Challenging Car Culture Through Story and Systems Thinking

TEDx Ottawa: “Throwing Our Car Culture Under the Bus”

Role: Dan Hendry

Year: 2019

I’ve always believed that when we’re unhappy with our communities, we have three choices: we can leave, we can accept things as they are, or we can work to change them. For me, choosing change meant questioning North America’s deeply rooted car culture. In October 2019, I had the opportunity to share that journey on a national stage when I delivered a TEDx Ottawa talk at the National Arts Centre titled “Throwing Our Car Culture Under the Bus.”

The talk centred on the story behind what I often refer to as the “Kingston Model” how Kingston re‑thought youth transit and, in doing so, became a national leader in ridership growth. Preparing for TEDx Ottawa was an intensive and highly structured process. I applied alongside roughly 80 applicants and was selected as one of four speakers chosen to present. From there, I worked closely with a public‑speaking coach and spent months refining a ten‑minute narrative designed to be clear, human, and grounded in lived experience.

On stage, in front of an audience of approximately 800 people, I shared the history, data, and impact of Kingston’s youth transit programs—particularly the High School Transit Pass Program that I helped architect. The focus was not only on policy outcomes, but on systems thinking: how removing small but significant barriers, such as complex ID requirements or unfamiliarity with public transit, can fundamentally change behaviour at scale.

Photos Supplied by: Tedx Youtube Channel

A central theme of the talk was the idea of transit as an essential life skill. I drew on years of experience delivering hundreds of on‑bus transit orientation sessions for students, teaching practical details such as transit etiquette, safety, route planning, and even how to use bike racks. These moments may seem small, but they are often what determine whether young people feel confident navigating their city—or excluded from it.

Delivering a TEDx talk was a powerful learning experience in storytelling, narrative structure, and public communication. It reinforced for me that data alone rarely drives change stories do. When we humanize systems and centre the experiences of the people affected by policy decisions, complex ideas become accessible and motivating.

Photos Supplied by: Tedx Youtube Channel

The most important lesson I took from this experience is that transformational change does not always require new technology or massive funding. More often, it requires trust, collaboration, and a willingness to rethink assumptions. Transportation remains a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, but by investing in youth and making better use of existing infrastructure, Kingston demonstrated how quickly culture can shift. Standing on that stage and sharing that story was both humbling and affirming a reminder that local change, when communicated well, can ripple far beyond city limits.

Related Links & Media: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoQE_Tu0gTg