Great to see the work @davidwelton.bsky.social and @bendyimby.bsky.social have been doing for a while to get more small-scale commercial into neighborhoods be recognized in the Bulletin as a solution to a common criticism for how communities are developed.

City Council heard from a crossing guard at Bear Creek Elementary that in 2020 he saw an 15 kids on avg walking or biking to school. Today they are up to 75 and talking about needing a bigger bike rack. Every one of those kids arrives more ready to learn. This is what progress looks like!

Next meetup: Ian and @jheylin.bsky.social just got back from @yimbytown.bsky.social in New Haven, and are going to lead a discussion about what they learned, who they met and what's happening in other places. Should be really interesting! September 24, 5:30 PM on, Wildwood Bar and Grill

I also recommend these monthly recaps by City Council that are equally as important and brief. This one featuring everyone's favorite @amendez.bsky.social youtu.be/NAZfZRayvOY

These weekly Q&A's with @melaniekebler.bsky.social and @ktvznews.bsky.social are incredibly important. They are short, topical, and always provide new information like the city's housing dashboard that I just learned existed. Video: youtu.be/0NwSLxE5t78 Dashboard: housingdata.bendoregon.gov

This is awesome. $1,800 covers 50%+ of the cost of an ebike. The $2,500 Oregon EV credit covers ~0.5% of the cost of a car. EVs are better than gas but promoting human scale design and more financially sensible transportation options are better than cars. Not a government program, but it could be.

When will Bend get its first tram or streetcar? Here’s when other U.S. cities launched their first electric routes and their then populations: Phoenix - 1893 - 5,500 LA - 1885 - 11,183 Miami - 1920 - 29,571 Houston - 1895 - 35,000 Portland - 1889 - 46,385 Denver - 1886 - 90,000 Bend: 106,926

Why bikes? Why slower speeds? Why not just add lanes everywhere? This is it👇🏻 Bend is 2/3 of the way to a full 12 months without a single fatality on a public roadway. Just two years ago we had 7. Zero is the goal.

Here are the highlights of the current North–South Bend Bikeway. Documenting now for historical context as this list will grow as the project nears completion in 2026. More info: www.bendoregon.gov/services/cit...

I rode the proposed North–South Bend Bikeway to assess its current state. These notes focus on existing gaps that planned projects will address before the 2026 completion. Documenting now for historical context. See here for more information on the project www.bendoregon.gov/services/cit...

My girlfriend always liked the idea of biking, but never felt safe using it to get around until recently. Thanks to new infrastructure like: • Separated bike lane on 2nd • Dutch-style intersections • Double-line bike lanes the network is getting more accessible to a wider range of people.

Closing just one street to cars transforms downtown - it becomes quieter, safer, and more vibrant. Imagine if the whole core were built for people, not traffic. We should invest in ways to get folks to and fro without needing a car with better transit, safer bike routes, and walkable connections.

Huge improvements to the Olney and Wall St intersection! - Better bike visibility - Bump outs - Protected lanes - Bike box and aware lights Night and day difference for cyclists and pedestrians. The slip lane remains, but even that is handled with care with sidewalk separation and markings.

Great to see Bend-La Pine School District has a full-time Active Transportation Coordinator! Their work supports walking, biking, and rolling to school, giving kids the freedom to get where they need to go without needing a car. This can only be done with safe, efficient pedestrian networks.

The irony - a sign telling drivers to watch for pedestrians was run over.

Oregon is so far off of its transportation safety targets. Total fatalities have increased 90% from 292 in 2013 to 554 in 2022. NINETY PERCENT!!! We must radically prioritize safety by changing the way we fund our transportation system. 🧵

Some neighborhoods have it all 🤩

My name is Austin Mazzolini and I am excited to announce I am running for the Bend Parks and Recreation District! Bend is changing quickly, and I am committed to help in every way to support the city's sustainable growth. BPRD is in a prime position to contribute to this growth through: 1/6

Ever wonder what your Parks and Rec tax dollars are going to? It's a lot: - 40+ planned projects in the next 4 years - New first of its kind accessible water ramps for the river - New parks in the west, east, and south - Largest provider of after school child care And a whole lot more!

For the same amount of space a street takes, you could have a park or trail for people. I bet the homeowners prefer the park.

Rock frog 🐸

Bend showed up big today. Streets packed, voices raised. This town cares, and it's not backing down. #handsoff

I’m on a mission to bike every single street in Bend. Just finished the Old Farm District - 15% of the city done. Here are some thoughts from the ride 🧵

Bend is in the final 4! Make sure to vote for it as the Strongest Town. Voting closes tomorrow at 10am www.strongesttown.com

Oregon is looking to cut public transit to boost ODOT’s $3B/year road budget. ODOT: $3B/yr → wants $1.8B more Transit: $297M/yr → wants $177M more Public transit delivers more value per dollar. In tough times, we should prioritize transit spend: better for people, the planet, and the wallet.

