Nobody Drives in LA

Kyle and Eric are joined at the Koreatown Media Lab by DSA-LA co-chair, Leslie Chang. Chang and the gang wind and weave through political strategy, current ballot propositions, under-reported, housing, and more. Of course, at the intersection of everything, is transit. 

DSA-LA's 2026 General Election Voter's Guide

DSA-LA's website

DSA-LA's Climate Justice Committee

Leslie's IG

Jiyoung's endorsement aggregation

Support our Patreon!

The LA Mayor's race is getting a lot of attention right now, so we wanted to show some intel on races from smaller cities in the LA region.

We had friends of the pod close to these races submit comments so you can hear about these elections from people who are personally invested.

Be sure to check out friend-of-the-pod parkolate's progressive voting guide aggregation sheet and of course DSA-LA's mega-thorough election guide.

Special thanks to Burbank city council candidate Eddy Polon, Culver City vice mayor Bubba Fish, West Hollywood city council candidate Helen Krieger, Alhambra Urbanists co-chair Alborz Mohtashami, and DSA-LA member & Democrats of Pasadena Foothills ' endorsements coordinator.

Eric and Ivy head to the East Los Angeles Library to chat with Janeth Estevez and John Perry, creators of the transit-focused travel guide, Transiting Los Angeles. The group plunges into a deeply nerd-level exploration of transit history (ancient, recent, and personal) and busts a few transit myths along the way.

https://www.instagram.com/transitingla?vrfl=bnNiN2xnMHlzYXpm

https://youtube.com/@transitingla?si=HwSjjY7R_diTMHV0

https://www.patreon.com/cw/transitinglosangeles/posts?l=en-GB

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TransitingLA?dd_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Ftransitinglosangeles.com%2F

https://dsa-la.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/DSA-LA-2026-GENERAL-Voter-Guide.pdf

https://www.streetsforall.org/initiatives/2026-voter-guide

https://youtu.be/7WMgp3K5Vqc?si=qZ74xI9fLkHdyEQT

The Nobody Drives in LA crew rolls over to the people's palace – Los Angeles City Hall – to chat with Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez about his participation in this year's Week Without Driving. The annual challenge asks participants to hang up their keys for a week to experience the unique challenges and challenges familiar to the roughly one-third of Angelenos who are car-free.

Soto-Martínez represents District 13, an expansive 40.5 square miles encompassing parts of Los Angeles's Hollywood, Northeast, Mideast, and Midtown regions – and home to more than a quarter million residents. Along the way, the conversation also covers his upbringing in South Central, including the role bikes and buses played in his family's journey.

Sign up for cd13's weekly newsletter at  bit.ly/cd13news

Follow Hugo's week without driving at @hugoforcd13

https://weekwithoutdriving.org

Video version of this podcast on Spotify & Youtube!

"this ep is the same length as going to santa monica on the E line unless a car hits ur train at expo western"

The Nobody Drives in LA crew convenes at the Koreatown Media Lab to chat with car-free multi-hyphenate Angelenx artist Sam Cavalcanti. Sam is here to promote CityRace Urban Adventures — a series of competitive, neighborhood-specific scavenger hunts inspired by The Amazing Race, but without the cars, running, or dramatic musical score.

Along the way, Sam shares stories from their upbringing in Brazil, where instead of racing to get a driver's license, they set their sights on the bright lights of Los Angeles to pursue the ultimate car-free dream.

@500sam

@escaperoomla 

City Race LA Upcoming Events

Use code NOBODYDRIVES for 20% off escape rooms!

Ivy and Eric head over to Traxx bar, located in Union Station’s former telephone room, to chat with Greg Ghielmetti. Greg is the artist behind Metti Mart, which produces posters, trading cards, and other art objects designed to celebrate Los Angeles’s diversity and transit.

Tune in to enjoy the conversation about Greg's journey from carbrain to train fan and to soak in the sonic ambiance of the city's bustling transit hub.

Metti Mart's Online Shop

Metti Mart's IG

Support Us on Patreon

What’s it like navigating Los Angeles if you’re legally blind and dependent on mass transit and ride-hailing?

The Nobody Drives in LA crew is joined at the Koreatown Media Lab to chat with Tamra Brown. Tamra is a comedian and writer who recently debuted her solo show, Bus People, at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Lest you get the idea that a comedy show about bus riders is just going to punch down, Tamra's show is funny, sensitive, and arms listeners with arguments against the city’s many rabid and unhinged transit-haters.

Tamra's IG

@selahnhc

NDLA's Patreon

The Nobody Drives in LA crew join Burbank City Council candidate Eddy Polon at the Burbank Public Library. Polon is a Burbank Transportation Commissioner, the President of Strong Towns Burbank, and co-owned Valley Village‘s Continental Kosher Bakery. After he was doored and seriously injured on Burbank Boulevard, he decided to dedicate himself to making Burbank’s streets safer. Polon also has a deep knowledge of Burbank history and urbanism — so who better to discuss the current legal battle between Metro and Burbank over that former’s BRT line, which will connect the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys via BRT.

Strongtowns Burbank IG

Attend Strongtowns Burbank's BB city council meeting sit in on 06.30

Eddy's Campaign Website⁠

Eddy's Research

Eddy's IG

⁠Support us on Patreon

Now Arriving: D-Line Phase 1 Extension, Contactless Tap-to-pay

2028: LA River Bike Path, Noho-Pasadena BRT

Any Day Now: LAX People Move...HAAAA!

Support us on Patreon

Most of the time, the car-free commutes of Angelenos are without serious issues. We (safely) reply to emails, read, enjoy a cinematic view of the city, and spare not a thought for parking or measuring how long our commutes took. In the spirit of honesty, we also endeavor not to sugarcoat the experience—which we constantly advocate for improving. 

In this transit therapy session, Kyle, Ivy, and Eric gather at the Koreatown Media Lab for a lighthearted, fun "gripe session" based on some recent, extraordinary hiccups in our car-free and car-lite lives. Improving mass and active transit means being honest, rolling with the punches, and occasionally letting off steam. Tune in as we air out our recent transit grievances, laugh at bumps in the road, and discuss what it really takes to make getting around Los Angeles better for everyone.

Friend of the pod Jiyoung's voters' guide guide