Winning the War on Cars in Rural America
The War on Cars
The War on Cars, LLC
4.9 • 937 Ratings
🗓️ 29 September 2020
⏱️ 34 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Reducing automobile dependence in America's suburbs, small towns, and rural places is a daunting task. But a tiny non-profit organization in Brattleboro, Vermont is offering a glimpse of how it might be done. Launched in 2010 by bike advocacy legend and psychotherapist Dave Cohen, VBike Solutions is fomenting an electric-assist bicycle revolution in the Green Mountain State. Forging partnerships with state government, electric utilities, financial institutions and local bike shops, VBike is making e-bikes more accessible, affordable and just plain normal. Dave calls it "car reduction therapy for Vermonters." And as War on Cars co-host Aaron Naparstek discovered while playing softball in Brattleboro this summer, it seems like it's working. Plus: Vermont's state bird makes a cameo!
This episode was sponsored by our friends at Cleverhood. For 20% off of stylish, functional rain gear designed specifically for bicycle commuters, enter coupon code: WARONCARS when you check out.
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SHOW NOTES:
Learn more about Dave Cohen and his organization VBike Solutions: Car reduction therapy for Vermonters.
Brattleboro-Based VBike Is 'Rebooting The Bike' With Electric Assistance via Vermont Public Radio.
Dig in to the State of Vermont's Renewable Energy Standard.
More on Green Mountain Power's electric bike rebate program.
This episode was produced by Aaron Naparstek. Editing, sound design and additional production by Ali Lemer. Our music is by Nathaniel Goodyear. Our logo is by Dani Finkel of Crucial D Design.
Find us on Twitter: @TheWarOnCars, Aaron Naparstek @Naparstek, Doug Gordon @BrooklynSpoke, Sarah Goodyear @buttermilk1.
Questions, comments or suggestions? Email us: thewaroncars@gmail.com
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hey everybody, Doug here. This episode of the War on Cars is sponsored by |
| 0:05.5 | Cleverhood, which makes great rain gear and outerware for people who walk and bike. |
| 0:10.2 | Now I was hoping I could stroll around my neighborhood in the rain to demonstrate just |
| 0:14.6 | how awesome the new Clever Hood Rover Rain Cape is. Unfortunately, we haven't had any rain lately, |
| 0:20.8 | so... |
| 0:21.8 | Yep, that is right, I am standing in my shower. Oh yeah, okay, this thing is |
| 0:29.6 | working great, totally keeping me dry, super comfortable, and best of all my microphone is not getting |
| 0:38.1 | wet. So check it out. Listeners of the War on Cars can now receive 20% off the purchase of anything in the Cleverhood store. |
| 0:46.0 | Just visit cleverhood.com slash War on Cars. |
| 0:50.0 | Enter code War on Cars, all one word, and you will get 20% off again that's cleverhood.com |
| 0:57.2 | slash war on cars |
| 1:00.1 | enjoy the episode. |
| 1:10.0 | And then we watched as the other kids were being driven up to, you know, school and really feeling sorry for them in some way. |
| 1:13.7 | Because they didn't know about the experience we had. |
| 1:17.1 | And one day there was a woman who approached me |
| 1:19.4 | after I dropped him off and she said like, |
| 1:22.0 | that day had been sleeting and how it was like |
| 1:24.1 | everything was coming at us the birds are singing they were fun we got up to the top |
| 1:28.2 | and this one says like you know every time I see why I pray for you and I looked at her I said hmm you actually I do the same thing for you |
| 1:38.0 | and I couldn't believe a response she said is that because I'm in a box? I said, yeah. Welcome to the War on Cars, this is Aaron Napa Stack. You know, here on this |
| 1:58.2 | podcast we focus mostly on issues related to big cities. |
| 2:03.0 | And over the years, you know, I've personally had a lot of people ask me, you know, |
... |
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