The United States has built a transportation system centered around automobiles. But one-third of the nation’s population can’t drive, whether because of disability, age, financial hardship, immigration status, or any of a host of other factors. Those tens of millions of people are often invisible to planners and elected officials, and that’s why Anna Letitia Zivarts, herself a low-vision nondriver and a longtime activist for better transportation choices, has written a new book titled When Driving Is Not an Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency (Island Press). We talked with Anna about how, by designing our transportation future for those who can’t or don’t feel comfortable driving, we could build a system that works better for everyone and that would be more equitable, safer, and more environmentally sustainable.
*** Support The War on Cars on Patreon and receive access to ad-free versions of all our episodes, exclusive bonus content and stickers. ***
This episode was sponsored by Cleverhood. Listen to the episode for the latest discount code.
LINKS:
Buy Anna Zivarts’s book, When Driving Is Not an Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency, at The War On Cars Bookshop store or from your local bookseller.
You can follow Anna on X.
Buy t-shirts, stickers, hats and more in The War on Cars merch store. It's Bike Month so save 10% with code BIKEMONTH.
Find us on Bluesky, Mastodon, Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. It helps people find us!
This episode was recorded by Josh Wilcox at the Brooklyn Podcasting Studio. It was edited by Ali Lemer. Our theme music is by Nathaniel Goodyear.
TheWarOnCars.org
Making Milwaukee a Bike City
Welcome to Muscle Car City
The War on Cars Heats Up
Better Living by Bicycle with George Hahn
TEASER: ‘Shade of Trespass’ with Garnette Cadogan
All Bodies on Bikes with Marley Blonsky
TEASER: Tech Won't Save Transportation with Paris Marx
Distracted to Death
Tesla is a Fraud with Ed Niedermeyer
How to Save a Planet with Kendra Pierre-Louis
Two Wheels Good with Jody Rosen
Infiltrating the Auto Show II
They Paved r/place and Put Up a Parking Lot
The Pedestrian
Pain at the Pump
SPECIAL: Ghost Train
TEASER: The Godfathers of Disinformation
Vapor Bowl Tailgate Party with Amy Westervelt
TEASER: Jessie Singer on the Problem with Public Service Campaigns
There Are No Accidents with Jessie Singer
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Just Dumb Enough Podcast
Voices of Misery Podcast
House of Whimsical Terror
Stuff You Should Know
Timcast IRL