Alon (they/them)
@alonlevy.bsky.social
Transit researcher in Berlin. Lived in Tel Aviv, Singapore, the Riviera, New York, Providence, Vancouver, Stockholm, Paris. https://pedestrianobservations.com/ http://patreon.com/alonlevy [email protected] @[email protected]
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
@davecolon.bsky.social:
“MTA Still Won’t Embrace Open Gangway Subway Cars:
The see-through cars have been standard across the globe for a generation, but to the MTA, it's still untested technology.” — nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/12/09/m...
“MTA Still Won’t Embrace Open Gangway Subway Cars:
The see-through cars have been standard across the globe for a generation, but to the MTA, it's still untested technology.” — nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/12/09/m...
MTA Still Won't Embrace Open Gangway Subway Cars - Streetsblog New York City
The see-through cars have been standard across the globe for a generation, but to the MTA, it's still untested technology.
nyc.streetsblog.org
December 9, 2025 at 1:45 PM
@davecolon.bsky.social:
“MTA Still Won’t Embrace Open Gangway Subway Cars:
The see-through cars have been standard across the globe for a generation, but to the MTA, it's still untested technology.” — nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/12/09/m...
“MTA Still Won’t Embrace Open Gangway Subway Cars:
The see-through cars have been standard across the globe for a generation, but to the MTA, it's still untested technology.” — nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/12/09/m...
I want to do the "is there someone you forgot to ask?" meme for Israel-Lebanon and Israel-Syria peace, but Israel is the obstacle, not the US. Trump's contribution is that his diplomacy is shit so he can't shepherd negotiations that would get Lebanon, Syria, and Israel to agreements.
And again, any discussion of America's ability to reshape the global order needs to take the level of skill and state capacity of the current US government into account
December 9, 2025 at 11:24 AM
I want to do the "is there someone you forgot to ask?" meme for Israel-Lebanon and Israel-Syria peace, but Israel is the obstacle, not the US. Trump's contribution is that his diplomacy is shit so he can't shepherd negotiations that would get Lebanon, Syria, and Israel to agreements.
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
The German Scrooge Report is out. What do Berliners find most irksome about the holidays?
The crowds everywhere, the gloomy dark weather, pressure to buy gifts, packed trains and transit chaos made the top of list (and yes, folks could select more than one choice).
The crowds everywhere, the gloomy dark weather, pressure to buy gifts, packed trains and transit chaos made the top of list (and yes, folks could select more than one choice).
December 9, 2025 at 11:08 AM
The German Scrooge Report is out. What do Berliners find most irksome about the holidays?
The crowds everywhere, the gloomy dark weather, pressure to buy gifts, packed trains and transit chaos made the top of list (and yes, folks could select more than one choice).
The crowds everywhere, the gloomy dark weather, pressure to buy gifts, packed trains and transit chaos made the top of list (and yes, folks could select more than one choice).
You will be visited by three spirits (meaning of each subject to debate)
December 9, 2025 at 10:27 AM
You will be visited by three spirits (meaning of each subject to debate)
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
The current state of affairs gives too much latitude for individual judges to Have A Big Think About Gender.
December 9, 2025 at 9:45 AM
The current state of affairs gives too much latitude for individual judges to Have A Big Think About Gender.
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
I think Beth Upton is a fucking hero for putting up with the shit she put up with in the NHS Fife case, but we seriously need to legislate to make the law on trans people and sex and gender in the UK less nonsense.
December 9, 2025 at 9:45 AM
I think Beth Upton is a fucking hero for putting up with the shit she put up with in the NHS Fife case, but we seriously need to legislate to make the law on trans people and sex and gender in the UK less nonsense.
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
"Der Rechtsextremismus
in Deutschland
macht mir Angst"
Sagen 74 % der Deutschen.
Eine repräsentative Umfrage der CDU-nahen Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung zeigt klar: Rechtsextremismus ist nach wie vor die größte Bedrohung für die innere Sicherheit dieses Landes und für unser Zusammenleben.
in Deutschland
macht mir Angst"
Sagen 74 % der Deutschen.
Eine repräsentative Umfrage der CDU-nahen Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung zeigt klar: Rechtsextremismus ist nach wie vor die größte Bedrohung für die innere Sicherheit dieses Landes und für unser Zusammenleben.
