Top recent posts by Active Transportation Advocates on Bluesky

well well well look who came crawling back to da finch zone

People love to denigrate modern fare gates like this as “hostile architecture” but I think that this design-based solution that prevents crime from happening in the first place is vastly preferable to having cops bust people for turnstile jumping.

Never forget, this is Jenni Byrne, the Conservative Party of Canada’s top political advisor and Pierre Poilievre’s campaign architect and closest ally. They’re not “conservative.” They’re not “right-wing.” They’re MAGA.

I know this is the most important election in my lifetime for Canada. But I actually think it’s an important election for the world. Canada may not be a military or economic superpower, but we play a strategic geopolitical role, and Carney would make a very important difference globally right now.

BREAKING: CBC just called it, projecting a Liberal WIN in the Canadian Federal Election, and MARK CARNEY as Canada’s Prime Minister! A remarkable achievement for Carney given where the Liberals were not long ago. But will it be a majority government, or a minority with another party with leverage?

Whatever the final vote tally ends up being in this Canadian Election, the new Carney Government will have to address this incredibly dangerous cultural disinformation attack on Canadian sovereignty by Trump’s allies, which should be considered PART of any sovereignty attack by Trump. #CanadaStrong

Mark Carney’s victory speech was outstanding. He set a perfect tone around personal humility (including admitting and learning from mistakes, something Trudeau wasn’t good at), Canadian ambition and values, unity & governing for everyone, all with an impressive amount of REAL humour and inspiration.

every single time

Conservative news pundits are giving Poilievre credit today for the “collapse of the People's Party of Canada (PPC),” the most extremist right wing party that had taken the most extremist votes. It’s true. He did that. He did it by taking the Conservative Party much further to the extremist right.

Love this. “Florida Man Loses Canadian Election.” “In a sharp rebuke to Trump and Elon Musk, Canada’s Liberal Party [and Prime Minister Mark Carney] held on to power.” Sorry MAGA, Peterson, Rogan, Tate…. #NotSorry #ElbowsUp #CanadaStrong

Where housing is plentiful, "[t]he dignity, freedom, and stability that come with housing security become accessible to everyone. This is the future that YIMBYs want." www.thenation.com/article/soci...

was pete hegseth driving the boat

California should be a shining beacon of progress, prosperity, and liberation that welcomes the huddled masses from everywhere on earth. Instead, it’s an expensive members-only club because we refuse to build housing.

I noticed that too, was pretty funny actually. It’s like the Universe said “oops, that’s right, better fix that…”

Think about this. Pundits today are saying that Pierre Poilievre’s biggest chance to win tonight is thru the “enthusiasm of the motivated young male voters…” …who have been the specific target, and the primary success, of the massive cultural disinformation campaign coming from the United States.

I think Trump is overplaying his hand here sorry

Tell everyone you know: Do not rank Andrew Cuomo.

You are totally free to drive your car into Manhattan. When you do, you are seizing expensive real estate for your private use. You want that for free? That would be socialism.

This would’ve been an impossible result 6 months ago…

I’m going to try to preempt a common attack from conspiracy theorists who seem to try this goofy one every single election — when the final map for tonight’s Canadian Election comes out showing red and blue ridings across the country, remember that PEOPLE vote. LAND doesn’t.

I question the decision to invite an employee of Charlie Kirk's far-right youth group Turning Points USA to a City of Seattle press event today. The fact that this person used to be a reporter (with a right-leaning local station) is not a reason to treat an extremist group as a valued media outlet.

TURNOUT WINS ELECTIONS! (have I mentioned that yet?) Don’t assume anything. Please vote. #VoteCarney #CanadaStrong

we’re gonna get treatler Jan 6th by June at this rate

You are absolutely free to drive your car, Sean. You just have to pay $9, a small price to pay for brining a living room on wheels into the densest, most transit-rich city in the country.

