Active Towns

In this episode, I connect with Brandon Lust, also known as @AmericanFietser, on Twitter for a conversation about how a pickup truck-driving guy from rural Illinois became an advocate for Dutch cycling, safer streets, and electric-assist cargo bikes. In 2017, Brandon joined his wife Tatiana on a trip to The Netherlands. She had some work to do there and they figured why not combine the travel for...

In this episode, I connect with Billy Fields, Ph. D. , Associate Professor of Political Science at Texas State University, for a discussion that addresses the freedom that comes from mobility choice, the progress being made in San Marcos, and the annual study abroad program he leads to The Netherlands. We also talk about his newly released book, Adaptation Urbanism and Resilient Communities: Trans...

In this episode, I connect with Huntsville, Alabama-based cartographer and artist David Nuttall for a conversation about his recent adventure riding every street in his sprawling, hilly city and the profound things he learned about the place he's called home for the past several decades and about himself. David Nuttall was motivated to get in a little exercise and lose a little weight by exploring...

In this episode, I connect with Briana Cohen, who serves as the Ghisallo Cycling Initiative's Austin Lead and Community Educator. We discuss the many engaging activation programs and services this beloved non-profit is providing within the Austin and San Antonio communities and she provides a wonderful glimpse into the organization and how it helps to support the communities they serve well beyond...

In this episode, I welcome Austin's District 8 City Council Member, Paige Ellis, onto the Podcast.  We talk about her biggest learnings from a 2019 PeopleForBikes study tour to The Netherlands, some recent infrastructure improvements in the city, a game-changing mobility bond she co-sponsored which passed overwhelmingly in the November election, as well as the Interstate 35 expansion challenge.  ...

In this episode, I connect with Laura Steel and Michael Kelley with BikeWalkKC about how the city is making progress in active mobility education, policy advancement, and, yes, even in infrastructure, finally starting to emerge on the ground.  Additional Helpful Links: This Episode's Landing Page - for more photos and videos The BikeWalkKC YouTube Channel BikeWalkKC - Become a Member BikeWalkKC -...

In this episode, I reconnect with Jennifer Ruley , the Mobility & Safety Lead Engineer for the City of New Orleans ( Moving New Orleans ), and Dan Favre, the Executive Director of Bike Easy , for a chat about the NOLA active mobility story, which is most definitely one of perseverance, collaboration, and commitment to transformation. Additional Helpful Links: Active Towns Landing Page for this...

In this episode, I connect with Zach Vanderkooy, a veteran study tour organizer and principal of the firm Inspired by Cities for a discussion about the impact of study tours, what you can expect as an attendee, and what it takes to pull off successful educational outings such as these. Zach is an urban planner by training and has a deep history in bicycle advocacy, having worked for both IMBA - th...

In this episode, I connect with Ken McLeod, Policy Director at the League of American Bicyclists, for an in-depth discussion about the current federal, state, and local active mobility policy landscape in the United States. The League of American Bicyclists , based in Washington, DC, is a membership-based organization that has been fighting for the rights and needs of cyclists, specifically and ac...

In this episode, I connect with Mark Cramer, who is an American living in a northern suburb of Paris, France, for a discussion about how many years ago he happened upon a fun group of cyclists completely taking over the streets of Paris, with the support and assistance of the police, and how this chance connection led him down the road of becoming a regular bike commuter, traveling throughout the...

In this episode, I reconnect with Nicholas "Nick" Oyler, Manager, Memphis Bikeway & Pedestrian Program for a discussion about the exciting recent advances in the high-comfort cycle network and some of the challenges still facing the city. Nick also provides a bit of background as to how he got interested in this work. We cover a lot of ground in this interview and barely scratch the surface of...

In this special bonus episode, an Activity Ambassador profile, I connect with Rob Verhelst from Madison, Wisconsin, who is also known as Fireman Rob. We talk through a wide range of topics, including how the Ironman triathlon helped him to find his passion, his take on safer streets for active living as a working emergency services professional, the role activity played in helping him deal with PT...

