- Charging restaurant as high as $24k annually ($20/sq ft) - Disallowing full enclosure (for cold/bad weather) - Onerous setback reqs from alleys, trees, etc The net effect does feel pretty hostile to streateries. Which is a shame - they're a wonderful, active, and highly social use of public ROW

I think Kaine genuinely cares about the people getting hurt...but saying "everybody will see" is such a pitch perfect example of why Dems keep flailing and failing No, in this media environment, in this political moment, not everybody will see. In fact, few will see, and even fewer will care

Not saying they can do it (definitely seems implausible)...but 186 miles of metro construction in less than 15 years would be incredible, to say the least Here in Maryland, we're crossing our fingers that a mere 16 miles of (light rail) Purple Line construction will actually finish by year 10

If you care about tree conservation, you should be a passionate supporter of eliminating parking mandates (also...that is a cute, affordable triplex. Portland's various housing reforms continue to bring the goods)

Exactly the wrong kind of party leadership at the worst possible moment

Kyle Kingsbury is not a journalist. He is not an op-ed writer. He is a computer safety researcher. And he has written one of the most compelling, comprehensive accounts of the ongoing hell in Chicago that you could possibly imagine. In under 1600 words. aphyr.com/posts/397-i-...

Only in Portland: Benson Boone surprising kids on their ride home with the Bike Bus before his concert. Pure joy. #BikeBus #BensonBoone

"Zohran Mamdani will be the first mayor of New York City in decades not to own a car" Will be exciting to see if he can implement his vision to pedestrianize areas in the congestion pricing zone and dedicate entire streets as combo busways + active transportation

🙌

This is a great example of why good things take forever The desire to deliver fast improvements *in no way* precludes a DOT from evaluating a full suite of treatment options, grouping them into tiers of costs/complexity/benefits, and then proposing a phased program in sync with capital budgets

Don't know what justice will look like when we reach the other side of this. But I'm still confident it will come And the eagerness of those involved - indeed the outright pleasure they show at causing suffering and pain - will be on full display and impossible for them to hide from

Violently ripping a caretaker away from young kids at one of their most vulnerable times of life I get why these assholes wear masks, and it has nothing to do with personal safety. Because if their families - or even their own kids, if they have them - witnessed them doing this bullshit...

What a future we could have if more of our prominent leaders, and cultural influencers, use (and love) public transportation

Wow, big night for Dems across the country. Let's see how the major news orgs are framing it at the top of their homepage! WaPo - "Dems' big night ... a rebuke" CNN - "Dem sweep as voters send a message" CBS (yes, even them) - "Dem sweep" ... NYT - "Trump Tariffs! High-Stakes at SCOTUS!" lol

Congrats to Baltimore on passing a great package of housing reforms: ➡️no off street parking requirements ➡️single stair construction up to 6 stories (!) ➡️reduced setbacks for more flexibility

Essential research shows that particulate pollution—generated from motor fuels exhaust, tire wear, wildfires, factories, etc—is associated with dementia. More evidence that it is in the interest of public health to reduce pollution. (Gift link)

"...while increasing the maximum allowable residential density alone is not sufficient to promote racial inclusion, building housing is"

you know how i keep saying single stair buildings are workhorse of walkable urbanism the world over? here are 174 homes on a 2.2 acre block in seattle. (16) 4-5 story single stair buildings. what do you think FAR is? what about lot coverage? unit distribution?

Sometimes the details w/r/t traffic control matter a great deal Case in point, a stop sign at a crosswalk with a high volume of student-age pedestrians (or anywhere, to be honest) should not be located in a position where cars will be prompted to literally stop *in* the crosswalk

I'm fortunate to live in a neighborhood with an incredible diversity of backgrounds & languages. It's one of the reasons we wanted to move here But our VP is saying that no, it's actually normal & right for ppl to be racist, reactionary, distrustful, and segregationist Nope, GTFO with that garbage

Yes, and... You'll notice that the NYT's both sides "but" usually tees up RW talking points. Imagine if, instead, they reversed it: "Critics say that [blah blah], but supporters claim his degree laid a foundation for his campaign message that is resonating with New Yorkers" Very different effect!

On the one hand, it's beyond weird to see the *US DOT leader* obsessively disparage probably the best system of public infrastructure in the US, the envy of all other US cities (and much of the world!) On the other hand...culture war is literally the only thing they know and care about

Similarly, I rode this newest section of the MBT last weekend. And while it's the realization of a long-held dream, vastly improving connectivity & safety... Gotta say, the surface quality is not great in places. Uneven, some bumpiness, just not a smooth ride. Not what you'd expect from a new trail

An interesting investigation in @upshot.nytimes.com today evaluating some of the challenges to improving buses in NYC—whether through speed or fares www.nytimes.com/interactive/... (gift link!) Interesting tidbit: Bus ridership is basically back to pre-pandemic levels—but fare payment is way down.

