Culture Wars - David & Wes ask how transportation became another front in the culture wars. From transit funding & electric vehicles to DEI bike lanes & rainbow crosswalks, they explore why all this has become a test of political identity. But this is about more than words. What happens when safety improvements become political targets, and all of the sudden, solid evidence that a project works isn’t enough to save it? They look at how we got here, why these fights extend beyond the U.S., and what it would take to put people’s transportation needs ahead of blue/red loyalty.

Topics include: 🔹 Examples of America's growing partisanship in transportation 🔹 Its impact on road safety & our streets 🔹 A look at some related international issues

Also, please come vote on which stickers we should make! www.lookbothwayspodcast.com

Subscribe for biweekly conversations about all things transportation.

Additional resources: Why US Transportation Policy Became a Partisan Battleground (David's article in Bloomberg)

US transport secretary’s war on ‘woke’ could make roads even deadlier, experts warn (The Guardian)

Music by Charlie Van Stee (courtesy of bensound)

Email us at lookbothwayspod@gmail.com or find us at www.lookbothwayspodcast.com, www.davidzipper.com, and www.wesmarshall.org

Gas Prices - David & Wes talk about high gas prices and whether the changes they prompt will stick. Some people try transit or bicycling. Others start shopping for an EV or a hybrid. But what happens when gas gets cheaper again? The conversation then turns to the shrinking value of fuel taxes as well as a question that many people think they already know the answer to: who pays for our roads? Sure drivers contribute through gas taxes, tolls, and fees, but that doesn't come close to covering the bill...

Topics include: 🔹 David's trip to London 🔹 Gas tax holidays & if they help the cause 🔹 Oregon’s pay-per-mile program & whether road usage charges are a better way forward 🔹 The future of the federal gas tax 🔹 The myth that drivers pay for roads

Subscribe for biweekly conversations about all things transportation.

Additional resources: U.S. Cities See Public Transit Use Grow as Fuel Prices Remain High

America’s Hybrid Hype Has Hit the Used Market

Music by Charlie Van Stee (courtesy of bensound)

Email us at lookbothwayspod@gmail.com or find us at www.lookbothwayspodcast.com, www.davidzipper.com, and www.wesmarshall.org

Climate + Transportation - David & Wes kick things off with a good conversation about the irony of Waymo sponsoring Climate Week events. Electric robotaxis may be cleaner than gas-powered car trips, but that does not mean they help the bigger cause. The harder questions are about what kinds of trips they replace, whether they create new vehicle miles, and whether AVs reduce driving or simply make car travel easier to justify. From there, the discussion turns to regional rail and the role it could play.

Topics include: 🔹 Our most miserable travel experiences 🔹 Waymo, Climate Week, & the greenwashing question 🔹 Electric AVs & the problem of more vehicle miles 🔹 Colorado’s growing interest in regional transit & passenger rail 🔹 And send your Look Both Ways sticker ideas to lookbothwayspod@gmail.com

Subscribe for biweekly conversations about all things transportation.

Additional resources: Self-driving cars would be a climate disaster (David's article)

Music by Charlie Van Stee (courtesy of bensound)

Email us at lookbothwayspod@gmail.com or find us at www.lookbothwayspodcast.com, www.davidzipper.com, and www.wesmarshall.org