In this episode, I connect with the newly appointed Executive Director of BikeWalk Provo, Austin Taylor, for a discussion about the current status of walking and biking in Provo as well as the progress the city has made and how the community is rallying to address their street safety challenges and concerns. Austin Taylor is one very busy guy. He works as a Transportation Planner focussing on Acti...

In this episode, I reconnect with the Bike Train Guru of The Netherlands, Roland Kager, with the consulting firm Studio Bereikbaar   One of the very first things I noticed upon my initial visit to The Netherlands in 2015 was the seamless connection and synergistic coordination between the national transit system and the bicycle network, both of which we experienced every single day, usually multip...

In this episode, I connect with Doug "Mr. BrooklynSpoke" Gordon, one of three co-hosts of The War on Cars Podcast, for a conversation about the battle to create safer streets and more livable communities for everyone. You can pretty much count on it - anytime there's a proposal to install a bike lane or pedestrian crossing that might inconvenience or slow down motor vehicle traffic in any amount,...

In this shortie, I check in after finally getting our power, heat, and internet service restored after the big winter storm of 2021 thumped Austin big time. While cold weather and even snow are not completely unheard of in Texas, clearly, the state, especially the power grid, is not prepared for such events. John touches upon some observations of neighborliness, community, and active mobility in t...

In this episode, I connect with Ryan Hale, founder of Laneshift, a consulting firm in Bentonville focused on helping other communities become more bicycle-friendly places. Northwest Arkansas has transformed itself into a Mountain Biking destination and, in the process, stimulated its economy and a culture of activity. The amazing culture of activity transformation that has been underway in the Nor...

In this episode, I connect with University of Colorado Denver Professor Dr. Wes Marshall for a fun and fascinating discussion about some of the safer streets research that he and his students have conducted over the past decade. Wes Marshall, Ph. D., is a Professor of Civil Engineering and an affiliate faculty member in Planning and Design at the University of Colorado Denver. Wes focuses on trans...

In this episode, I connect with Erin Riediger for a dive deep into the details of how and why there's a surprising Dutch bike culture bomb exploding in the prairie city of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Erin Riediger is in the final stages of officially becoming an architect. You’ll quickly learn that she’s passionate about creating equitable cities which partly explains how she got interested in adv...

In this episode, we head back up to the province of British Columbia, Canada for a conversation about Restorative Natural Areas with Vancouver-based Katherine Howard and Jo Fitzgibbons Joanne "Jo" Fitzgibbons is a Ph. D. doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia and a Sustainability Scholar with the Urban Biodiversity Hub Katherine Howard is a Project Manager with the City of Vancou...

In this episode, I connect with Kelly Rodgers, a Ph. D. doctoral candidate in Urban Studies at Portland State University and the founder of the non-profit evidence-based resource platform, Streetsmart. Streetsmart is an amazing non-profit platform and resource clearinghouse for integrating climate change, public health, and equity concerns into transportation. Specifically the platform is evidence...

In this episode, the first of a new year and new season, I head up to Ontario, Canada (virtually) for a discussion with Jamie Stuckless and Darnel Harris about the policies associated with e-assist bikes and an innovative cargo-bike library. Jamie Stuckless is a Hamilton-based advocate and policy wonk who has become increasingly interested in and working on the needed legislative updates with rega...

On this, the final day of the crazy year that was 2020, I look back and reflect on the 52 episodes in Season One, giving thanks to our guests and you, our listeners.  I also provide some surprise bonus material at the end of the main recording; a brief overview countdown of each of the 52 episodes. See below for links to each of the episode landing pages, which feature special photos and video lin...

In this episode, I connect with Jonathan Fertig, who is no stranger to the world of tactical urbanism, as he is compelled to do something to make the situation safer for everyone. We chat about what got him started in advocacy, his move to Denver, and how his life and activity levels have shifted now that he and his wife Helen are in the outdoor playground that is Colorado. This episode is also av...

In this episode, I connect with Veteran podcaster Andy Boenau from Richmond, VA, for a discussion about the power of storytelling and persuasion when it comes to transforming our built environments.   Andy Boenau has a formal background as a transportation engineer, but his career has gradually evolved over the years and now he focuses much of his energy on how storytelling, marketing principles,...