Welcome to “Car Harms,” our new series to remind the world (including those in power in Albany and Washington) that the livable streets movement isn’t only about clearing the air or reducing congestion, but about de-normalizing the primary mode of transportation that, over the last century, gave us sprawl, severed communities, shrunken public space, ugly streetscapes, heat, mental illness and, of course, 40,000 road deaths per year.
It sounds obvious — “car harms” — but to our elected officials, policies such as reining in reckless drivers, repurposing roadway space for pedestrians or piazzas, or simply charging drivers a tiny bit for the damage they cause is completely foreign (in both senses of the word).
But what else can you expect from a class of people who drive or are driven everywhere?
Now the pitch: If you’d like to see more series like this, perhaps you’ll consider making a small (or large) tax-deductible donation to our nonprofit newsroom.
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