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung: Deutsche machen sich mehr Sorgen über Rechtsextremismus als Zuwanderer
Drei Viertel der Deutschen ohne Migrationshintergrund haben Angst vor Rechtsextremismus. Auch Zuwanderer zeigten sich in einer Umfrage besorgt – aber etwas weniger.
www.zeit.de
December 9, 2025 at 10:03 AM
"Der Rechtsextremismus
in Deutschland
macht mir Angst"
Sagen 74 % der Deutschen.
Eine repräsentative Umfrage der CDU-nahen Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung zeigt klar: Rechtsextremismus ist nach wie vor die größte Bedrohung für die innere Sicherheit dieses Landes und für unser Zusammenleben.
in Deutschland
macht mir Angst"
Sagen 74 % der Deutschen.
Eine repräsentative Umfrage der CDU-nahen Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung zeigt klar: Rechtsextremismus ist nach wie vor die größte Bedrohung für die innere Sicherheit dieses Landes und für unser Zusammenleben.
Judges should, on general principle, immediately convict anyone who is even talking about getting pardoned. Innocent defendants don't need pardons because they can beat the case in court.
December 9, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Judges should, on general principle, immediately convict anyone who is even talking about getting pardoned. Innocent defendants don't need pardons because they can beat the case in court.
The LLM was prompted for an apartment with four rooms, a balcony, and two bathrooms. This is what it produced. (For non-Hebrew speakers, the writing in the image is random letters, not actual words, let alone relevant words.)
December 8, 2025 at 7:20 PM
The LLM was prompted for an apartment with four rooms, a balcony, and two bathrooms. This is what it produced. (For non-Hebrew speakers, the writing in the image is random letters, not actual words, let alone relevant words.)
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
This morning, the MTA swapped the F/M trains at 8 stations in Manhattan & Queens. This is an example of "deinterlining," a technique which improves the frequency & reliability of subway service.
Read ETA on why deinterlining is so valuable & where else it can be used:
www.etany.org/statements/d...
Read ETA on why deinterlining is so valuable & where else it can be used:
www.etany.org/statements/d...
Deinterlining: Simpler Service, Fewer Delays — Effective Transit Alliance New York
Deinterlining simplifies subway operations, allowing for more trains to travel more quickly, and prevents delays from spreading. It's the correct solution for both riders and operations.
www.etany.org
December 8, 2025 at 6:11 PM
This morning, the MTA swapped the F/M trains at 8 stations in Manhattan & Queens. This is an example of "deinterlining," a technique which improves the frequency & reliability of subway service.
Read ETA on why deinterlining is so valuable & where else it can be used:
www.etany.org/statements/d...
Read ETA on why deinterlining is so valuable & where else it can be used:
www.etany.org/statements/d...
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
I see Lyman Stone of the Institute for Family Studies may or may not have helped blow up the bipartisan Road To Housing Act by telling GOP members it was an Anti-Family bill.
ifstudies.org/blog/congres...
ifstudies.org/blog/congres...
Congress Is Quietly Passing an Anti-Family Housing Bill
While the “ROAD to Housing Act” has much to commend it, it would benefit from some improvements.
ifstudies.org
December 8, 2025 at 4:58 PM
I see Lyman Stone of the Institute for Family Studies may or may not have helped blow up the bipartisan Road To Housing Act by telling GOP members it was an Anti-Family bill.
ifstudies.org/blog/congres...
ifstudies.org/blog/congres...
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
"Incidentally, in the 1960s and 1970s, when net migration was running at minus 50,000 a year, more than 85% of Britons still thought immigration was too high."
Last week's New World column ocncerned immigration to the UK.
Last week's New World column ocncerned immigration to the UK.
Nerd's Eye View: 11 things you need to know about immigration
Digging into the detail and data to separate the noise from the news
www.thenewworld.co.uk
December 8, 2025 at 11:36 AM
"Incidentally, in the 1960s and 1970s, when net migration was running at minus 50,000 a year, more than 85% of Britons still thought immigration was too high."
Last week's New World column ocncerned immigration to the UK.
Last week's New World column ocncerned immigration to the UK.
A lot of it needs to be understood in terms of deterrence. Trump stared into the leaders of Europe and saw in them people who are too afraid of confrontation, so why wouldn't he openly call for the dissolution of the EU? They refuse to ban anti-constitutional parties or levy serious fines on Musk.
Very poor framing for this piece. I think Trump II is such a challenge for conventional analysts compared to Trump I because it has added a racist civilizational layer to its narrative of grievance over free trade and NATO burden-sharing.
