Free Daily Podcast Summary
The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by StreetsblogUSA
Get key takeaways, quotes, and insights from The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast in a 5-minute read. Delivered straight to your inbox.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- Today27 min
How Sustainable Transportation Can Help End the Affordability Crisis — And Help Climate Champions Win
Affordability is the buzzword in American politics — and when it comes to transportation affordability, the policies that would give the most families the most immediate relief would also do the most to address the climate crisis. So why aren't things like fast, free buses, better connected sidewalks, and quick-build bike lanes sitting front and center of every politician's platform? And if they were, could it help climate champions across the country finally take power? Today on The Brake, we speak to Emmett Hopkins, transportation policy manager for the Climate and Community Institute, and one of the authors of a new report called Stop Greed, Build Green. Hopkins breaks down an agenda that could help save the planet and end the income inequality crisis — and why "Green Economic Populism" is so different than the predatory breed of populism that's claimed Washington right now, or the flawed "Bidenomic" approach that proceeded it.
- 3 weeks ago21 min
Are US Cities Ready for the Robotaxi Revolution? (Josh Naramore)
Robotaxis from companies like Waymo are already rolling onto roads across America, whehter or not cities are ready for them. How can cities take back their power and put shared autonomous vehicles in their proper place, understand what impact they're having on local transportation goals, and avoid amplifying some of the worst impacts of old-school car dependency? Today on The Brake, we're talking to Josh Naramore of the National Association of City Transportation Officials, which released a new report on how cities can meet the robotaxi revolution, and do it on their terms. And if they do it right, they can do it without losing momentum on building livable streets for people outside cars, too.
- Apr 7, 202626 min
How to Push a Livable Streets Project Forward — Even in the Age of Federal Clawbacks (Christopher Coes)
Even before the Trump administration and the current congress started rescinding federal grants left and right, it was hard to get major sustainable transportation projects across the finish line in America. That's why one livable streets legend is stepping up to help push those efforts forward — including a few that lost funding since his own time in Washington On this episode of The Brake, we're joined by Christopher Coes — the third-ranking member of USDOT under President Biden and superstar alum of Transportation for America, Smart Growth America, and the Brookings Institution — to talk about his new initiative, AmericaFWD. With the help of former WashDOT head and guest of the podcast Roger Millar and a deep network of infrastructure experts, they're helping a select group of U.S. communities push forward major multimodal infrastructure efforts, projects to reconnect communities, and more. And you might even recognize a few of those efforts from the list of projects that had their funding rescinded under Trump. Give it a listen, then check out AmericaFWD's State of Play report, apply to be a part of its Project Delivery Accelerator Lab, and explore its Advisory Network.
- Mar 24, 202622 min
How a 'Universal Basic Neighborhood' Can Help Americans Live Longer
The idea of providing a "universal basic income" to ensure every U.S. resident can afford the fundamentals is gaining traction with the rise of AI. But even that much-needed money might not guarantee much of a life to people who live in neighborhoods with dirty air and water, insufficient housing, and — yes — no transportation to access to all the things they need. Enter the idea of a Universal Basic Neighborhood: where every community has built in all the ingredients necessary for its average neighbor to live to at least 80, including a transportation system where their chance of dying in a car crash is low and they enjoy a multitude of mobility options. And those ingredients didn't come out of nowhere: the researchers behind the study scoured the literature to find neighborhoods where residents have a healthy life expectancy, thanks in part to policies governing their immediate communities. On today's episode of The Brake, we talk to one of the authors of that study, Michael O. Emerson, about how to adapt the "universal basic neighborhood" concept for unique places, what a universal basic transportation system really looks like, and why giving the basics to every neighborhood matters — even to people who already live in places that are providing them all the mobility, safety, and longevity they need.
- Mar 10, 202620 min
How to Tell the Story of a Highway Teardown (Ian Coss)
Highway teardowns are messy, multi-decade projects that spark countless debates and competing narratives — even among livable streets advocates who broadly agree that replacing autocentric infrastructure is a good idea. In his Peabody Award-winning podcast The Big Dig, though, Ian Coss was able to do the impossible by encapsulating the Boston project of the same name into nine astonishing, thought-provoking episodes — and now, he's doing telling the story of similar projects in cities across the America. In October, Coss embarkedo on what he's calling The Highway Teardown tour, which has already taken him to four cities that either have, or are trying to, reimagine their worst infrastructure. And with eight more cities to go and follow up podcast of tapings from those shows forthcoming this spring, the tour has become an opportunity to reflect on the larger freeway fighting movement across America, how advocates are pushing forward even under Trump, and how to do these projects even better.
