Car Culture
Streetsblog LA
New Report Outlines How CA Can Kick Its Addiction to Oil, Foreign and Domestic
The government is encouraging you to drive a car, and if California is truly serious about reducing its oil dependency that needs to change. This is the unequivocal conclusion of Unraveling Ties to Petroleum a new report commissioned by Next 10 California and written by UCLA researchers Juan Matute, Director of the UCLA Local Climate Initiative, and Stephanie Pincetl, Adjunct Professor and Director of the California Center for Sustainable Communities at UCLA.
June 20, 2013
Scared by Dangerous Traffic? Take a Xanax
Once in a while, a story comes along that perfectly encapsulates how dangerous traffic forces people to re-orient their lives. This example, relayed to us by a reader, comes from a recent lecture at the psychiatry department of a major Manhattan hospital about anxiety disorders in the elderly.
February 7, 2013
Red Bull Racing Lives the Urban Car Marketer’s Sociopathic Dream
There are a lot of gasp-inducing moments in Red Bull Racing's new video to promote the Formula One Grand Prix of America, scheduled for Weehawken and Union City in June 2013.
September 6, 2012
Google-Funded Pundit: Forget Transit, the Future Belongs to Robocars
Last week Salon ran a pretty horrendous piece on the future of transportation called "Oops -- Wrong Future."
May 16, 2012
Are Americans Driving Less Because They’re Working Less?
Everyone's trying to figure out why, after decades of consistent growth, the amount Americans drive is leveling off and even declining. The decline started during the recession, to be sure, but was more dramatic than in previous recessions. As the economy began to get back on its feet, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) just barely ticked upward -- and then fell again.
May 10, 2012
The Auto Industry Wants Your Thanks
Feeling warmer and fuzzier about the auto industry bailout? With the help of the Obama reelection campaign, the industry is convincing more Americans that the $80 billion they forked over to save it were dollars well spent.
April 24, 2012
Open Thread: The Volvo Pedestrian Airbag
I am ambivalent about the Volvo pedestrian airbag, as seen via Laughing Squid. On one hand, it seems like another way for automakers to help people shirk responsibility for how they drive. Plus, as currently designed, it looks like it's intended to minimize windshield damage as much as anything.
March 14, 2012
Times Victory: Trio of Bills Take Aim at “Buy Here Pay Here” Car Dealerships
A trio of state legislators have introduced legislation aimed at "Buy Here Pay Here" dealerships in California. These dealerships, where used cars are sold at a marked up price with loans that have abnormally high interest rates, are often used by people of lesser means as a last resort to get a car. These dealerships not only sell cars, but provide their own financing, creating two ways to benefit from the overpriced sale of a used car.
February 6, 2012