In this episode, I connect with Patty Wiens, the Bicycle Mayor of Winnipeg, for an update on the everyday cycling scene in this emerging bicycle-friendly city in the province of Manitoba, Canada. We discuss the status of the lagging safe cycling infrastructure, the impressive advocacy groups, and a recent act of "civil obedience" where cyclists went out at rush hour and followed all the "rules of the road" to the letter of the law to demonstrate how silly it is to apply these motor vehicle laws ...
Nov 22, 2024•1 hr 5 min•Season 8Ep. 270
In this episode, I reconnect with journalist Alissa Walker, founder of the new newsletter Torched.LA for a discussion about the forthcoming major events (Superbowl, World Cup, and Olympics) being hosted by Los Angeles in the coming years and how the region can leverage these opportunities to ensure that the citizens don't get "torched" by a legacy of debt and discrimination. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast o...
Nov 15, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 8Ep. 269
In this episode, I connect with Prof. Jordi Honey-Rosés for a conversation about the amazing street transformations taking place in Barcelona, the emergence of the worldwide bike bus phenomenon, and the school streets movement. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more video content. Helpful Links (note that some ma...
Nov 08, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 8Ep. 268
In this episode, I reconnect with Tom Flood, the brilliant mind behind the fantastic meme generation machine, the Rovelo Creative agency, for a conversation about how his work is being adopted and adapted in cities around the globe. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more video content. Helpful Links (note that so...
Nov 01, 2024•52 min•Season 8Ep. 267
In this episode, I connect with Heidi Beierle, author of the fabulous self-discovery/adventure book Heidi Across America: One Woman's Journey on Bicycle Through the Heartland. A personal account of her ride across the continent to study the impact of bicycle tourism in small-town America and learn to love herself and her country one pedal stroke at a time. 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 li...
Oct 25, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Season 8Ep. 266
In this episode, I reconnect with The Happy Urbanist, Jon Jon Wesolowski, in Chattanooga, TN, for a discussion about his journey to urbanist activism, his approach to making more sociable neighborhoods & communities, and why he is running for City Council in Chattanooga. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more...
Oct 18, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 8Ep. 265
In this episode, I welcome back Jeff Wood of The Overhead Wire, a subscription news curation service and the Talking Headway Podcast, in acknowledgment and celebration of hitting and surpassing the impressive milestone of 500 podcast episodes. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more video content. Helpful Links (n...
Oct 11, 2024•58 min•Season 8Ep. 264
In this episode, I connect with Laura Mitchell from Minneapolis, Minnesota, for a conversation about her journey to becoming an accidental safer streets & active mobility advocate with an impressive reach both locally and globally. We discuss her involvement with the Our Streets MN non-profit advocacy organization, the well-established and beloved off-street network of multi-use pathways, and the encouraging emergence of protected and separated on-street cycling facilities. Topics: - Childho...
Oct 04, 2024•1 hr•Season 8Ep. 263
In this episode, I reconnect with Nic Laporte, the Vancouver, BC-based creative force behind the fast-growing @nicthedoor urbanism and active mobility YouTube channel, to learn more about his backstory and what he hopes to achieve with his inspiring videos from Japan, The Netherlands and various locations across North America. 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 platform. Also, don't ...
Sep 27, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 8Ep. 262
In this episode, I connect with Sara Dykman, author of the book Bicycling with Butterflies: My 10,201 Mile Journey Following the Monarch Migration, for a conversation about her work studying endangered species for the forest service in California, her epic cycling with butterflies journey, and what we all can do help Monarchs survive and thrive, including the planting of the milkweed plants they feed on, adopting a "no-mow" strategy until the various wildflowers including milkweed are done doing...
Sep 20, 2024•42 min•Season 8Ep. 261
In this week's Podcast Episode, I connect with Tina Castillo and Paul Tolmé for a wide-ranging discussion about the Cascade Bicycle Club in the State of Washington and their advocacy and educational efforts to get more people riding more often throughout the state. Note that this was another episode prompted by a viewer's suggestion. 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 platform. Also,...
Sep 13, 2024•48 min•Season 8Ep. 260
In this episode, I connect with Phil Levin, founder of the Live Near Friends organization and movement to talk about the benefits and logistics of finding creative ways to live closer to our beloved friends and family members. We naturally end up talking about innovative strategies to enhance happiness and social cohesion while also increasing missing middle housing supplies. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to the podcast ...
Sep 06, 2024•50 min•Season 8Ep. 259
In this episode, I connect with Marley Blonsky, Founder of All Bodies On Bikes, for a discussion about her personal journey, the joy of riding bikes, and the movement to encourage everyone, "all ages & abilities," and body types to ride more frequently and for a variety of purposes. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Chan...
Aug 30, 2024•43 min•Season 8Ep. 258
In this episode, I connect with Graham Zimmerman, an elite-level alpinist, author, and the Director of Athlete Alliances for Protect Our Winters (POW), for an in-depth discussion about the organization and its campaigns to influence systemic policy changes and engage the community. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel f...
Aug 21, 2024•52 min•Season 8Ep. 257
In this episode, the first of Season Eight, I connect with the "Worst Mother in America," Lenore Skenazy, author of the book Free-Range Kids: How Parents and Teachers Can Let Go and Let Grow and the co-founder of the Let Grow organization and movement for childhood independence. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for ...