The difference between good and bad (re: lazy) neighbourhood greenways can be pretty stark

New book day! Looking forward to it @jonathanmbach.bsky.social

More neighborhood streets should be designed like alleys: narrow, slow, and shared. The tighter space and elevated ingress naturally calm traffic, making it safe for people and cars to coexist without needing sidewalks. You lose some parking, but gain a more human-scale street.

Today I learned the Shire is in Bend. That's pretty neat.

We should build more housing near the places people already want to go. Eagle Landing is a 136-unit apartment complex just a 5-minute walk from a grocery store. That’s smart infill. Building around commercial means we’re building where people already are.

Nothing fixes a bad day like a bike ride

Hate to see the free fare go, but extended service hours is a win. For historical context, here is the fare rate for 2020. $30/month isn't free, but it is still a lot cheaper than owning a car. Plus all buses have bike racks to make getting around the city a breeze.

Be sure to vote for Bend, Oregon in this latest round of the @strongtowns.org "Strongest Town" contest www.strongesttown.com

Up to 2k followers all of a sudden so, hi! I love my hometown of Bend and I'm so privileged to be serving as our Mayor. I'm working on: Housing affordability Safe transportation options Smart urban planning Effective public safety Climate action and resiliency Call me a YIMBY, I don't mind 🏘️😎

This is an awesome use of a fire gate. It's on an arterial road and blocks cut through traffic from bypassing the nearby roundabout. It keeps the neighborhood low speed, allows easy access to firefighters, and acts like a modal filter. Same tool, different implementation.

Did you know that in January of 2023, Bend was one of the first cities in Oregon to eliminate parking minimums from our code? Go give us your vote at strongesttown.com !

Bend has neighborhood accessible trains. Right now, it's just freight, but hopefully passenger service someday! 🤞

These fire gates stop cut-through traffic, which can make sense as cars are dangerous. But why block sidewalks too? Two kids could live 200 ft apart yet have to walk 15 minutes to meet. We should build to connect people and places, not separate them. Public roads should not block pedestrians.

Great to see the city prioritizing safe streets by focusing on pedestrian and biking infrastructure! This is a short read, but is full of exciting plans for the future of Bend. bend.granicus.com/MetaViewer.p...

Just 9% fewer cars led to 20% - 50% faster commutes. It is an expensive and fruitless mistake to prioritize more driving when less driving overall is better for everyone!

The Ponderosa development project is a huge win for the city's goals of increasing housing supply, making housing more affordable, and incorporating smart density with neighborhood commercial spaces. Plus, road and traffic upgrades are a bonus. Excited to see what comes next!

Garmisch, a ski resort mountain town of ~25k, has mixed-use housing, pedestrian-only city centers, and a road network with wide arterials + narrow safe neighborhood streets. A vibrant Bend isn’t a dream, it’s a proven model. Bend isn't Garmisch, but we can leverage what works to guide development.

Leadership is like riding a bike—it's all about balance, direction, and momentum. Anyone can ride, and anyone can lead, creating positive change from local streets to the national stage. #PresidentsDay

Which is better, bike paths on roads or sidewalks? Retrofitting roads is cheaper, but dedicated sidewalk paths separate bikes from cars, can narrow traffic lanes, and make pedestrian spaces better. For new builds, sidewalks are more cost-effective and don't need a “protected vs. unprotected” debate.

Slip lanes are designed for drivers to turn right without stopping, keeping their focus looking left for oncoming traffic. The problem? They discourage checking for pedestrians and make crosswalks longer. Less convenient and more dangerous for pedestrians.

The downtown core spans ~936,000 sq ft, with 37% (346,000 sq ft) dedicated solely to cars. Meanwhile, Old Mill covers ~2,612,000 sq ft, with 43% (1,117,000 sq ft) used for cars—enough to fit all of downtown. Imagine the homes, shops, and public spaces we could have instead.

Ever wonder what these mini roundabouts are for? They’re not just for looks—they’re traffic calming tools designed to slow drivers down naturally, without relying on signs. By adding a visual and physical cue, they make streets safer, more beautiful, and keep drivers alert. Like a better speed bump.

Modal filterters are transforming Bend’s streets. They make crossing streets safer and faster for pedestrians/bikers, while preventing cars from turning left into neighborhoods which stops traffic. By investing in these, Bend is turning dangerous intersections into safer, more efficient crossings.

Inspired by a recent post by @amendez.bsky.social, I made a similar bot to Every Lot Chicago featuring everyone's favorite mountain town. It'll post once a day at 8am and can be found at @bend-streetview.bsky.social