And that's a language many people aren't equipped to parse.
And that's a language many people aren't equipped to parse.
Trump Has Long Disdained Europe’s Elites. Now, It’s Official.
www.nytimes.com
December 8, 2025 at 2:26 PM
A lot of it needs to be understood in terms of deterrence. Trump stared into the leaders of Europe and saw in them people who are too afraid of confrontation, so why wouldn't he openly call for the dissolution of the EU? They refuse to ban anti-constitutional parties or levy serious fines on Musk.
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
A new study on 40+ European countries found women increasingly want men to share child care and housework equally—but men's attitudes have barely budged. In countries where this gap was widest, both birth rates and female employment were lower. (1/3)
December 8, 2025 at 1:26 PM
A new study on 40+ European countries found women increasingly want men to share child care and housework equally—but men's attitudes have barely budged. In countries where this gap was widest, both birth rates and female employment were lower. (1/3)
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
This time last year, I was on a coach ride out of Ukraine to Warsaw, to board a flight to Istanbul, to drive down to newly liberated Aleppo through Idlib.
I fell asleep as rebels were pushing on past Homs towards Damascus. When I woke up, 53 years of Ba'athist rule was over.
I fell asleep as rebels were pushing on past Homs towards Damascus. When I woke up, 53 years of Ba'athist rule was over.
December 7, 2025 at 10:06 PM
This time last year, I was on a coach ride out of Ukraine to Warsaw, to board a flight to Istanbul, to drive down to newly liberated Aleppo through Idlib.
I fell asleep as rebels were pushing on past Homs towards Damascus. When I woke up, 53 years of Ba'athist rule was over.
I fell asleep as rebels were pushing on past Homs towards Damascus. When I woke up, 53 years of Ba'athist rule was over.
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
So… I guess I’ll keep talking about Athenian trolleybuses: it’s official ☹️ Today, dismantling of the wires started in Piraeus, with lines 17 and 20 being quickly converted to battery operation. All together, 70% of the network is to be dismantled, with wires remaining on major arterials.
(1/6)
(1/6)
December 7, 2025 at 7:26 PM
So… I guess I’ll keep talking about Athenian trolleybuses: it’s official ☹️ Today, dismantling of the wires started in Piraeus, with lines 17 and 20 being quickly converted to battery operation. All together, 70% of the network is to be dismantled, with wires remaining on major arterials.
(1/6)
(1/6)
The FEX dwell time is 2.5 minutes. The bilevel configuration really hurts access and egress capacity: passengers with strollers block the aisles and everyone has to maneuver around them with suitcases. The platforms are not limited by length, so better rolling stock would be a longer single-decker.
December 7, 2025 at 4:44 PM
The FEX dwell time is 2.5 minutes. The bilevel configuration really hurts access and egress capacity: passengers with strollers block the aisles and everyone has to maneuver around them with suitcases. The platforms are not limited by length, so better rolling stock would be a longer single-decker.
Normal American foreign policy: "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East"
MAGA foreign policy: "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East (derogatory)"
And then Israel expresses surprise that its years of bootlicking Trump don't prevent him from selling F-35s to KSA.
MAGA foreign policy: "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East (derogatory)"
And then Israel expresses surprise that its years of bootlicking Trump don't prevent him from selling F-35s to KSA.
Feh! Democracy, schemocracy.. who needs it?
U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack: “Israel can claim it’s a democracy but in this region, what’s worked the best, whether you like it or you don’t like it, is a benevolent monarchy.”
U.S. Special Envoy to Syria Tom Barrack: “Israel can claim it’s a democracy but in this region, what’s worked the best, whether you like it or you don’t like it, is a benevolent monarchy.”
December 7, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Normal American foreign policy: "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East"
MAGA foreign policy: "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East (derogatory)"
And then Israel expresses surprise that its years of bootlicking Trump don't prevent him from selling F-35s to KSA.
MAGA foreign policy: "Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East (derogatory)"
And then Israel expresses surprise that its years of bootlicking Trump don't prevent him from selling F-35s to KSA.
Toronto just opened a new rail line, Line 6 Finch West. It cost C$3.5 billion to build for 10.3 km of route, from which I conclude it must be a 100% underground city center line and the picture of a tram in the article is unrelated. www.thestar.com/news/gta/fin...
