Book Excerpt Special: ‘War on Cars’ Hosts Explore Life After the Automobile
...and why it's so urgent that we work for a better future.
By
Doug Gordon,
Sarah Goodyear and
Aaron Naparstek
12:01 AM EDT on October 15, 2025
…and why it’s so urgent that we work for a better future.
Doug Gordon is the co-host of The War on Cars podcast and the co-author of "Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves from the Tyranny of the Automobile” (Penguin Random House, 2025).
Sarah Goodyear is a journalist and author who has covered cities and transportation for publications such as Grist, CityLab, and Streetsblog.
Aaron Naparstek is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparstek's journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. He was also one of the original cast members of the "War on Cars" podcast. You can find more of his work on his website.
Read More:
Streetsblog has migrated to a new comment system. New commenters can register directly in the comments section of any article. Returning commenters: your previous comments and display name have been preserved, but you'll need to reclaim your account by clicking "Forgot your password?" on the sign-in form, entering your email, and following the verification link to set a new password — this is required because passwords could not be carried over during the migration. For questions, contact tips@streetsblog.org.
More from Streetsblog New York City
Teamsters Prez Calls On Menin To Pass Mamdani-Backed Delivery Bill, But She’s Not Ready
The Teamsters are fighting anti-union Amazon and the battleground is New York City streets.
October 23, 2026
Friday’s Headlines: Trump’s Truths Edition
President Trump sort of inadvertently made an argument for banning horse carriages from Central Park on Thursday when he critiicized the City Council's 40-7-2 vote to end the Central Park horse carriage industry with an ill-conceived analogy to cars.
October 23, 2026
Super-Speeder Law Takes One Big Leap Forward, As Council Pushes Bill To Create The Program
The city's much-anticipated program to require speed-limiting devices inside the cars of repeatedly reckless drivers will launch next year, though questions remain.
October 22, 2026
EAGLE Down: MTA Pulls Fare Enforcement Agents From Bus System
"I'm not willing to keep our teams active in the field," Lieber said on Thursday morning.
October 22, 2026
An Interview with Central Park’s Most Storied Competitive Cycling Club
Streetsblog interviewed the president and public relations director of the Century Road Club Association.
October 22, 2026