The US Secretary of Transportation is actively campaigning against public transit use at this point.

Get ready for a stronger Canada, world. #CanadaStrong

I’m going to be honest I would lose a fighter jet

Rush hour in Montreal on Election Day — L’heure de Pointe à Montréal, le jour de l’élection

Freedom = options. Getting to choose between walking, cycling, taking transit, or paying a lousy $9 to drive an SUV into Manhattan is about as free as most Americans can hope to be as far as transportation goes.

Mark Hamill (aka Luke Skywalker), as always, is a good neighbour. #CanadaStrong #ElbowsUp

this being said: impeach him for Christs sake

If it's not too much trouble... Creative done with @thebikinglawyer.bsky.social

i have a terminal disease where i think everything is postmodernism's fault but in a left wing way

Pundits today are saying that this Canadian election is “very different,” because it’s about “who we really want to lead the Country right now.” It isn’t about policies, tax cuts, debates, platforms, even ideologies. Who we trust to lead best? Call me weird, but that’s how I always pick leaders.

Well said. #ElbowsUp

Finally, people are paying attention to Canada!!

Just as people with multiple DUIs should be required to have breathalyzer ignition interlock devices installed on their cars, people who excessively speed should have speed governors installed. This is common sense regulation to protect public safety.

Shanghai's rapid and dramatic transformation from industrial hub to modern metropolis is best embodied by the East Bank of the Huangpu River. At the heart of the waterfront’s revitalization is a 21-kilometre linear park, with continuous—and sometimes elevated—space for walking, jogging and cycling.🧵

What a strange, strange election. The Liberals come back from complete ruin to form government again. But smaller parties are weakened and the Conservatives also put up historically strong numbers. But the Conservative leader loses his seat?!

Last week, Dallas changed its building code so that apartments with up to 8 units can be built under the same code as single-family homes, reducing building difficulty. For buildings up to 7500 sq ft, the change allows single-stair design, no sprinkler system, & changes to fire protection rules.

4 out of 5 residential buildings in germany are now opting for heat pumps (83% for 1 and 2-family buildings, 69% for 3 or more) nice! interestingly, district heating + heat pumps is now nearly 90% of all new permits. yo @volts.wtf @sustainable2050.bsky.social www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

Fun fact: research shows that drivers yield to pedestrians at a much higher rate if you just *keep walking into the street without stopping* www.kostelecplanning.com/on-the-11th-...

"Our old relationship with the US is over." - Prime Minister Mark Carney. This country has moved on and will strengthen ties with actual allies in the free world. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvF7...

NY Gov Hochul announces agreement with state legislature to fully fund MTA’s $68b capital plan, using payroll tax adjustment, savings from Feds taking over Penn Station project, & MTA savings. Recommits state to the Interborough Express light rail project.

My mom’s funeral is this weekend. She was a strong French Canadian woman & Montrealer who was unapologetically federalist and loudly against separatism. No matter what else happens tonight, I really hope Quebeckers don’t give a separatist party a potential balance of power in a sovereignty crisis.

1) Build a rapid transit line 2) Build a ton of housing around it 3) Use that added tax money to build and operate more transit

House GOP hopes to eliminate funds for efforts to reconnect communities & improve access. Projects that could lose fed funding include: —Austin I-35 deck —Atlanta Beltline south —Buffalo Bailey Ave BRT —Chicago Blue Line improvements —Philly Chinatown Stitch —Seattle Stride BRT & many more

Great morning to be speaking in Canada! 🇨🇦 🇨🇦 🇨🇦

Two years ago this legend left us. The world is a lot less fun without Scruffy but he did leave us with a lifetime of comedy and ridiculous memories. 🐾♥️

So New York will have a $254 billion budget, but they don't have $500,000 to study high-speed rail between NYC and Toronto, a route that could take 3.5 hours instead of the 12.5 hours it currently takes by train?

Bezos might be the biggest leopard who got his face eaten of them all.

From a recent study of mode share (cars v transit v walking/biking) across global cities. Urban residents throughout US, Canada, & Australia largely get around by car. But Europe is a mixed bag, w/cities dominated by cars (Rome) as well as bikes (Utrecht) or transit (Paris) doi.org/10.1016/j.en...

How do you like them apples, Pierre?

One of the dumbest things political pundits talk about is politicians “stealing” other party’s “ideas.” 1. Few politicians have unique ideas. The smart ones take advice from the same actual experts. 2. Most good public policy should be obvious to all parties. 3. The real difference is ideology.

IF YOUR POLLS HAVEN’T CLOSED YET, THIS IS GOING TO BE CLOSER THAN THE POLLS SUGGESTED! GET IN LINE if you still can, & STAY IN LINE if you’re already there, as they have to let you vote. Conservatives are outperforming the polls, and vote-splitting is having a real effect. Help Carney win. #VOTE

As the story says, most of this "developable" land is far away from cities, on mountains and in forests. Isolating people who can't afford market-rate housing in far-flung sprawl built on former forest land is a terrible idea. www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/u...

Unsurprising election result. Heartening. Conservative Populist Loses (Unsurprising to anyone paying any attention). Bloc and NDP self destructs (Also Unsurprising)

I have perennial insomnia and think it’s fascinating to hear robins singing at 3am

Just about everyone in Trump’s circle is profoundly evil and corrupt, and yet Stephen Miller somehow always manages to make the rest of them look like amateurs.

[BILL ALERT] AB 1154, which will establish a single set of standards for ADUs under 500 square feet, making it easier for homeowners to add small homes to their properties, has passed the Assembly floor and is headed to the Senate! Special thanks to bill author Asm Juan Carrillo!

Accidentally fell asleep for an hour at like 5pm it’s so over for me

Not loving the Rep. Larsen “culture wars have no place in transportation policy” statement. Actually, they do. If we’re not willing to challenge dominant narratives around the desirability of car dependency, then we’re just maintaining a failed status quo.

What the actual hell? Canada, vote for literally the only candidate who can keep Canada strong & free in this trade and sovereignty crisis. The only candidate who can stand up to Trump’s dangerous insanity. Vote Carney. Remember, Trump’s allies are doing everything they can to help Poilievre win.

Cars and freeways de-socialize the built environment, keeping us all apart. (That's why billionaires and autocrats love them.) Transit, bicycles, and active transport re-socialize the built environment, bringing us together. (That's why billionaires and autocrats detest them.)

If intermodal traffic wasn't getting nuked by tariffs this would indirectly be a pro rail freight policy lol

CEQA exists to preserve the status quo by making it harder to build new things that people with lawyers don’t want built. This is often directly at odds with protecting the environment.

I'm sick of the carnage on American streets.

Social engineering is when the government releases you from zoning rules that detail every minor detail of what you can and cannot do with your property—makes sense. www.dailynews.com/2025/04/26/s...

Super speeders are terrorizing New Yorkers, racking up tickets and putting lives at risk. We can end this nightmare: the Stop Super Speeders bill would put speed limiters in the vehicles of repeat offenders. It's common-sense legislation that will save lives.

5 weeks to save public transit means we are beyond crunch time — and we need you to sign up and help us talk with transit riders this weekend! We’ll get you materials and even a buddy or two. All we need is for you to show up! Find a shift that works for you ➡️ mobilize.us/betterstreetschicago/

NYC built a two-way bike lane on Brooklyn's Ashland Place back in 2023... so why isn't it done yet? You can thank former mayoral aide Ingrid Lewis-Martin, and her meddling on behalf of a developer 👀 youtube.com/shorts/2PbQo...

DC would spend $181M to build 8,000 parking spots for suburbanites driving into the city. Pretty much the last thing I want to see my taxpayer dollars used for. 51st.news/r/bbcefc4a?m...

Housing is a Human Right! Today, several hundred tenants from across California met with legislators and marched through Sacramento for affordable housing and tenant rights! #housingdignityjustice #lowertherent #fundaffordablehousing @housingnowca.bsky.social @barishaspriggs.bsky.social 🏘️ 1/

My hottest take lately is that I would be fine with dropping the gas tax if it meant we could have a mileage tax for all vehicles instead. 1) Charge EVs 2) Turn road fees into consumption taxes

If you’re still in line to vote, it’s much closer than polls were saying, and vote splitting is going to have a real effect. Please vote wisely! A Liberal Minority with the separatist Bloc holding the balance of power during an attack on Canadian sovereignty wouldn’t be the strong position we need!

No matter what happens, the Conservatives choosing a populist was a choice

Congestion pricing, but it's $300/trip for all News Corp employees.

Well, I am certainly glad we are expanding I-35...

Context for American friends: Liberals are currently at 168 seats, short of a majority government (172), which would have allowed them to govern predictably for 4 years. A minority government requires support from another party (likely NDP) to govern. It’s less stable. Possible election sooner.

A LOT OF VOTE SPLITTING GOING ON IN ONTARIO (again)

The Nanjing Road Pedestrian Mall—perhaps the most prominent shopping street in China—is a mirror of Shanghai's evolution into a liveable and prosperous megacity. As recently as 1998, it was a heavily trafficked thoroughfare, until all motor vehicles were removed as part of a redevelopment strategy.🧵

New apartments sometimes get the question "who can afford it?", the answer is usually roommates. Ideally there's enough housing that everyone who wants to live on their own can; in the meantime during a shortage, sharing is good, it means more people can live here.

"Walking, cycling, and public transit are social engineering"

Conservatives are outperforming the polls in Atlantic Canada, and vote-splitting is having an effect… Sure hope too many people weren’t overconfident. If you’re still in line to vote, stay there. #TurnoutWinsElections

Never going to forget YFBs "Canada is an artificial country" comment 🤡

Infrastructure design that enables more people to leave the car at home doesn't have to be complicated. Multi-use paths, basically glorified sidewalks, are something many suburban cities can do now with their abundant space for little money.

Voted. Fast, easy, analog. Highly recommend.

Let’s do this.

As the Bjarke Ingels in Toronto nears completion, worth remembering that the city's design establishment *hated* this project and Planning fought it every step of the way. urbantoronto.ca/news/2016/06... The developers were exceptionally stubborn in resisting city pushback.

The evidence for hardening the margins of our urban infrastructure is everywhere if you simply look for it. Proper design directs behavior and when motorists aren't comfortable diverting attention or going fast, people outside of cars will be safer.

this is the absolutely heartbreaking and devastating reality of our streets. an unimaginable pain for most. i don't really have words.

A step in the right direction. My problem with a lot of Democratic messaging is that it’s sounded the same as how they’d talk about any Republican in my lifetime. This goes harder and acknowledges the absurdity and uniqueness of the situation.

Human-scale vehicles designed for cities.

Liberals just won the national election in Canada, maintaining control of the government (though whether they will have a majority remains unclear). Can they implement their potentially transformative housing platform? ⬇️

If I were a Dem, regardless of what I thought about a car registration fee in the abstract, I would be making a big deal about how the GOP is planning a tax increase on all car owners as part of its reconciliation bill.

It's like our country is being run by a fascist Dr. Bronner's bottle.

We spend so much of our lives inside a house, inside an office, and often through no choice of our own, inside a car. What if the urban environment gave you not only the option but the incentive to be outside for your everyday movement from A to B?

wallingford, greenwood, madrona, montlake, maple leaf, queen anne, magnolia, ravenna, admiral, wedgwood, et al - when?

Gotta love a country where flipping your car on a neighborhood street is just a casual Tuesday and not a design failure.

this is true for recent development... and yet also: