achievable (a lot!).

November 28, 2025
See all posts