Look Both Ways with David & Wes
Pragmatic conversations about all things transportation, with Wes Marshall & David Zipper. If it moves on the road or on tracks, it's fair game.
Recent Topics
Episode 18: The Upside of High Gas Prices + 190 MPH down Pennsylvania Avenue
Gas Prices – David & Wes dig into the upside of high gas prices and why the story is more nuanced than it often seems. While rising costs at the pump can create real challenges, they also explore how higher prices can make ot...
Episode 17: The Big Ol’ Mailbag Episode + David’s Forthcoming Book!
Mailbag! – David & Wes take listener questions on any and all things transportation. Before doing so, they talk about why David is at the Northwestern Transportation Library. The answer? He’s writing a book about congestion p...
BONUS EPISODE: Live on Stage at the 2026 Safe Roads Summit in Ft. Lauderdale with Greg Stuart
Florida Men – David & Wes venture down to Fort Lauderdale for the 2026 Safe Roads Summit. After their respective talks, they jump on stage to record a live podcast episode with Broward MPO Executive Director, Greg Stuart. Top...
Episode 16: The Future (& Past) of Rural Transportation + The War on Bikes
Rural AVs – David & Wes take a deep dive into the future of rural transportation and why mobility challenges outside our cities deserve far more attention. From David’s experience trying to get around West Virginia to Wes’ ta...
Episode 15: The High Cost of Parking Meters + Devaluing that Asset (Taylor’s Version)
Parking Meters – David & Wes unpack the recent multi-billion-dollar resale of Chicago’s parking meter lease and why it matters. They explain the contract, including the compensation clause, and how it continues to hamstring C...
Episode 14: The Great Autonomous Vehicle Debate + David Under Fire
AV Safety – David & Wes explain why an online kerfuffle about autonomous vehicle safety unexpectedly put David himself in the spotlight. They unpack why autonomous vehicle debates so often generate more noise than insight, ho...
Episode 13: Lessons From a Robotaxi Meltdown + How We Bike All Winter (or Not)
Robotaxi Meltdown – David & Wes discuss how robotaxis affect urban resilience after a blackout brought mayhem to San Francisco’s streets. As robotaxis expand in cities across the United States and Europe, how will they react ...
Episode 12: The End of Year Extravaganza!
End of Year Extravaganza – David & Wes toss the usual format aside to look back at the transportation stories that defined 2025. From policies and headlines that made them hopeful to moments that were equal parts absurd and i...
Episode 11: Cities Pushing Back on Waymo + Our Most Memorable Road Trips
Waymo in Cities – David & Wes explore why cities are beginning to push back on Waymo and other robotaxi companies, and what that resistance reveals about local control, safety, and trust in emerging technologies. Using Boston...
Episode 10: What Happens When We Defund Transit + Rethinking Access
Defunding Transit – David & Wes examine the growing efforts to defund transit through mechanisms like the Highway Trust Fund. What happens when transit funding is threatened and slowly hollowed out? Rather than treating these...