The War on Cars Watch is a weekly feature of the NMA blog. The War on Cars Watch focuses on road diets, traffic calming and programs such as Vision Zero and Complete Streets as well as studies, court cases, and other news that affect motorists.
Special commentary from NMA California Member Michael Jabbra is notated with an MJ: designation and all other comments are those of Shelia Dunn, NMA Communications Director and editor/curator of this blog.
We love to hear from you about the War on Cars Watch. Please feel free to comment below the post.
War on Cars Watch Story of the Week
GM not liable for punitive damages in ignition switch cases: U.S. appeals court
National War on Cars Watch Stories
MJ: Remember folks, it’s not just about the climate. It’s about control of the people by governments and by large corporations, and it’s about which big corporations will be the winners.
- Cops Can Pull Drivers Over Who Aren’t Breaking the Law. The Supreme Court Could Change That. —a wait and see!
- What Happens When a City Tries to End Traffic Deaths (Vision Zero Watch) –Anti-car writers are now even questioning the efficacy of Vision Zero
- The Steep Costs of Criminal Justice Fees and Fines
- Viewpoint: Reimagining the City Means Envisioning Far Fewer Cars
- A Generation That Allegedly Hated Vehicles Now Buys Them Aplenty
Canadian War on Cars Watch Stories
- Edmonton: City should aim for zero road injuries and deaths, not 20% drop (Vision Zero Watch)
- Toronto Cops no longer enforcing traffic rules, police board hears (Vision Zero Watch)
Regional and Local War on Cars Watch Stories
Arizona
- Arizona Road Diet Watch: Phoenix to Test Out Roosevelt Street Bike Lane After Outcry From Cyclists
- First car-free built-from-the-ground-up neighborhood breaks ground in Tempe, Arizona
MJ: Time will tell on this one. If there is a lot of demand to live there, then maybe we will see more of these. If not, then the anti-car crowd will have egg on its face.
California
- STEP: New State Program Aims for Transportation Equity, Community Building
- Los Angeles County Exploring Congestion Pricing Pilot Tests
MJ: This is going to run into a lot of resistance. Los Angeles is too sprawled out for public transit to be really effective. So to add insult to the injury of traffic and high gasoline taxes, the Los Angeles County Supervisors want to punish people for driving. Fellow Angelenos, write to the County Supervisors and tell them that we don’t want this!
- Bike lanes supposedly help the environment. So why is it taking San Diego so long to get them built?
- San Francisco Road Diet Watch: Drivers looking for a shortcut to get steered off Page Street
- War on Cars Watch: Walk San Francisco Urges Public Statewide to Push for Strong Recommendations on Setting Speed Limits (Vision Zero Watch)
- San Francisco Muni’s next chief imagines a city where cars are no longer king (War on Cars Watch)
- Road Diet Watch: San Rafael’s Third Street overhaul enters design phase
Colorado
Florida
- Opinion: DUI risk shouldn’t be based on a ‘magic box’ –too many problems with breathalyzers!
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
- State Police Have Ticketed Thousands For Driving 100 MPH Or Faster This Year
- Editorial: North Side, South Side: Fixing Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive (War on Cars Watch)
Massachusetts
Way too much handwringing in Boston over traffic congestion…okay, the city is the most congested in the country…we know!
- Boston: Uber, Lyft regulation needed to ease traffic woes, councilors say
- How to Save Transportation in Boston: Cars (War on Cars Watch)
- Boston: We’re hooked on cars, despite the gridlock. Only powerful incentives will change that, but major employers make it too easy to drive.
- Why Boston-area traffic is so bad
Michigan
- Road Diet Watch: City Council asking for early end to Midland ‘road diet’ –More and more road diets go away…all that taxpayer money wasted!
Missouri
- Ozarks mom sues Missouri DOT board after 11-year-old daughter dies in crash into guardrail –guardrails are supposed to guide us back onto roads but instead they are killing people…will see more lawsuits like this!
New Jersey
- New Jersey lowered the speed limit on a road in Burlington City–some think it has been a disaster –Why is that? Lowering a speed limit does not always make a street safer
New York
- Could New York City Eliminate Free Street Parking? (War on Cars Watch)
- NYC’s MTA eyes more buses on 14th Street Busway, but increased enforcement coming first
- NYC Mayor Bill De Blasio signs the War on Cars Bill pushed by Council Speaker Corey Johnson
- 14th Street, Manhattan: A Congested Thoroughfare Transformed (War on Cars Watch)
- Viewpoint: NYPD Has No Answers At Street Safety Town Hall in Coney Island (War on Cars Watch)
- NYC to ‘pedestrianize’ streets around Rockefeller Center during holidays
- FDNY union warns Rockefeller Center car ban will lead to ‘city-wide gridlock’
- Manhattan Borough President wants to bring ’busway’ to Harlem and Washington Heights
- NYC’s New Council Bills Will Create a Bike and a Pedestrian Mayor (War on Cars Watch)
- NYC Road Diet Watch: Dedicated bike lane coming for Broadway in Fidi
Ohio
Oklahoma
- Road Diet Watch: Okmulgee Business Owners Concerned over Downtown Revitalization Plan –as well they should be…road diets on arterial streets are detrimental to small businesses who rely on car traffic.
Oregon
- Oregon Supreme Court Bans Police Officers From Asking Random Questions During Traffic Stops –this case is going in the right direction…remember, a traffic stop is when most folks encounter police.
Virginia
- Alexandria Road Diet Watch: Seminary Road Redesign Sparks Uproar Among Drivers (video report)
- Road Diet Watch: How a Quaint DC Suburb got Hijacked by outside Special Interest Groups and a Part-Time City Council
The Seminary Road has a whole lot of folks upset and know they have over 500 plus members on their Facebook Page…this is a wait and see and let’s hope for those driving here the turnaround is faster than not!
Washington State
MJ: It’s fair to say that mass transit use might increase if mass transit went where people want to go, when they want to go. Then people are more likely to choose it of their own free will. However, the last header says it all: “Trust voters – most of the time.” In other words, if those darn voters vote against mass transit and against punishment of drivers, then they aren’t trustworthy. This elitist attitude is a big reason why many people are not happy with anti-car schemes.
That’s this week’s War on Car Watch blog. If you find a story online about the War on Cars, please feel free to email the URL to me at nma@motorists.org.
Check out the NMA Facebook Page called the War on Cars Watch!
Be Safe Out There,
Shelia Dunn
NMA Communications Director
P.S. Here are a few NMA Blog Posts that might interest you:
