Rush Hour

Traffic. It’s not only frustrating, it’s hurting the planet.

Emissions from cars, buses, trucks and planes are one of the leading causes of pollution in North America. Today there are more cars clogging the roads than ever before. In Rush Hour, learn how traffic got so bad and some of the innovative ways it’s being managed around the world. Discover what technological advances like talking cars and electric buses will mean for the future of traffic. Even though they can’t drive yet, kids need to take control of the wheel. From walking to school, to carpooling with friends or petitioning the government, the next generation of drivers has to think differently about traffic and understand what they can do now to help protect the environment. And it starts with changing our habits, one less car ride at a time.

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News & Interviews

  • Rush Hour just won a Blueberry Changemaker Award. This is a national literature award for the best nature and climate change book for kids. It’s going to be announced tonight, 3/23/23.

Reviews of Rush Hour

  • “Silver’s short history of traffic in North America begins with canoes, followed by horses and buggies and ultimately the automobile in the early 20th century. Innovative assembly lines made for efficient construction of cars, and, as the numbers of vehicles increased, the need to direct and control traffic grew in importance. Drawing on examples from around the world, but with particular attention to North America, Silver notes that “Toronto made history in 1963 by becoming the first city in the world to use a computerized traffic-management system.”
    Canadian Review of Materials, February 4, 2022