- Feb 24, 202625 min
What It Takes To Map Every Sidewalk In Your State (Dr. Anat Caspi)
Washington State is on the brink of completing America's first comprehensive, statewide inventory of every single sidewalk and pedestrian path — and along with it, a collection of tools that make it easy for transportation professionals and every day travelers to see exactly where those paths fall short. But why did it take any American state so long to create something like this, even in an era of Google Maps and ubiquitous AI? And what will it take to bring it to communities across the country in a way that lasts — and allows the data to keep getting better? Today on The Brake, we chat with Dr. Anat Caspi about the resource she's calling OS Connect — short for Open Sidewalks — and the upcoming conference to explore the challenges and opportunities of leveraging big data for big change in the pedestrian realm. And along the way, we explore how her late daughter, Aviv, helped inspire her work, the tool named in her honor, and the importance of "anti-ableist AI" and bringing the human perspective to technology.
- Jan 27, 202612 min
Transportation Reform and the Fight Against ICE Violence in Minneapolis
Protests are raging in the streets of Minneapolis and across the country as Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents accelerate their campaign to deport migrants — with increasingly violent and deadly results, particularly in the transportation realm. But what is the transportation reform advocate's role in that fight? And can the battle to remake our violent transportation system help support the goal of making the entire country less susceptible to violent governments? We're sitting with those difficult questions on today's episode of the Brake, as well as the deaths of Renee Good, Alex Pretti, Silverio Villegas Gonzales, and more.
- Jan 6, 202625 min
Five 'Supercool' Transportation Founders to Watch in 2026
How can transportation start-ups help fight climate change, and who are the leaders pushing them forward? We sat down with Josh Dorfman, host of the podcast 'Supercool', to talk about what he's learned from interviewing the founders behind companies like CityThread, Veo, Brompton Bicycle, Zum, and Upway. And along the way, he unpacks why it's critical to harness 'market momentum' in the battle to decarbonize our cities and make them more livable for everyone — especially as Washington gears up to rewrite our federal transportation laws in 2026.
Get The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast summaries in your inbox
Free AI-powered daily recaps. Key takeaways, quotes, and mentions — in a 5-minute read.
Get Free Summaries →Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
You Might Also Like
Listeners also like.
Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast
The Overhead Wire
The War on Cars
The War on Cars, LLC
The Urbanist Agenda
Not Just Bikes
Active Towns
John Simmerman
The War on Cars
The War On Cars Podcast
Ride AI
Oliver Bruce and Horace Dediu
The Bottom-Up Revolution
Strong Towns
The Rideshare Guy Podcast
Harry Campbell
Autonomy Markets
Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk
EV Tech Talk
Ev Tech Talk
Shift: A podcast about mobility
Automotive News
Calling All Stations - The Transport Podcast
Christian Wolmar & Cogitamus Ltd
About The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast
Covering the movement to end car dependency in the United States, one interview at a time
Customized Recaps
AI-powered recaps with compact key takeaways, quotes, and insights.
Straight to Your Inbox
Get key takeaways from The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast in a 5-minute read.
Save Hours Every Week
Stay current on your favorite podcasts without falling behind.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Podzilla's The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast daily summary?
It's a free AI-powered email that summarizes new episodes of The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast as soon as they're published. You get the key takeaways, notable quotes, and links & mentions — all in a quick read.
How does the The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast podcast summary work?
When a new episode drops, our AI transcribes and analyzes it, then generates a personalized summary tailored to your interests and profession. It's delivered to your inbox every morning.
Is this an official The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast product?
No. Podzilla is an independent service that summarizes publicly available podcast content. We're not affiliated with or endorsed by StreetsblogUSA.
Can I get summaries of other podcasts too?
Absolutely! The free plan covers up to 3 podcasts. Upgrade to Pro for 15, or Premium for 50. Browse our full catalog at /podcasts.
How often does The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast release new episodes?
The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast publishes biweekly. Our AI generates a summary within hours of each new episode.
What topics does The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast cover?
The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast covers topics including News, Commentary, Culture, Society & Culture. Our AI identifies the specific themes in each episode and highlights what matters most to you.
Start getting The Brake: A Streetsblog Podcast summaries tomorrow morning.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.
Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.