Alex Contreras 🍉
@alexbikes.bsky.social
Your local housing & transportation policy expert. Working to end freeway expansions in CA. Trans rights are human rights. They/Them.
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Alex Contreras 🍉
@alexbikes.bsky.social
· Nov 21
Re-introducing myself 👋🏼 I'm a transit/housing advocate working to end freeway expansions in CA. Transit policy, is housing policy, is climate policy. As a zoning & building design reform missionary, I love Georgism, yet I despise the Georgists. Based in Oakland, biking thru SoCal, fck John Fischer 🤟🏼
He saw the bus coming and parked there anyway. I hate people like him.
December 7, 2025 at 2:40 AM
He saw the bus coming and parked there anyway. I hate people like him.
I had a dream that I started a coffee shop in my kitchen, but the city kept trying to shut me down because of the zoning, so I would move the coffee shop around to different people's kitchens and then Obama told me I was doing a great job. Idk what the dream means, but Obama said fuck your zoning.
December 6, 2025 at 8:21 PM
I had a dream that I started a coffee shop in my kitchen, but the city kept trying to shut me down because of the zoning, so I would move the coffee shop around to different people's kitchens and then Obama told me I was doing a great job. Idk what the dream means, but Obama said fuck your zoning.
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
One of the biggest drivers of high housing costs is that a small, highly motivated group of incumbent homeowners block new housing in their neighborhoods and almost no one is organized to push back.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
December 6, 2025 at 4:22 PM
One of the biggest drivers of high housing costs is that a small, highly motivated group of incumbent homeowners block new housing in their neighborhoods and almost no one is organized to push back.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.
Be a housing fan.
My bike is out of commission so I thought I'd take Bay Wheels to a friend's. Why is the Lyft cheaper than the bike ride???
December 6, 2025 at 5:35 PM
My bike is out of commission so I thought I'd take Bay Wheels to a friend's. Why is the Lyft cheaper than the bike ride???
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
Big housing news in San Francisco today: the Board of Supervisors (their equivalent of City Council) votes to upzone the entire western half of the city. Currently much of the westside is houses. Commercial streets get a height boost.
Diagrams & maps below from sfplanning.org/sites/defaul...
Diagrams & maps below from sfplanning.org/sites/defaul...
December 3, 2025 at 7:27 AM
Big housing news in San Francisco today: the Board of Supervisors (their equivalent of City Council) votes to upzone the entire western half of the city. Currently much of the westside is houses. Commercial streets get a height boost.
Diagrams & maps below from sfplanning.org/sites/defaul...
Diagrams & maps below from sfplanning.org/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
In 1978, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors downzoned the city, banning multifamily homes in many areas and sparking a decades-long affordability crisis.
47 years later, on a 7–4 vote, they passed the Family Zoning Plan to finally begin to undo that mistake.
The times, they are a-changin’!
47 years later, on a 7–4 vote, they passed the Family Zoning Plan to finally begin to undo that mistake.
The times, they are a-changin’!
December 3, 2025 at 1:16 AM
In 1978, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors downzoned the city, banning multifamily homes in many areas and sparking a decades-long affordability crisis.
47 years later, on a 7–4 vote, they passed the Family Zoning Plan to finally begin to undo that mistake.
The times, they are a-changin’!
47 years later, on a 7–4 vote, they passed the Family Zoning Plan to finally begin to undo that mistake.
The times, they are a-changin’!
I've been reflecting more on bodily autonomy and I don't think enough men in my life fully understand how absolutely bat shit it is that I can't make decisions about my health without a doctors approval that is based on vibes ( ie sterilization) or the government legislating those decisions.
December 2, 2025 at 6:12 PM
I've been reflecting more on bodily autonomy and I don't think enough men in my life fully understand how absolutely bat shit it is that I can't make decisions about my health without a doctors approval that is based on vibes ( ie sterilization) or the government legislating those decisions.
I third wheel with my married friends so often I just started calling our hangouts date nights. Tonight's date was a walk to go look at Christmas trees and dinner.
December 2, 2025 at 7:13 AM
I third wheel with my married friends so often I just started calling our hangouts date nights. Tonight's date was a walk to go look at Christmas trees and dinner.
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
My wife has been HIV+ for 34 years. She’s alive today b/c work of activists who destigmatized the virus, pushed medical science to adapt & find ways to treat it, & advocated for gov health programs that helped fund her care. The current U.S. regime may want to go back in time, but we won’t let them.
December 2, 2025 at 1:27 AM
My wife has been HIV+ for 34 years. She’s alive today b/c work of activists who destigmatized the virus, pushed medical science to adapt & find ways to treat it, & advocated for gov health programs that helped fund her care. The current U.S. regime may want to go back in time, but we won’t let them.
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
In need of a new climbing buddy. My last one stopped climbing because they got themselves a boyfriend. Very embarrassing for them.
