🚙 Transportation is the largest source of climate pollution in the US 📜 This year's Surface Transportation Reauthorization is one of the biggest climate bills before Congress 👇 Evergreen Collaborative just modeled 4 key risks and opportunities for sustainable transportation

Safe, reliable public transit doesn’t just help people travel, it helps communities thrive. This week, Governor Pritzker and Illinois leaders are steering the state to a cleaner, more affordable future.

Driving costs are at an all time high and traffic is polluting communities, so Illinois is investing in a better future for Chicagoland. The new transportation law will help communities stay connected and save families money.

Thanks to the Illinois’ massive investment in transit, Chicago has a bright transit future, with the dawn coming next year: —50% increase in every-10-min bus routes to 30 citywide —8-minute midday headways on rail lines —24-hour Orange Line service (Red & Blue already have it)

I am strongly in favor of this change. Over 15 years ago, 5-year old Zachary was killed at this intersection. We have known for years that this is dangerous, and it's past time that we do something about it. Thank you for your leadership on pedestrian safety, @markhumbert.bsky.social.

First edition coming tomorrow! Not too late to subscribe and get it in your inbox!

Given this week's climate backsliding from California's elected leadership—reneging on $750M transit funding and cutting checks to oil companies—I'm reminded that other states have instead taxed oil production to fund transit. Read about the Colorado way here: www.nrdc.org/bio/alana-mi...

Grateful and excited for this new analysis from @cplusc.bsky.social, and love their opportunity cost frame -- what do we lose every time our state leaders greenlight $1 billion for the next wasteful highway project?

Hey! COME WORK HERE Job: Illinois State Lead – Save transit, Build clean energy Team: BEST TEAM IN CLIMATE POLITICS AND POLICY - @michealpodgers.bsky.social @spears.bsky.social and the rest of us at @climateaf.bsky.social Location: Remote but in Illinois Pay: $85-105k Deadline: SOON! August 4!

Five seconds?! I mean, good to know I guess—but also no wonder everyone is confused about why their card isn't working

California residents: call your rep! 👇👇👇 www.movecalifornia.org/state-funding

Amazing news for clean, safe, affordable transportation in California. Two of the most effective orgs in the space joining forces. Truly love to see it!! Congrats to all involved.

Thermostatic public opinion in action - increases in the share of Americans who say government should do more to solve problems and diversity enriches American culture

What's better than the instantaneous camaraderie around the awkwardness of sharing an extremely full train during rush hour? Uncomfortable physical proximity, empathy in the [relatively low stakes] suffering, extremely space efficient low-carbon travel. It's got it all

For better and sometimes worse, state legislatures and transportation departments are behind the wheel of the electric bus that runs to a clean transportation future. We looked at how they're doing -- more from @carterrubin.com and our colleague Samantha Henningson here: www.nrdc.org/bio/samantha...

New Boiling Point podcast! This week my guest is NRDC's @carterrubin.com. We talk public transit, housing and California's opportunity to build climate-friendly cities — and why it's been so hard to overcome the political obstacles to doing so. Listen in: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...

Golden age of American manufacturing 🤝 recreational pickleball in 2025

CA should use all the tools at its disposal—including more of its discretionary state and federal dollars—to get HSR back on track. Call the Trump admin's bluff by majorly outperforming everyone's extremely low expectations and making this critical project happen ASAP. ktla.com/news/califor...

What if CEQA applied to local zoning codes and then zoning- compliant developments were exempt? Green and brownfield projects still had to do CEQA, maybe infill projects of a certain size regardless of zoning compliance. Would also save countless hours of city council meeting time. Is this something

At a cafe, overheard someone recounting the most delightful and wholesome experience of rediscovering public transit (and walking) after being encouraged by their son to try electrified Caltrain. Ran a fun errand, drank a beer with lunch, avoided driving in the rain, ran into a friend. So sweet

Incredible news! The Trump administration's under 19 trans care ban has been BLOCKED in federal court via a bench temporary restraining order. The administration CANNOT withhold funds from hospitals providing trans youth care. ACLU statement here:

Legend. Leaves behind an incredible legacy!

