Freedom to Drive - In this very special episode of Look Both Ways recorded in front of a live audience on a rooftop in Denver, Jill Locantore of the Denver Streets Partnership joins David & Wes to dig into the Trump Administration’s “Freedom to Drive” initiative and what it says about how we think about congestion, mobility, and who the transportation system is really for. They contrast that national framing with a local story, Denver’s successful “Denver Deserves Sidewalks” campaign, which shifted responsibility for sidewalks from property owners to the city. It’s a conversation about competing visions of freedom, what it actually takes to build better cities, and how policy choices shape everyday experience on our streets.

Thanks to everyone that came out for a really fun event!

Other topics:

🔹 The surprising U.S. city where we could see ourselves living 🔹 We also take some questions from the audience

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Additional resources: The Freedom to Drive Initiative

David’s articles about sidewalks: Who Should Pay to Fix the Sidewalk?

The High Cost of Bad Sidewalks

Some of Wes’ research on sidewalks: Sidewalk Static Obstructions and Their Impact on Clear Width

Disparate Approaches to Maintaining Roads and Sidewalks: An Interview Study of 16 US Cities

An Evaluation of Sidewalk Availability and Width: Analyzing Municipal Policy and Disparities

Where the Sidewalks End: Evaluating Pedestrian Infrastructure and Equality

Evaluating Sidewalk Infrastructure & Prioritizing Investment

And a couple of Wes' sidewalk articles: Bad Sidewalks? City says it’s a YOU problem

Denver’s Sidewalks Need a lot of Help: Where Do We Start?

Music by Charlie Van Stee (courtesy of bensound)

Email us at lookbothwayspod@gmail.com or find us at www.lookbothwayspodcast.com, www.davidzipper.com, and www.wesmarshall.org

Driver Assistance – David & Wes dig into driver assistance systems and the question of whether they’re actually making our roads safer. Following a recent NTSB hearing, they explore both the promise and the problems, from real potential safety benefits to the very real ways these systems can encourage overtrust. They talk through how “hands-off” can become “mind-off,” why supervising automation is harder than it sounds, and where responsibility really lies when things go wrong.

Other topics:

🔹 The big U.S. city we DON’T want to live in 🔹 The Apple TV show Shrinking & the collateral damage of fatal crashes 🔹 We then open up the mailbag to answer some listener questions

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If you happen to be in Denver on April 21st, come out and see us! Look Both Ways LIVE Podcast Recording + Fundraiser for the Denver Streets Partnership

David speaking earlier that same day at The Road Ahead 2026

Additional resources: Systems that let drivers take their hands off the wheel don’t improve safety, NTSB head says

Music by Charlie Van Stee (courtesy of bensound)

Email us at lookbothwayspod@gmail.com or find us at www.lookbothwayspodcast.com, www.davidzipper.com, and www.wesmarshall.org

Pedestrian Deaths – David & Wes dig into a surprising shift in pedestrian safety and ask a harder question: are streets actually getting safer, or are we just seeing a temporary drop in risk? After years of rising fatalities, recent numbers suggest a modest improvement, but the pattern is anything but consistent. They explore whether this reflects real progress from design changes and enforcement, shifting travel behavior, or simply volatility in a system that still produces predictable danger. It’s a conversation about what it would actually look like if we knew how to make streets safer, and why the data do not quite tell that story yet.

Other topics: 🔹 The Secretary of Transportation’s road trip reality show 🔹 Gas prices & the resiliency value of transit 🔹 Should we be subsidizing ridehail commutes?

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Additional resources: GHSA’s Report on Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2025 Preliminary Data (January-June)

Wes Marshall & Alejandro Henao. "The shock heard round the suburbs: Assessing the vulnerability, resilience, and transportation affordability of higher fuel price scenarios." Transportation Research Record (2015).

Rachael Bronson & Wes Marshall. "Alternative and adaptive transportation: What household factors support recovery from a drastic increase in gas price?." International Journal of Environmental Science & Technology (2014).

Lyft brings pre-tax commuter benefits deal to 14 more cities

Bruce Schaller. "Can sharing a ride make for less traffic? Evidence from Uber and Lyft and implications for cities." Transport Policy (2021).

Music by Charlie Van Stee (courtesy of bensound)

Email us at lookbothwayspod@gmail.com or find us at www.lookbothwayspodcast.com, www.davidzipper.com, and www.wesmarshall.org