Not sure what it will take for our most prestigious media institutions to end their addiction to "both sides" coverage. And honestly, I'm not sure I want to find out

They have arrived

Excited to see that there's a new agrivoltaics research site on a farm in NoVa, testing the yield of a variety of vegetable crops underneath and around solar panels It hopes to demonstrate how small and medium farms can integrate agrivoltaics into their existing operations @virginiamercury.com

At the risk of opening up old wounds... Anyone on here (like @benrosstransit.bsky.social 🙂) know if @purplelinemd.bsky.social ever considered an automated metro approach instead of conventional light rail?

This story is the kind of reporting that brought me to The Banner. When @kris10griffith.bsky.social and I found out we were both interested in the efficacy of inspector general oversight of school systems, it was a dream collaboration. Check it out: www.thebanner.com/education/k-...

Cargo e-bikes can be car replacement, and it's wonderful to experience the freedom they provide It's even more wonderful to hear the joy in your kid's voice as they ride with and sing their fave song to the neighborhood. And the smile on neighbors' faces ain't bad either

The American centrist punditocracy has decided that what the US transit industry needs are endless lectures about the importance of security. These writers misunderstand the problem, and are making things worse. 1/ www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archiv...

It's far, far easier to criticize transit than propose solutions The former requires nothing other than a pen and a publisher The latter requires expertise (public finance in particular), an understanding of operational trade-offs, and perhaps mostly importantly, humility

Many ppl on the right, for years: You can't call people racist because you don't know what's in their heart! Young republicans, all over the country on a Telegram chat: Literally putting a ❤️ on racist (and misogynistic, and fascist, and antisemitic) messages

yo! we are looking for housers - especially with experience in passivhaus.

This piece (unintentionally) showcases a couple problems that @betterdcregion.bsky.social + others have highlighted - No active consideration of alternative projects (transit, decongestion pricing) - Says the bridge has room for more lanes (but doesn't note it was engineered to support Metro)

CSG sent an email alert end of last week (which for some reason doesn't seem to have made it to the website) to email certain TPB reps before Wednesday's meeting. My message to DC's reps @cmcharlesallen.bsky.social and @cmfrumin.bsky.social: jski.net/posts/csg-tp...

For those following the slow drip of DC regional transportation planning, there's a big vote looming The Transportation Planning Board will decide whether to include a new highway expansion - 11 miles of 4 new toll lanes from VA to MD over the Woodrow Wilson bridge - in Visualize 2050 (small 🧵)

Yes and please And thank you 🙌

Portland's leaders & residents are doing a great job revealing the absurdity of the fed govt's alternate reality The last thing @councilormorillo.bsky.social said here is 💯. The admin is filled w/ truly frightened people, whether it's fear of trump, other Americans, immigrants, cities, on and on

five months after a driver hit me and my dog, MCDOT has again refused to install a stop sign at the intersection, calling it “unwarranted.” they will build a crosswalk, which should already have been there! it took a month to get this response. i am furious and, frankly, defeated

He is quite good at this

I am heartbroken for the families and the community at Earle B. Wood Middle school. As a parent this is an unimaginable tragedy, a nightmare. My deepest condolences to the family and friends of the little girl. I am in touch with MCPS, MCPD, and MCDOT to get information as it is available.

One thing I absolutely love about riding a cargo bike around, is how often people will stop to talk to you about it. Especially if it's outfitted with lots of kid gear and associated stickers 😂 So many people are interested in accessible, non-car ways of getting around. It gives me so much hope

More of this. No part of these deployments and assaults on US cities should go unchallenged, and the larger the coalition pushing back, the better

National Guard troops should not be deployed for political purposes. These deployments are about power, not public safety, and they threaten every state’s ability to govern itself and protect its people. Read more: oag.maryland.gov/News/Documen...

One thing you'll notice if you follow the good folks at @actfortransit.bsky.social long enough (or in this case...just 5 months), is that problem intersections always come back for a sequel Another thing you'll notice is just how many problem intersections are absolutely huge, complicated, or both

ICE is not only chasing down every random brown person in Chicago, they have a cameraman following them to film this for social media. Cruelty and inhumanity as content.

What an unforgettable afternoon with #BensonBoone on the #BikeBus! The energy, the smiles, and the singing made it a ride we'll never forget.

This horrible story captures the street safety paradox Requests are ignored or given lip service...until a tragedy creates public pressure that DOTs can't escape Advocates will then ask for similar improvements elsewhere...to which DOTs will say, actually *this* street is different (for...reasons)