Finch West LRT promises faster, more reliable transit for one of the city’s busiest routes. Will it be worth the wait?
Transit experts, politicians and commuters have long debated whether LRTs can move people faster than buses, but for cheaper than subways. Now, it will be put to the test.
www.thestar.com
December 7, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Toronto just opened a new rail line, Line 6 Finch West. It cost C$3.5 billion to build for 10.3 km of route, from which I conclude it must be a 100% underground city center line and the picture of a tram in the article is unrelated. www.thestar.com/news/gta/fin...
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
If you’ve fled by the skin of your teeth and rebuilt your life in exile, you might one day want to go back, whether temporarily or permanently. Or you might not. Or you might just want to wait and see how things pan out. The choice should be yours and not the government’s
Syrians in the UK reflect one year on from the fall of Assad
Imad Alarnab, who fled to London from Damascus in 2015, returned to Syria for the first time last month.
www.bbc.co.uk
December 7, 2025 at 12:50 PM
If you’ve fled by the skin of your teeth and rebuilt your life in exile, you might one day want to go back, whether temporarily or permanently. Or you might not. Or you might just want to wait and see how things pan out. The choice should be yours and not the government’s
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
As a first step, the EU needs to convince Belgium to hand over the frozen Russian assets. For Europe to fail to do so at the next European Council meeting Dec 18-19 would be disastrous. Belgium’s concerns need to be assuaged, but they can’t be allowed to stand in the way of European security.
Von der Leyen, Merz: Talks with Belgium over Russian assets were ‘constructive’
Yet the Belgian leader gave no indication he will relent on his opposition to use the frozen funds.
www.politico.eu
December 7, 2025 at 10:43 AM
As a first step, the EU needs to convince Belgium to hand over the frozen Russian assets. For Europe to fail to do so at the next European Council meeting Dec 18-19 would be disastrous. Belgium’s concerns need to be assuaged, but they can’t be allowed to stand in the way of European security.
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
Such an important point, and I'm surprised that I haven't run across it elsewhere in the literature so far. And while East Africa was already long integrated into the Indian Ocean trading system, it was via staged intermediaries rather than end-to-end connections, and didn't extend westward.
December 7, 2025 at 11:23 AM
Such an important point, and I'm surprised that I haven't run across it elsewhere in the literature so far. And while East Africa was already long integrated into the Indian Ocean trading system, it was via staged intermediaries rather than end-to-end connections, and didn't extend westward.
Since @sharonk.bsky.social is getting people to talk about Christians in India, let me drop some music. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKbj...
Cassettes-Engtin nge ni dawn (official music video)
YouTube video by Zo Siam
www.youtube.com
December 7, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Since @sharonk.bsky.social is getting people to talk about Christians in India, let me drop some music. www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKbj...
Reposted by Alon (they/them)
fun facts about the new-ish Seoul Metro Line 1 Yeoncheon Station:
-it is the only subway station north of the 38th parallel
-it is about 10km from the nearest border with North Korea
-the extension was created to help soldiers commute (many complained they've long been bilked by taxi drivers)
-it is the only subway station north of the 38th parallel
-it is about 10km from the nearest border with North Korea
-the extension was created to help soldiers commute (many complained they've long been bilked by taxi drivers)
I'll always remember back in late 2023 Seoul Metro's S-Bahn/RER, L1, got extended 20km north to Yeoncheon on a rebuilt partly single-track re-alignment of the Gyeongwon Line. The cost of the project? ~27 million INT$/km.
December 6, 2025 at 6:51 PM
fun facts about the new-ish Seoul Metro Line 1 Yeoncheon Station:
-it is the only subway station north of the 38th parallel
-it is about 10km from the nearest border with North Korea
-the extension was created to help soldiers commute (many complained they've long been bilked by taxi drivers)
-it is the only subway station north of the 38th parallel
-it is about 10km from the nearest border with North Korea
-the extension was created to help soldiers commute (many complained they've long been bilked by taxi drivers)
Apparently, the British welfare system with its monthly cutoffs doesn't know what to do when people get paid weekly.
Today, we do not criticize German digital governance.
Today, we do not criticize German digital governance.
(the exchange which made me realise that it was not just an issue of resources and capacity, the British civil service really does have some serious problems of competence)
December 6, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Apparently, the British welfare system with its monthly cutoffs doesn't know what to do when people get paid weekly.
Today, we do not criticize German digital governance.
Today, we do not criticize German digital governance.