Important insights rom Adele Gedig at the Center for Neighborhood Technology -- CNT has been at the forefront of understanding the role of compensation as a critical pillar of effective public engagement in transportation planning and policy-making: cnt.org/stories/why-...

extremely cool job at CARB analyzing transportation information to help us meet our climate goals. Application due by 1/20 calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/...

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We have a long road ahead, but it’s important to look at what we’ve accomplished together this past year. 🧵👇

Thank you @sammyroth.bsky.social for this beautiful interview! What a gift to receive in my email this morning, and so much for all of us to learn from John Francis' wisdom and perspective -- excited to watch the doc.

❗❗❗ State transportation advocates have a new superpower, thanks to @kmc39.bsky.social and Emmett Hopkins at @cplusc.bsky.social. Spend some time with it and start putting it to work to shine a light on how your state is allocating (and perhaps, misallocating) your federal transportation dollars 👇👇👇

Gross health department overreach. Free Absolute Bagels!!! www.nytimes.com/2024/12/12/n...

Great list, especially for folks interested in tracking LA and NYC goings-on!!

This! And also this but for speeding high-quality public transit construction and raising the bar for highway capacity projects? www.canarymedia.com/articles/pol...

Is anyone selling "I survived the 2024 Tsunami" swag yet

Lots of opportunity for I Told You So takes here (and fair enough), but let's also celebrate the upshot here, which is govt leaders learning the right lesson: focus first on delivering on fundamentals, and using the right tools for the right jobs in advancing the public interest.

This is a wonderful thread. I’ll add that one more thing Japan/Tokyo does well is they rebuild much more frequently than US cities. The average lifespan of buildings there is 30-40 years. In NYC, for instance, the average age for buildings is 90 years or more. amp.theguardian.com/cities/2017/...

Here's the video from my talk & chat with @bfurnas.bsky.social at Cornell. I'm grateful for the chance to do it. It was 2 days after the election, & I remade the talk the night before to reflect a new landscape. I also lost my voice in the chat, but I showed a Darth post. 💡🔌 youtu.be/09wgOfvwZGw?...

The talk will eventually be on Youtube, but here's one for @juicysteak117.gay & @brooklynspoke.bsky.social. The simple act of being out on the street on a bike, where you're at considerable risk of injury or death, is a radical act of decarbonization. Every rider another constituent for a bike lane.

Curious about “flex” funding for transit? Join @gnd-network.bsky.social for a virtual training at 4pm ET today to learn how states can move money they *already have* to fund transit now. us02web.zoom.us/j/88604234068

This was fun. My most liked/retweeted post from Twitter was dunking on the Mayor by pointing out that buses are objectively more important than ferries, which receive a way bigger per-rider subsidy and less attention. (and also, to be fair, the NYC ferries are truly a delight)

So routinely humbled and inspired by dedicated, thoughtful transportation advocates. Shout out to some of those advocates in Los Angeles, who have spent years to this week get the City to end a niche but pernicious "spot widening" practice. Beautiful progress on a small piece of a big puzzle!

Here's my colleague @rabiabonour.bsky.social on the importance of mobilizing existing road maintenance dollars for greener streets -- in many cases just as important as prioritizing new capital project funding for clean transportation infrastructure: www.nrdc.org/bio/rabi-abo...

New, mostly from my brilliant colleague Alana Miller (and very partially from me): Colorado becomes one of only three states* to adopt a statewide mode shift goal, continuing to model what state transportation leadership can look like. *The other two: Louisiana and the District of Columbia

The profound failure of American transportation leadership

Who all should I include in a “SF Bay Area Transit, Walk, & Roll” starter pack? I think I’ve already identified most of the people/orgs I already follow, but I’m sure there are plenty more. go.bsky.app/CCdA322

A book club but for the USDOT chapter of Project 2025

Who are the best city champions, city-builders, urbanists, advocates, urban leaders, smart urban media, city planners, architects, urban designers, builders, transportation experts, urban biking advocates, housing people, sustainability experts, climate scientists, etc? I’m building a starter pack.

Man goes to doctor. Says he's depressed. Doctor says, "Treatment is simple. Great clown Pagliacci is in town tonight. Go and see him. That should pick you up." Man bursts into tears of joy, realizes how much happiness he brings into the dark and uncertain world. "I am Pagliacci. Thank you doctor."