November 30, 2025 at 9:11 PM
In need of a new climbing buddy. My last one stopped climbing because they got themselves a boyfriend. Very embarrassing for them.
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
A small business space in downtown Oakland is up for rent at $7k a month. The idea of being a small business owner with an actual brick n mortar shop sounds difficult n stressful.
November 30, 2025 at 1:48 AM
A small business space in downtown Oakland is up for rent at $7k a month. The idea of being a small business owner with an actual brick n mortar shop sounds difficult n stressful.
I just saw an unhinged, f*cked up, ad featuring Kristi Noem telling people to turn themselves over to ICE and self deport or they will be tracked down and forcibly deported.
November 29, 2025 at 9:32 PM
I just saw an unhinged, f*cked up, ad featuring Kristi Noem telling people to turn themselves over to ICE and self deport or they will be tracked down and forcibly deported.
My sister who has taken in a semi-feral cat this past year sent me a progress pic. This is Jiji, who was once starving, flea bitten, and covered in ring worm. Now he's getting pretty chunky and she's worried she's not feeding him enough 😂.
November 29, 2025 at 8:24 AM
My sister who has taken in a semi-feral cat this past year sent me a progress pic. This is Jiji, who was once starving, flea bitten, and covered in ring worm. Now he's getting pretty chunky and she's worried she's not feeding him enough 😂.
I have been staring at my cart with $300 worth of Sam Edelman shoes. I don't need them. I don't need them. I don't need them.
November 28, 2025 at 10:52 PM
I have been staring at my cart with $300 worth of Sam Edelman shoes. I don't need them. I don't need them. I don't need them.
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
Canada, I am in a different part of you
November 28, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Canada, I am in a different part of you
I have never been more grateful for the invention of the sauna. Cheers to saunas, good food and even better company 🤟🏼
November 27, 2025 at 9:57 PM
I have never been more grateful for the invention of the sauna. Cheers to saunas, good food and even better company 🤟🏼
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
Hey, congratulations to all of Olivia Nuzzi’s horny media critic defenders. Heckuva job!
November 26, 2025 at 10:19 PM
Hey, congratulations to all of Olivia Nuzzi’s horny media critic defenders. Heckuva job!
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
Keys & Mulder build dataset to study homeowners insurance using over 74 million premiums from 2014–2024 inferred from mortgage escrow payments. Premium increases are capitalized into home values, reducing home price growth by over $40,000 in the most exposed zip codes. www.nber.org/papers/w32579
November 19, 2025 at 9:33 PM
Keys & Mulder build dataset to study homeowners insurance using over 74 million premiums from 2014–2024 inferred from mortgage escrow payments. Premium increases are capitalized into home values, reducing home price growth by over $40,000 in the most exposed zip codes. www.nber.org/papers/w32579
Pluribus making me think of moving back to Albuquerque. Love that city.
November 26, 2025 at 4:00 AM
Pluribus making me think of moving back to Albuquerque. Love that city.
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
December 10 at 6pm @eastbayforeveryone.bsky.social will be showing off single stair design competition entrants from the Bay Area along with HAC in Downtown Oakland.
actionnetwork.org/events/12102...
actionnetwork.org/events/12102...
HAC in the Town – Join Us for a HAC Happy Hour in Oakland!
The Housing Action Coalition is heading to the East Bay, and we’re bringing the celebration with us.
Come hang out with the HAC team and other housing friends on Tuesday, December 10 at the iconic D...
actionnetwork.org
November 25, 2025 at 4:35 AM
December 10 at 6pm @eastbayforeveryone.bsky.social will be showing off single stair design competition entrants from the Bay Area along with HAC in Downtown Oakland.
actionnetwork.org/events/12102...
actionnetwork.org/events/12102...
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
A reminder that cars aren’t a technology problem. They’re a geometry problem.
Waymo privatized another public street:
Chanel approaching 4th, San Francisco
Possibly queued for a Billie Eilish show at Chase Center ~half mile away.
The light rail train on 4th seen passing in front of this roboherd has more passenger capacity than all of them combined.
OP: .tiktok.renaspam18
Chanel approaching 4th, San Francisco
Possibly queued for a Billie Eilish show at Chase Center ~half mile away.
The light rail train on 4th seen passing in front of this roboherd has more passenger capacity than all of them combined.
OP: .tiktok.renaspam18
November 25, 2025 at 4:16 AM
A reminder that cars aren’t a technology problem. They’re a geometry problem.
Some planners in my life have me reaching for a cigarette and another coffee. My brother in Christ its not even noon. 😭
November 24, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Some planners in my life have me reaching for a cigarette and another coffee. My brother in Christ its not even noon. 😭
Reposted by Alex Contreras 🍉
Great piece on how density restrictions in zoning are essentially BS.
November 24, 2025 at 4:19 PM
Great piece on how density restrictions in zoning are essentially BS.