Active Towns

In this episode, I connect with Burnaby, BC-based transportation engineer Roy Symons, for a chat about his beautiful book fietspad: A Journey Through The Netherlands Documenting its Bicycle Infrastructure that he recently published. We also talk about his journey as a classically trained civil engineer from Scotland to a passionate advocate for the creation of active mobility infrastructure in his...

In this episode, I connect with Prue Oswin, founder of Sidelines Traffic from the Sunshine Coast of Queensland, Australia, for a deep conversation about safer active transportation infrastructure. We even explore applying the four core virtues of stoicism - wisdom, courage, moderation, and justice - in designing environments appropriate for all ages and abilities, such as protected bike lanes, sep...

Darcy Varney Kitching with Boulder Transportation Connections is back on the pod to talk about her new role in transportation demand management (TDM), share her personal experiences from her week without driving challenge, and reflect on her recent Camino de Santiago Pilgrimage. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast...

In this episode, I reconnect with Michael "Mike" Pasternock, who has catapulted the Strong Towns YouTube Channel to new heights in the past year. We discuss his journey from a high school teacher in the Midwest to a wedding video producer in the Phoenix area to the new face of the Strong Towns YouTube Channel based in Chicago. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please sh...

In this episode, I reconnect with Todd Litman, Founder and Executive Director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute (VTPI) for a discussion about his research into the elements we must take into consideration as we strive to transform our communities into our desired paradises. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Pod...

Rethink35 is suing TxDOT: Why this action has global implications. In this special, bonus episode, I connect with Kelsey Huse and Gregory Bertrand, volunteers with Rethink35, for an urgent conversation about the two legal actions that this community group has taken to try and stop this project. Please sign on to the Civil Rights Complaint and make a donation here: https://rethink35.org/ Making our...

In this episode, I connect with Lucy Maloney, an advocate and frequent spokesperson in the battle for safer streets and safe cycling routes in Vancouver, BC. We cover the ongoing disturbing trend of victim blaming instead of addressing the core street design issues, the recent move to remove bike lanes in Stanley Park, the push to create and maintain safer school streets, and much much more. Thank...

In this episode, I connect with Robert "Bob" Searns, the author of Beyond Greenways: The Next Step for City Trails and Walking Routes, a recent book published by Island Press. We discuss the concept of formal Grand Loops around entire cities and shorter Town Walks that can be cobbled together quite easily. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend...

In this episode, I welcome back Professor Peter Norton of the University of Virginia for a continuation of our discussion about the long legacy of parents fighting for safer streets in the United States of America and how Motordom ultimately prevailed in most cases where they were challenged. We also draw comparisons between the street safety protests of The Netherlands in the 1970s, which profoun...

In this episode, I connect with Joshua Funches for a conversation about the National Youth Bike Council and the Youth Bike Summit happening in June in Lehigh Valley, PA. We talk about their efforts to engage more youths and young adults in the bicycle movement, the empowering nature of kids being able to ride bikes to meet their daily transportation needs, and how the recent Bike Bus movement has...

In this episode, I connect with Deema Aburizik, the force of nature behind the new Street Design Team, a firm that is taking inspiration from the Dutch Cycling Embassy, the European Cyclists' Federation, and other institutions to build the knowledge capacity needed to expand the active mobility networks on the ground in Dubai, the UAE and across the Middle East. Thank you so much for tuning in! If...

In this episode, I reconnect with Joe Minicozzi, founder of Urban3, to discuss why our traditional development patterns were and are more productive financially and how that relates to Strong Towns and creating more Active Towns that promote a culture of activity. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your prefer...

Yay! Megan Ramey is featured in this final podcast episode of the year and the conclusion of Season 6. We had a fabulous conversation about her efforts to help create a positive culture of active mobility in Hood River, Oregon, starting naturally with the kids. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred...

In this bonus episode, which was adapted from our video conversation, Professor Billy Fields and Manuel "Manu" Calvo discuss the amazing transformation of Seville's cycle network and the emerging culture of utilitarian bike riding, especially with families, women, children, and the elderly. The network, which was patterned after those in the cycling cities of Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Utrecht, wa...

In this episode, I reconnect with traffic engineer activist and propagandartist extraordinaire, Mr. Andy Boenau. We discuss his recent documentary Healthy Havoc, the deadly challenge and legacy of status quo transportation engineering and planning in North America, and his new projects on the horizon. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and s...

In this episode, I catch up with bike map creator extraordinaire and Jenkintown Borough council member-elect, Steve Spindler for an in-depth discussion about maps, map art, and long-distance bike touring and bike camping with his teenage daughter. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening pla...

Roger Rudick and Luke Bornheimer join me for a conversation about the ongoing sagas and successes playing out on the streets of San Francisco and throughout the Bay Area. We highlight several massive wins, including Car Free JFK, several amazing protected bike lanes, and the bike bus boom, but we also discuss the challenges of an ill-conceived center running, bi-directional cycle track on Valencia...

In this episode, I connect with Gary Oddi, President and co-founder of the Bike Temecula Valley  Coalition in Temecula, California, for a discussion about their efforts to create an active mobility network for all ages and abilities in the area. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the Podcast on your preferred listening platf...

In this episode, I connect with Dr. Matt Schaeffer, MD, general surgery resident at Wright State University Premiere Health in Dayton, OH, for a discussion about the nuance of bike lane design, encouraging more people to ride for optimal health and crash prevention all from a medical perspective. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscr...

In this episode, I connect with Steffen Berr, Traffic Advisor for the City of Haarlem in The Netherlands, for a conversation about the steps the city is taking to reduce the number of motor vehicles in the historic city center and we also discuss some of the specific traffic calming street design strategies the Dutch employ that the typical transportation professionals in the United States don't e...

In this episode, I connect with Jenna Hanes and Kelsey Huse, two of Austin's amazing change agents and activists who are making a profound difference through the TikTok videos they are producing and sharing out on X (formerly Twitter). From freeway fighting to advocating for protected bike lanes and safe crosswalks to making fun of silly, ineffective shade structures to defeating bad election meas...

In this episode, I reconnect with Mike Packard, a traffic engineer with the firm SSFM, based in Honolulu, Hawai'i, for a conversation about some encouraging signs of improvement in the construction of safe and inviting bicycle and pedestrian facilities across the Hawaiian Islands. Although none of the islands have a working high-comfort active mobility network yet, each has a handful of facilities...

In this episode, I reconnect with Allen Cowgill, a Denver-based safer streets advocate extraordinaire who was inspired to start a new bike bus for his kid's elementary school, Brown International Academy. We chat about the good work being done to make Denver's streets safer and more inviting for all ages and abilities and the steps he and his volunteers took to launch the Brown Bike Bus. Thank you...

In this episode, I connect with Veronica O. Davis, Houston's Director of Transportation and Drainage Operations and the author of Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities, for an in-depth conversation about how and why she got into the transportation field and what we can do to accelerate the process of building mobility systems that serve everyone, all ages and abil...

In this episode, which I've edited down from our Livestream on Oct 27th, 2023, I welcome back Charles "Chuck" Marohn, founder of Strong Towns, for an in-depth discussion about proven strategies for creating safer streets without resorting to a constant cycle of trying to find someone to blame. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe...