Top recent posts by Active Transportation Advocates on Bluesky

“It's not my duty as Mayor to make sure you have a parking spot. For me it's the same as if you bought a cow, or a refrigerator, and then asked me where you're going to put them.” — Mayor of Pontevedra, Spain (re-elected 6 times)

Every other “reporter” in that room that doesn’t walk out immediately when Trump does this should never be seen as professional or credible again. I’d say they should be ashamed of themselves, but appropriate shame seems to be one of the casualties of the Trump era in the United States.

Bezos spent $75m on the melania documentary (which is unlikely to make 25% of that back in ticket sales) at the same time he is destroying the Washington post. It is remarkable just how pathetic our billionaire class is

Please watch and share this. Boycotts, resistance, protests work. In the United States, and Canada too.

It's fascinating that medics are making the effort to switch to anaesthetics with less greenhouse effect while people are driving alone in SUVs

"Couple excited to move to the big city and experience the exact same retailers as their current suburb but in cute buildings."

The War on Cars, welcome to Toronto! We are so excited to be in the city that inspired the podcast's title. We’ll see you at our LIFE AFTER CARS show on Thursday, Feb 5th, hosted by @cycletoronto.bsky.social. Who knows? Maybe we can convince Doug Ford to come. boxoffice.hotdocs.ca/websales/pag...

What's actually unfair: 🔹 Drivers gambling with other people's lives when they floor it and hope they don't get caught 🔹 Police deciding whether to issue a ticket to speeders they pull over Speed cameras are a solution — not a problem.

"Man who really doesn't even bike too often thrilled at the opportunity to defend the behaviour of every cyclist in every city for all of time."

I don't think the average Californian fully appreciates how bad this situation has become. We're essentially sitting on a ticking time bomb.

Seattle's current plans call for this...abomination...at the south end of the Ballard Bridge but Rep. Julia Reed, with input from Councilmember Strauss, just submitted a state transportation budget request to signalize the intersection.

the defector model is the only way out sorry

Trump is still lying to US citizens and businesses about how tariffs work and who pays for them (they work like taxes and are paid by US purchasers). And US media are still largely letting him get away with that dumb, obvious lie.

Toronto needs to grow a spine and do something to get cars off the shuttle bus routes during subway closures

“How do you plan and design a city that is safe and functional while also leaving room for spontaneity and serendipity?” www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...

I’m in Redmond, Washington checking out what might become the first *legal* shared street in the nation.

CITY BOOKS: 10 recent great books on cities and city-building, added already in this thread to our #UrbanismBookClub! Check them out, and keep checking the list over time as I keep adding more until I get to 100!

I only knew these 3 for an hour but they’ll be with me forever.

Panelists at a recent Tacoma On the Go event laid out ways that the Grit City could break car dependence and become a city of walkable 15-minute neighborhoods. Story: www.theurbanist.org/2026/02/03/b...

They aren’t professional law-enforcement. They’re thugs and domestic terrorists.

I get prickly if I go too long without making a countdown video. So, Tuesday enjoyment for the Nebulized: nebula.tv/videos/cityn...

The article is about burdensome regulations on apartments (zoning, building code) vs SFH. And so far the replies are complaints about privacy, renting, not having a garden. As if those personal experiences and preferences justify unrelated regulations around staircases and sprinklers!

Spent 4.5 hours on a bike today between getting to the dentist and picking the kid up from after school sports. Driving, would have been 1.5 hours. But what really gets me is that if I could just bike the direct, flat routes the cars take, that biking time would have been cut in half.

I hope there are some politicians going to @thewaroncars.bsky.social talk tomorrow night in Toronto, a city where two die on the same day and it gets buried on page 9- that is how common it has become.

TORONTO DOES NOT NEED A TUNNEL FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL UGH, AND MONTREAL PROBABLY ALSO DOES NOT!

Can’t recommend this episode enough — two voices that are in my regular pod rotation, coring right into all the ways political discourse in the U.S. has gone so thoroughly off the rails. Informative? Probably. Cathartic? As all get-out

Trump is legitimately beyond insane.

FY26 US govt spending bill that Congress just agreed to mostly funds agencies as in FY25, though it: —Reinforced DOGE’s 24% cut to HUD staff —Reduced resources for rail substantially, including recissions of $950m for high-speed rail grants —Reduced spending for transit, increased it for highways

Everyone doing Opsec Discourse should read this book and realize that the radical underground movements of the 1960s and 70s should not serve as role models for 2020s activism, no matter how cool and badass they appear in hindsight.

JFC, this is why I don't advocate for people to be their own mechanics. Completely fucked up this crank arm while using the appropriate Park Tool to remove it. Now I have to rent a U-Haul to haul the cargo bike to a bike shop to fix everything.

IMPORTANT: In 2023, the Youth Experiencing Homelessness Program began providing 120 youth ages 18-24 experiencing homelessness with $1,000 monthly until 2025. By the end of the two-year period, 94% of participants reported they were housed. The right thing to do, AND a smart financial investment.

Was lucky to have been invited on to the Vancouver stop of @thewaroncars.bsky.social book tour this past Fall - They will be in Toronto this Thursday night - highly recommend going if you are in town. www.cycleto.ca/cars

In a world of 8 billion people, we should not have to talk about a single person so much. Please, let it end already.

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes billed his event touting reduced crime in Seattle (poor timing, given the recent spate of shootings) as his "first State of the City" address. Police chiefs don't typically do this kind of focus-pulling speech, and they certainly don't call it the State of the City!

So are we fed up yet with being so apparently easily manipulated by billionaires?

Is Al gore in the files

You can see which direction was morning rush hour.

You now need to earn nearly $300,000 to own a home in San Jose. The median household income is already quite high at ~$141,000, but not this high! The California housing shortage is out of control. sanjosespotlight.com/san-jose-is-...

This year, SDOT will be designing protected bike lanes on Western/Elliott between Thomas and Bell Streets.

I have a theory…#CarBrain

The DMV is losing one of the best transportation reporters in the US. I'm sad for Rachel, but even more so for DC.

Reminder don’t talk to teens in the morning. Just go about your business like they’re not there.

Becoming increasingly convinced that our current politics and governance cannot support the construction of high-speed rail in Canada. You can't have good high-speed rail if you can't even get the regional authorities working seamlessly with you.

The good: High Speed Rail from Montreal to Toronto may stop at the old rail station in downtown Ottawa The bad: We are dooming it to fail or be ludicrously expensive because people are talking about TUNNELING UNDER THE CANAL?! All while there is surface space. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMUK...

It's hard to parody Los Angeles governance these days: a group that has received ~$1,575,000 from the city since 2020 has simultaneously sued the city twice. (SAJE also expends significant resources opposing/gutting state/local pro-housing reforms.) www.realclearinvestigations.com/articles/202...

Two large underutilized blocks near Old Stove Ship Canal, recently owned by Seattle Pacific University, are likely set to be redeveloped into housing.

If nothing changes in Utah, they're basically guaranteeing that the state fall into a permanent California-style housing crisis that forces kids from the state to eventually move away. They need to reduce minimum lot sizes statewide. www.housingwire.com/articles/uta...

ok i think it's not covid i think it is the common cold for which my body is evidently not prepared. i will keep testing though.

I’m at the Redmond City Council tonight where they plan to legalize shared streets under SB 5595.

Seattle Tourist in Vancouver (seeing my Seahawks cap): “Are you from Seattle?” Me: No, from here. But it’s fun to pop down by train to see a game. Well, it used to be, when we were still willing to travel to the States. Thanks for coming here though. Him: Absolutely. And sorry.

Some folks brains will just never be healed from the ravages of car brain. Probably not a good idea to give those folks power over our cities. #CarBrain

Front page of Guatemala's leading national newspaper. Three of the four top stories are about the disruption that's being caused by Trump's tariffs. I'm sure it will advance US national security interests to have even more economic chaos at our southern border.

This year, SDOT will be developing a plan to bridge the protected bike lane gap on 8th Avenue between Bell and Westlake. It's currently a door-zone lane.

They don't know what they are up against.

And now, here's an update on the federal government's legal battle to end congestion pricing — from Streetsblog's resident courtroom sketch artist @davecolon.bsky.social #art youtube.com/shorts/zkcnn...

Just listened to latest episode of @garthmullins.bsky.social’s @crackdownpod.bsky.social Hard to listen to, but recommended 👇 podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/c...

Paris Mobilities Between sitting in a traffic jam and moving around while doing physical activity, which of the two helps improve your health and that of others?

Toronto is lucky to have a lot of smart people pushing it to reach its potential on transit.

Passing Waymos on an acoustic bike today.

Here’s a QUESTION I’ve asked before, under different circumstances: What does YOUR CITY need most to become a MUCH BETTER CITY FOR ITS PEOPLE, in 3 words or less? I’m wondering how different the answers will be today? Name your city, explain your answer, & include images/graphics to make your case.

Yes. Yes we did.

Made it! #Vancouver to #Toronto on The Canadian. And we got in one hour early!

Where do you park/store your bike in winter? Is it different from the summer?

We just need good websites, y'all.

When I worked in the DC mayor's office, my colleagues and I lived in fear of WaPo's formidable metro team. We might loathe them at time, but we always respected the hell out of them. Solidarity with everyone affected by today's cuts.

these are live in the shop and starting to arrive out in the world. creativebyrovelo.com/shop

"13 year old competitive basketball player still can't land clothing in laundry hamper."

