
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
Subscribe for biweekly conversations about all things transportation.
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






