Tickets: $36
Ticket + Book: $68
This is a third party event organized by Cycle Toronto. The content of this screening/event is the sole responsibility of the organizer.
The War on Cars LIVE is generously sponsored by The Biking Lawyer.
The War on Cars is a podcast that delivers news and commentary on the latest developments in the worldwide fight to undo a century’s worth of damage wrought by the automobile, approaching the topic from all angles, from politics to pop culture.
Hosts Doug Gordon and Sarah Goodyear are coming live to Toronto on February 5 at the Hot Docs Cinema for a discussion on urban design and transportation as explored in their new book, Life After Cars.
Toronto holds a special place for the New York City-based podcast. Back in 2010, Toronto mayor Rob Ford infamously declared that “the war on the car is over,” and vowed to halt the city’s expansion of bike lanes, transit, and anything that inconvenienced motorists even slightly.
Fifteen years later, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has resumed this family crusade against bike lanes. In July 2025, the advocacy group Cycle Toronto won a historic legal challenge that blocked the province from ripping out 19 kilometres of bike lanes (including along Bloor Street outside the Hot Docs Cinema). Internal government documents released through the court case show the province was aware that the removal of bike lanes would not have a meaningful impact on congestion and would increase collisions for everyone on the roads, including cyclists, pedestrians and drivers.
Heralded as a world-changing invention, automobiles promised a dream of freedom and independence. Instead of unbounded freedom, the never-ending proliferation of automobiles has delivered a host of costs, among them the demolition of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities to make way for car infrastructure; an epidemic of violent death; countless hours lost in traffic; isolation from our fellow human beings; and the ongoing destruction of the natural world. Toronto is not unique among major North American cities, but it has often served as a prescient case study in the ongoing challenge of rebalancing streets for people.
Stay tuned for special guests joining Doug and Sarah.
Copies of Life After Cars are available to purchase with your ticket order, to be picked up at the event.