Biking to a dental appointment in Bellevue today very nearly ate it going over a new all-brick speed bump installed on the downhill on 112th going toward S. Bellevue light rail station. Iooks like was *just* built. cannot understand who thought brick on a steep downhill turn would be a safe idea.

Am I allowed to drink coffee from my Utrecht mug while driving a car?

ladies and gentlemen, Seattle's answer to Maureen Dowd! (on the substance: exempting hygiene products from sales tax won't do much, I agree—and wrote about this weeks ago—but "small business tax relief" is not the same thing as broad cuts to regressive taxes) www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...

YouTube recommends me streams of council meetings from places I’ve never even heard of. Like Guthrie, Oklahoma (population 10,000).

Should I read buddenbrooks

Totally can visualize this whole scene now

This latest @bicycledutch.bsky.social video is an essential for anyone headed to the Netherlands 🇳🇱 to cycle. While the Dutch prioritize intuitive design over signs to separate traffic, they still use specific pavement markings and signs that you need to know.

A pair of bills advancing this week at the state legislature would finally allow Sound Transit to rise above the local permitting fray in several key areas. The reforms could save as much as nine months on key transit projects, according to the agency. Story: www.theurbanist.org/2026/02/04/o...

This argument from @tylermeredith.bsky.social and Tim Richter is welcome but also very vague. Major questions remain unanswered: Where exactly should Canada build housing, both affordable and market? In what architectural and urban form? www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...

Having spent my afternoon digging into e-commerce sales tax compliance, I once again laugh in the general direction of “AI”.

NEW STORY // Olympia Seeks to Boost Sound Transit with Long Overdue Permit Reforms Story by Ryan Packer via @theurbanist.org // 🔗 www.theurbanist.org/2026/02/04/o...

I bet this motorist saw a guy on a bike run a stop sign one time.

What’s up with the bike lanes in #Toronto ? Have they stopped plowing them this winter? From the College St streetcar, the going looks pretty rough… (Curious Montrealer wants to know…)

The latest Oh God, What Now? is really good on how government policies are threatening UK universities. @gsoh31.bsky.social is excellent here Episode webpage: twitter.com/OhGodWhatNow... Media file: pscrb.fm/rss/p/traffi...

It feels good to be in Canada.

I forgot how bad og brain fog feels dawg

We've worked around journalism & philanthropy & high-net worth individuals/families for so long I should have something useful to say. but honestly, it comes down to tax policy that somehow does the Piketty thing and addresses how wealth crosses borders so the assholes don't have so much power

Up soon, @englishrail.bsky.social and Narayan @mobycon.bsky.social will be talking to the TTC Board about fixing the cities surface rail services, as part of the creation of @fasttracktoronto.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=ubl9...

Dang Ex-NDP MPP Rima Berns-McGown on Doly Begum’s decision to defect to the federal Liberals: “I know two things. I know her heart, and I know the NDP… Until the NDP becomes a party of integrity, it can’t demand loyalty of its electeds.” h/t @ahmadelbayoumi.bsky.social Cc: @ndp.ca

. @novakovicto.bsky.social returns to the field with a new publication, Expo, and an excellent essay on diversity in Canadian architefture. www.expothemagazine.com/expo-essays/...

It's funny that Redmond adopted the Swedish sign. We don't have an official one in America yet.

Irregardless, cities all across the country need to make room for tons more housing through their land use and building regulations and governments at all levels need to develop strategies and programs to deliver housing at all income levels.

I feel kind of emotional about this. I lived near Eglinton West station when I moved to Toronto in 2014. Back then I was unmarried, kid-free, full of excitement for grad school in the big city. My entire Toronto life has been in Eglinton Crosstown construction. Now I will ride it with my 6-year-old!

They are not letting up, and neither can we.

Robert Musil is constantly getting cute with it

On the bright side, I no longer feel we'll have to suffer through 3 more years of this insanity. They're hanging themselves.

yeah, they don't seem…happy.

Ugh. Tsimerman is here in Redmond too.

Thanks @brenttoderian.bsky.social for including us!

It's no wonder I was attracted to large cargo bikes given my past had me regularly driving this thing around the country roads of Illinois when farming. I just like big vehicles, I guess.

After observing the obligatory one-month gloating period, I finally brought my @wilsonforseattle.bsky.social yard sign back into the house.

I used the Lloyd center as an example on how to properly help malls make a comeback, but honestly as someone who lives near the Lloyd this is the best option for the community. www.oregonlive.com/portland/202...

NATO has kept the peace for 77 years. He who betrays NATO gets no Peace Prize.