Colby Brown @colby@transportation.social

an interesting thing about Barcelona is the number of people using skateboards for transportation. I think it’s a combination of they can be stored easily in small apartments, the central part of the city is generally flat, and there are generous curb cuts (or no curbs at all) in most places.

also, frequent street sweeping keeps gravel and glass off asphalted surfaces.

this kind of smart, walkable, mixed-use urbanism Is illegal to build in many american cities

“ parking garages and parking lots end up using precious land to house cars instead of people at a time when cities are confronted with a severe housing shortage and skyrocketing housing costs. Only 20% of homes for sale are affordable to people making average incomes.” #HousingCrisis #CarsRuinCities #EndParkingMandates #HousingForPeopleNotCars https://theconversation.com/city-planners-are-questioning-the-point-of-parking-garages-195151

Planning a #conference? Include Mastodon at least as prominently in your materials as you do other social media. If you ask presenters or attendees for handles, ask for their Mastodon handle. This is an important opportunity for the Fediverse to reach, welcome, and engage key global audiences. #academia #event

People oppose "Affordable Care Act" more if you call it "Obamacare." 🤡

https://www.cnbc.com/2013/09/26/whats-in-a-name-lots-when-it-comes-to-obamacareaca.html

https://www.businessinsider.com/poll-obamacare-affordable-care-act-name-2017-2

Congress spent 8 years opposing Obama's plan, without any plan of their own. Their whole plan was "I hate you, and I hate your plan!"

The Affordable Care Act was Obama's big win. So they needed to destroy it. It really is that petty.

US opposing to clear public goods like affordable housing, public transportation, and affordable healthcare, is inextricably tied to racism.

But... most homeless US folk are still white? Facts. Unaffordable housing combined with a lack of social programs or safety net lead to homelessness in the US in general. Because in the US, most white people will oppose social safety nets if they believe that Black people will benefit, or if you remind them of "changing demographics." Because racism.

https://academic.oup.com/sf/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/sf/soy046/5002999

Convince a racist white US citizen that "Black people receive welfare!" and they'll oppose their own benefits🙃

Remember when everyone had a dog-eared copy of this in their car? @universalhub

No way! Who could possibly have expected this?

"Waymo and Cruise ditched safety drivers. Now, the cars are breaking road rules and causing traffic mayhem"

https://fortune.com/2023/01/31/waymo-and-cruise-ditched-safety-drivers-now-the-cars-are-breaking-road-rules-and-causing-traffic-mayhem/

Not quite as bad as this classic Atlanta comparison from 1990:

One issue touched upon in the reporting on the Tyre Nichols murder but not fully discussed is the fact that too much reliance is placed upon the police to stop those who are breaking traffic laws. It is an ineffective, dangerous, and wasteful practice which does very little to actually get people to comply with the law. The vast majority of tickets should be a result of cameras and tickets being issued as a result of those cameras.

Imagine if when you drove, you needed to walk to a store to purchase a ticket with the exact number of miles you were going to drive, and if you guessed wrong the cops could arrest or fine you

That is most people's experience with taking transit

More trains!
https://www.masslive.com/news/2023/01/greenfield-calls-for-more-passenger-rail-to-boston-as-commission-mulls-how-to-get-the-trains-rolling.html

Why do rich homeowners even want to live in neighborhoods of just rich people? It’s a lot more useful to live near a plumber and a roofer than nine copyright attorneys

Crows when they see a train station

Also telling how the article cannot bring itself to mention electrification which is actually the one technological measure that can (alongside other measures) reduce transport emissions. And that's because Conservatives actually want to stick to the internal combustion engine