The Brake
‘Whether They See It Or Not’: How the ‘Arrested Mobility’ of Black Americans Harms Everyone
"Policy could be the decision to invest in a community, or to disinvest [in that community]. In Black, brown, low-income communities, the policy has been disinvestment."
May 28, 2025
How A Single Transportation Emergency Can Keep Parents From Achieving Their College Dreams
Abigail Seldin of Scholarship America about the 3.8 million U.S. students who are earning degrees while raising families.
May 22, 2025
Does the Media Help Create the Traffic Violence Crisis?
Which came first: the chicken (deadly driving) or the egg (a culture that normalizes it)?
March 25, 2025
How Highways Rend Our Social Fabric — and the Challenge of Mending It
Roads are supposed to connect us. So why do so many highways tear our social networks apart?
March 11, 2025
Does ‘Vision Zero’ Need a Reset — Or Just More Political Will to Achieve It?
Talking with Insurance Institute for Highway Safety President David Harkey about his organization's safety pivot.
February 25, 2025
The Missing Ingredients in America’s ‘Minimobility’ Revolution
Cargo trikes, GEMs, bike rickshaws, and other light electric vehicles could help wean America off cars — but a new grant that could help cities encourage their adoption is being paused by the Trump administration.
February 11, 2025
Everything You Need to Know About Keeping Pedestrians and Bicyclists Safe In Your State, in One Document
Every state legally has to complete a report that shows exactly how it plans to get safer for people on foot and bike — but some do it better than others. A new report breaks down how they could all step up their game.
January 29, 2025
What’s Missing From the Safe Systems Approach
Safe streets, road users, speeds, vehicles, and post-crash care have long been held up as the five pillars of the "safe systems" approach to ending road deaths. One state DOT, though, recently added a sixth one — and their outgoing secretary thinks it's key to saving lives.
January 13, 2025
How One Mayor Is Cooling Off America’s Hottest City
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego reflects on temporarily losing the ability to drive in her sweltering-hot city, and what her administration is doing to keep people cool outside cars.
December 17, 2024
Can We Build Car-Light Neighborhoods From Scratch — Even in Texas?
Can you really build a car-light neighborhood in suburban Houston — and could it inspire car-dependent places to explore new ideas about development?
December 10, 2024
