by Andy Boenau

Todd Drezner is a New Yorker who wants to create a documentary for anyone who’s ever been stuck in traffic.

So I’m going to make the educated guess that if you’re listening to this show, this documentary is for you.

But here’s the catch. Todd needs help. He launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds, and by the time you listen to this broadcast, you won’t have much time to help. The crowd-funding effort ends on Thursday, February 20, 2014.

If you’re reading this message close the 20th, click here to visit the Kickstarter page!

Who is Todd Drezner?

Todd talks about his background and what led him to the topic of traffic. Specifically, people being stuck in traffic. I wondered if he was a traffic engineer with a video camera or a filmmaker on a new quest.

A documentary about what?!

You’d think traffic engineering would be a conversation killer at parties. (Actually, you’d be right. It’s what I turn the conversation to if I’m looking to make an exit.)

Why would Todd want to make a film about people being stuck in traffic?

This isn’t a documentary about traffic. It’s a documentary about people.

Instead of putting words into Todd’s mouth, I’ll share a quote from him:

…we changed the definition of a street–from a place where people gathered to meet and conduct business, to a means to get a car from one place to another. That change paved the way (sometimes literally) for the car’s dominance over most of the 20th century.

Now, though, a group of advocates and urban designers is trying to change that. They’re working to reclaim streets as places for people rather than just pathways for cars.

Todd has already been researching the history of streets. He’s read Peter Norton’s excellent book, Fighting Traffic (click here for Amazon affiliate link), and will likely begin the film with a look back in time.

Todd is hoping to continue collecting stories from interesting people about compelling stories. The crowd-funding will help him visit more cities around the country.