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Look Both Ways with David & Wes

Episode 18: The Upside of High Gas Prices + 190 MPH down Pennsylvania Avenue

Mar 19, 2026 · 51 min · Ep 19

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 other modes more attractive, reinforce location efficiency, and shift how people think about transportation more broadly. It’s a conversation about how gas prices shape behavior, influence our transportation system, and what gets lost when we only talk about them as a political problem.

Other topics: 🔹 Our most harrowing driving experiences 🔹 How we mismeasure road safety 🔹 Indy cars on real Washington, DC streets 🔹 St. Patrick’s Day Rail Drinks

Additional resources:

Check out Chapter 23 (The Mirage of More Mileage) in Wes' Book:

& David's Recent Article: The US Is Counting Traffic Deaths Wrong

International Transport Forum Road Safety Annual Report 2025

‘Freedom revs’: Trump administration, DC mayor unveil details of Washington IndyCar race

Music by Charlie Van Stee (courtesy of bensound)

Email us at [email protected] or find us at www.davidzipper.com and www.wesmarshall.org 

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