Car Dependence
Basics
Remixing Great Masterpieces for the Highway Age
Last week we highlighted the Photoshop work of Memphis resident David Lindsey, who updated Georges Seurat's “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” to comment on the way cars have come to intrude on almost every public space. Lindsey was motivated by the decision to allow overflow parking from the Memphis Zoo in the city's historic Overton Park, but his concept quickly inspired activists in other cities.
March 14, 2016
More Driving, More People Dying on America’s Streets
On Friday, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration released new data [PDF] showing that traffic deaths are up. Up quite a bit.
February 9, 2016
Animation Explains How Bad Planning Makes Car Ownership Compulsory
This is a pretty great animation explaining how American cities were undermined by a slavish dedication to storing and moving cars. It's by comedian Adam Conover from TruTV's "Adam Ruins Everything," who also made this great video explaining the screwed up origin of the word "jaywalking."
November 12, 2015
Braves Stadium Relocation Shaping Up to Be a Disaster
When the Braves announced they were leaving Atlanta for suburban Cobb County in 2013, logistically it seemed to make some sense. After all, the new stadium site is more centrally located in relation to the highest concentration of fans who attend games.
October 30, 2015
Why Creating Meaningful Transportation Change Is So Hard
Cross-posted from City Observatory.
October 21, 2015
How America’s Staggering Traffic Death Rate Became Matter-of-Fact
How did more than 30,000 annual motor vehicle deaths become something that most Americans accept as normal? A new paper by Boston University professor Itai Vardi tries to answer that question.
September 14, 2015
How to Make Big Box Stores Less Terrible for Walking: 8 Expert Tips
It's no coincidence that the most dangerous streets in many communities are the ones in front of big box stores.
September 8, 2015
FHWA Gleefully Reports That Driving Is Rising Again
After flatlining for nearly a decade, the mileage driven by Americans is rising once again. That means more traffic overwhelming city streets, slowing down buses, and spewing pollutants into the air. But to the Federal Highway Administration, it's a development to report with barely contained glee.
August 21, 2015
Cities Lead the Way as U.S. Car Commuting Takes Historic Downturn
The decline is small in number, but in the scheme of things, it's huge: New census data [PDF] out last week show car commuting among Americans is finally, after decades of growth, starting to reverse itself.
August 17, 2015
Auto Industry Analyst Predicts Decline of the Two-Car Household
Bailey Mareu, 30, and her husband were looking for ways to save money after she left her job to help run the family business in Lawrence, Kansas, two years ago.
December 2, 2014