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Car Dependence

Car Dependency is a Public Health Threat — But Americans are Too ‘Car Brained’ To See It

Whether you call it "windshield bias" or "motonormativity," Americans have a serious bias towards automobiles — and they're all too willing to accept car dependency's many downsides.

September 9, 2024

The Dawn of the ‘Non-Driver’ Movement: A Conversation with Anna Zivarts

"At the end of the day, there are going to be folks who still can't drive and can't afford to drive — and there are still going to be a lot of us."

May 9, 2024

Study: How Car Ownership is Keeping Americans From Financial Stability

As car costs continue to surge, American drivers are taking drastic measures to stay on the road — with troubling societal implications.

March 25, 2024

The Brake Podcast: How Many People Does Car Culture Kill, Exactly?

One in 32 people around the world die from car crashes, car-related air pollution, and car-related lead exposure every year. But even the astonishing number doesn't tell the whole story.

March 12, 2024

All The Ways That Car Domination Harms Communities (Well, Almost All…)

A new study seeks to quantify everything car culture costs us. Yet there are still more ways that auto-centrism hurts us all.

March 5, 2024

Study: Remote Work Isn’t Always A Cure for America’s Driving Addiction

A lot of Americans traded long commutes for short errands during the pandemic — but whether that swap resulted in more or less driving is a consequence of policy choices.

October 4, 2023

Why Democrats and Republicans Alike Keep Expanding Highways

A Democratic governor's controversial decision to pick up a road-widening effort where his Republican predecessor left off is sparking a conversation about why U.S. leaders across party lines keep pushing for the same old harmful highway projects.

September 11, 2023

New Federal Report Finds Most U.S. Communities Are Clueless About Their Transport Emissions

The Biden Administration set a goal to get America to net zero by 2050. But when it comes to U.S. transportation, most American communities have no idea where they're even starting from.

August 11, 2023

How Auto Debt is Holding Millions of Americans In Custody — Sometimes Literally

A new book argues that car dependency is sentencing Americans to a lifetime of extractive debt — and sometimes, literally landing them in jail.

July 24, 2023

Temp Tags Begone! After Streetsblog Investigation, Texas Eliminates Paper License Plates

Texas will eliminate temporary license plates — the paper versions of real plates that nefarious dealers and outright crooks around the country are selling to drivers to avoid speed cameras, commit other vehicular crimes or simply to keep driving if they lack insurance or a driver's license.

June 15, 2023