Aug 16, 2024•57 min•Season 8Ep. 256
In this episode, I connect with the founder of Streets For All, Michael Schneider. We discuss the recent huge win, Measure HLA, in the March 2024 Los Angeles elections and how other cities learn from the Streets For All experience and start getting major political wins in their communities, whether large or small. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to che...
Jun 07, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 7Ep. 255
In this episode, Chuck Marohn, founder of Strong Towns, and I discuss the new book he co-wrote with Daniel Herriges, Escaping the Housing Trap: A Strong Towns Response to the Housing Crisis, as we walk around in and reflect upon what we see in the Over The Rhine District in Cincinnati, Ohio. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns...
Jun 03, 2024•1 hr 18 min•Season 7Ep. 254
In this episode, I reconnect with Professor Wes Marshall for a discussion about his new book Killed By A Traffic Engineer: Shattering the Delusion that Science Underlies Our Transportation System. Note that this episode was recorded as a Livestreaming event on YouTube so we do frequently take questions from the audience via the chat window. 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 platform...
May 31, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 7Ep. 253
In this episode, I connect with Maddy Novich, NYC-based mother of three, professor of criminology, and an accidental cargo bike influencer on Instagram, for a discussion about her fascinating journey to becoming passionate about the empowering nature of cargo bikes in general and e-assist cargo bikes in particular. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to ch...
May 29, 2024•50 min•Season 7Ep. 252
In this episode, I connect with Dan Hendry, the driving force behind Canada's youth transit revolution and the Get On The Bus campaign, for an in-depth conversation about the transformative impacts these efforts are having on the mobility freedom and sense of empowerment of the younger generations in their participating cities. 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 platform. Also, don't...
May 24, 2024•45 min•Season 7Ep. 251
In this episode, I reconnect with Dan Piatkowski, Associate Professor of Integrated Land-Use and Transportation Planning at OsloMet University, for a conversation about his brand-new book Bicycle City: Riding the Bike Boom to a Brighter Future, published by Island Press. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more vid...
May 22, 2024•1 hr 10 min•Season 7Ep. 250
In this episode, I connect with Jim DeCecco, who has come out of retirement to help resurrect the Oceano, CA bike posse ice cream runs and restore the youth bike program mojo to their former glory days. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more video content. Helpful Links (note that some may include affiliate links...
May 17, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Season 7Ep. 249
In this episode, I reconnect with my good friend, Nate Hood from Saint Paul, MN, to discuss his hilarious suburban engagement photos, his stand-up comedy routine, and some very encouraging updates from Minnesota on land use and parking policy reform. Naturally, we sneak in some cycle network discussions, and Jason Slaughter with the Not Just Bikes Channel gets a nice cameo mention when we talk about the integration of off-street cycle paths along waterways, lakes, and in/through parks as more co...
May 10, 2024•57 min•Season 7Ep. 248
In this episode, I reconnect with Mike Christensen, train travel expert and the Executive Director of the Utah Rail Passengers Association, for a discussion about recent exciting rail network expansion opportunities and what I would need to do to successfully take the Active Towns Tour to the rails here in the United States. Background: I routinely combine bike and train travel to explore and document Active Towns in Europe, but I have not done so in the United States yet, which is ironic since ...
May 08, 2024•47 min•Season 7Ep. 247
In this episode, I connect with Kristin Fehrman of Walking Detroit for a conversation about how she profiles the beauty and simple pleasures of car-free living in Motor City. During our chat, we trace her journey from Traverse City, MI to a handful of big cities across North America, including San Francisco, Charlotte, Boston, and NYC, only to find herself drawn back to her home state, settling down in Detroit. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a ...
May 03, 2024•47 min•Season 7Ep. 246
In this episode, I connect with Anna Zivarts, author of When Driving Is Not An Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency, a new book by Island Press, available on May 9, 2024. We discuss her journey as a visually impaired person unable to drive to her role as an advocate for other non-drivers and for safer, more inviting environments for all ages and abilities. We also discuss what inspired her to write this beautiful text that tells the personal stories of several of the 30% of our population t...
May 01, 2024•54 min•Season 7Ep. 245
In this special election bonus episode, I connect with a dedicated Houston-based freeway fighter and ER Nurse, Molly Cook, who is running to fill the recently vacated Texas State Senate District 15 position. We talk about what inspired her to get involved at the community level and ultimately run for state office. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to che...
Apr 26, 2024•34 min
In this episode, I reconnect with Timur Ender, who is running for city council in Portland, Oregon's newly created East Portland District. Timur has a long history of public service and was instrumental in launching the buildout of the high-comfort cycle network on the eastside, in addition to countless other infrastructure projects, including sidewalks, street trees, and safer pedestrian crossings across the city during his tenure at PBOT. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this ep...
Apr 26, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Season 7Ep. 244
In this episode, I connect with Peter Flax, author of the fabulous new book Live To Ride: Finding Joy and Meaning on a Bicycle. We discuss the fact that if you're riding a bike, you're doing it right and what can be done to get more people riding more often. Along the way, we channel the Dutch and Danish experiences and successes in making riding a bike just a natural part of daily life. Thank you so much for tuning in! If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend and subscribe to ...
Apr 24, 2024•56 min•Season 7Ep. 243
In this episode, I speak with Bryn Grunwald on RMI's Carbon Free Transport Team about their new tools and calculators for measuring the benefits and impacts of shifting typical car trips to bikes and e-bikes across several environmental and economic metrics. 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 platform. Also, don't forget to check out the Active Towns Channel for more video content. H...
Apr 19, 2024•56 min•Season 7Ep. 242
