Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 13h

Great news. Partnering with Joe Schweiterman at DePaul?

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 13h

Unfortunately DVRPC just approved its long range plan with I-95 widening fully in scope

Thomas Bamonte @thomasbamonte.bsky.social · 14h

Here's an example of a metropolitan planning organization that views its role as including critical evaluation of projects proposed by project sponsors, in this case a state DOT. www.alxnow.com/2025/10/15/t...

Transportation board unanimously defers I-495 express lanes project, directs VDOT to report back in 2026 | ALXnow

The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board unanimously voted Wednesday to defer including Virginia's controversial I-495 Southside Express Lanes project in its long-range transportation...

www.alxnow.com

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 19h

Caption straight out of the 1910s

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Reposted by Ben S

Ben K. @benjaminkabak.com · 19h

Fossilized Northeast Democratic machines running sclerotic candidates is going to be the death of America

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 19h

"NJ Governor's Race: Sherrill 50%, Ciattarelli 44%, Quinnipiac University New Jersey Poll Finds; Ciattarelli Holds Edge On Enthusiasm" -- poll.qu.edu/poll-release...

NJ Governor's Race: Sherrill 50%, Ciattarelli 44%, Quinnipiac University New Jersey Poll Finds; Ciattarelli Holds Edge On Enthusiasm | Quinnipiac University Poll

"While Jack Ciattarelli holds a fairly solid eleven percentage point lead among male voters, Mikie Sherrill has nearly double that lead with female voters," said Quinnipiac University Polling Analys...

poll.qu.edu

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Reposted by Ben S

Progress & Poverty @pandpinst.bsky.social · 21h

We’re thrilled to share that the Progress and Poverty Institute is now an official partner of YIMBY Action!

Both organizations share a deep commitment to building thriving, affordable, and inclusive communities — and now we’re joining forces to make that vision a reality.

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 19h

You cannot capital-invest your way to meaningfully more efficient operations if it's already best in the nation. Yet another distraction from sustainable operating funding

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 19h

You can always count on our City Hall to ruin nice things that already existed

Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 23h

The OP post is overtly sarcastic and playing dumb

Reposted by Ben S

Avi Wolfman-Arent @avi-wa.bsky.social · 23h

The New York Times has a new deep dive on Philly's original Love Park...a skateboarding mecca that was demolished in 2016 and recently reopened in...Sweden

www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/m...

The Ultimate Pilgrimage for the Middle-Aged Skateboarder

www.nytimes.com

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 23h

A good day when it was not blocked by municipal vehicles

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 23h

Love to undermine the financial stability of transit agencies and sow distrust with decisionmakers to advocate for my position

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 23h

Scrapping the lights was the worst crime

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 1d

China and Eastern Europe use plastic tokens with RFID capability to tap on the same reader. At the end of the distance-based single trip, the token is deposited into the turnstile to exit. Same functionality as the paper ticket without the waste

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 1d

Philly tied for 4th is practically unbelievable but something seems to be working for the region

Joey Politano🏳️‍🌈 @josephpolitano.bsky.social · 2d

As US job growth slows, 11 major metro areas have lost jobs over the last year

Fastest growth: Charlotte (2.5%), San Juan (2.3%), Richmond (2.2%), San Antonio (1.9%), Philadelphia (1.9%)

Largest decline: Milwaukee (-.7%), St. Louis (-.6%), SF (-.5%), DC (-.3%), Denver (-.2%)

A graph of year-on-year change in nonfarm payrolls among the 50 largest metro areas by population

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Reposted by Ben S

Joseph N DiStefano @phillyjoed.bsky.social · 1d

China cuts off Philly Shipyard supplies to punish Korea's Hanwha for siding with U.S. in trade war. My story: www.inquirer.com/business/han...

China cuts off Philly Shipyard supplies to punish Hanwha for partnership with U.S. amid trade fight

The Korean shipbuilder is getting squeezed between Chinese suppliers and U.S. customers as President Donald Trump prepares to meet with China's leader Xi Jinping,

www.inquirer.com

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 1d

We get priced-out New Yorkers, they get ambitious Philly graduates. So brain drain is still happening

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 1d

We still don't know where the actual terminal will be right? Hopefully close enough to the Navy Yard to give it some more activity

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Reposted by Ben S

Andy Randles @andyrandles.bsky.social · 2d

What is even the purpose of SEPA if a 594-stall parking garage is able to receive a "determination of non-significance"
www.djc.com/news/ae/1217...

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Reposted by Ben S

Jake Blumgart @jblumgart.bsky.social · 1d

Philly's Mayor Parker has taken a Jurassic Park approach to President Trump: If we don't move, he won't see us. www.inquirer.com/politics/phi...

Mayor Parker’s restraint with Trump is both calculation and gamble as the president escalates against blue cities

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has avoided overtly criticizing Trump, even as the president has sought to deploy troops to other American cities against the will of their Democratic mayors.

www.inquirer.com

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 1d

Did SFMTA look at Dayton's successful deployment of IMC with Gillig/Kiepe before doing this pilot?
kiepe-group.com/en/solutions...

Dayton - Kiepe Electric

kiepe-group.com

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Reposted by Ben S

Jarrett Walker @humantransit.bsky.social · 1d

Seattle's transit agency is pivoting away from battery electric buses, and looking to reinvest in a well-tested technology: trolleybuses. www.theurbanist.org/2025/10/13/m...

Metro Plans Trolleybus Investments, with Long Implementation Timelines » The Urbanist

# After pivoting away from an aggressive schedule for battery-bus adoption, King County Metro plans to focus attention on the tried-and-true trolley network. But limited staff, delays obtaining materi...

www.theurbanist.org

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 1d

They were too exposed to PRR and transit competition

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 2d

There has to be a level of savings with contactless by not having to buy replacement Ventra card stock as frequently

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 2d

Best guess: the relatively early national consolidation into CN/CP put more emphasis on long-distance rather than commuter rail, compared to e.g. PRR. Also suburban development was attempted in Mt. Royal but was apparently cut short by WWI as well
fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ligne_E...

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Ben S @bensh3.bsky.social · 2d

Nope, it was literally a converted airplane hanger off to the east
www.airporthistory.org/phl-80years-...

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