Does Your City Need a 'Department of Sidewalks'? (Michael Pollack)

Does Your City Need a 'Department of Sidewalks'? (Michael Pollack)

A sidewalk isn't just a strip of asphalt; it's a place where countless laws collide, whether they're governing our movement, our safety, our right to free speech, our economy, or even just who's responsible for shoveling after a snow storm. But most communities don't have a single agency that manages all these competing concerns — and maybe it's time they create one. Today on The Brake, we interview sidewalk law expert Michael Pollack about his new book "Sidewalk Nation: The Life and Law of America's Most Overlooked Resource." [https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674296411] And in that book, he untangles the dense web of policies that shape our pedestrian spaces, which might just change the way you look at sidewalks forever.

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. [https://stopgreedbuildgreen.climateandcommunity.org] 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.

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 [https://nacto.org/publication/robotaxis-arent-coming-theyre-here/] 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.

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 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-missing-from-the-safe-systems-approach-roger-millar/id1610029625?i=1000683889208] 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, [https://americafwd.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/state-of-play-12-16-2025-V2.pdf] apply to be a part of its Project Delivery Accelerator Lab [https://americafwd.org/what-we-do/project-delivery-accelerator-lab/], and explore its Advisory Network. [https://americafwd.org/what-we-do/americafwd-advisory-network/]

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 [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41693342/]: 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.