Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Car Culture

Facebook Refuses to Remove Group Promoting Anti-Cyclist Violence

By Matthew Roth | Jan 8, 2010 | 35 Comments

Screenshot from the Facebook group promoting dooring, among other acts that injure cyclists. A number of Streetsblog readers have noticed a particularly loathsome group that has sprouted up on Facebook and has a legion of fans. As of this writing, more than 32,000 people are fans of "There’s a perfectly good bike path right next […]

Trend Watch: Governments Ceding Control of Roads to Outlaw Drivers

By Brad Aaron | Jan 7, 2010 | 16 Comments

Traffic cameras have spotted hundreds of thousands of drivers speeding on Arizona highways since the 2008 launch of an automated enforcement program. Yet the AP reports that what should be a highly successful safety measure is in danger of disappearing. The reason: Law-breaking motorists are staging what amounts to an insurrection against the state, and […]

Report: The American Auto Fleet Is Shrinking

By Elana Schor | Jan 6, 2010 | 7 Comments

Could the nation be turning away from its decades-old yen for auto ownership? Americans got rid of more cars than they purchased in 2009, reversing a trend that saw total U.S. vehicles exceed the number of drivers more than 35 years ago, according to a report released today by the Earth Policy Institute (EPI). (Chart: […]

Pollution Pricing? NY Among 11 States to Back Low-Carbon Fuel Rules

By Elana Schor | Jan 4, 2010 | 1 Comment

While many in Washington spent their holiday breaks wondering if Senate Democratic opposition would deal a major blow to progress on a climate change bill, eleven northeastern governors were agreeing on a deal that suggests otherwise. Photo: Scientific American The eleven governors, including New York’s David Paterson, vowed to develop a shared low-carbon fuel standard […]

Cellular Industry Gives Big Tobacco a Run for Its Money

By Brad Aaron | Dec 8, 2009 | 1 Comment

Western Union cellphone ad from 1984. Image via NYT Concerns arose not long after it hit the market. External studies seemed to confirm what industry insiders feared: The product could pose a public health risk. But as sales soared, whistleblowers who didn’t leave their jobs were forced to keep quiet. Companies maintained a posture of […]

Ooh! And Let’s Have Traffic Agents Wave Checkered Flags

By Brad Aaron | Dec 2, 2009 | 28 Comments

Via our friends at Yanko Design, which last year brought us the virtual crosswalk wall, here’s a horrible idea that’s getting a lot of online exposure: the red light countdown. In case there might be a few drivers out there who don’t already view the street grid as their personal grand prix course, this Serbian-designed […]

Show More Stories