Cyrus Hall
@cyrushall.bsky.social
1K followers 560 following 1.8K posts
Mass car use is geometrically incompatible with great cities. Transit & bikes are the future. Tech things sometimes.
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Reposted by Cyrus Hall
jeffreytumlin.bsky.social
Trolleybuses pull power directly into efficient, hill-climbing engines without need for massive, pavement-crushing batteries. Next gen trolleys with in-motion charging offer significant off-wire travel, allowing incremental wire extension. SF and Seattle partnering:
www.sfmta.com/media/43118/...
cyrushall.bsky.social
But 800+ attacks a year seems like a real problem, and maybe the cases shouldn't just go into a black hole of non-resolution.
cyrushall.bsky.social
Owners in SF mostly follow lesh laws, mostly have voice command control, and while I get annoyed with dogs in restaurants, owners mostly follow good guidelines.

In short, I've learned to like dogs while living in SF, as the situation is so much better than in many other places.
cyrushall.bsky.social
As someone who was long afraid of out of control dogs (Colorado is full of them), and who was cornered and trapped by a huge dog while living in Switzerland, I don't have overflowing sympathy for owners who can't control their dog. But SF has felt so sane compared to other places I've lived.
cyrushall.bsky.social
Apparently SF has a special dog court for bite attacks. Seems needless. Your animal attacks someone? You get to go to adult court.

Animal control is part of safety in a city, and this looks like a special carve out such that dog owners get to dodge responsibility.

Also, 800 dog attacks a year?!
Dog attacks keep rising in SF — but canine court hasn’t met in months
Of the dozens of cases not being heard, two involved dogs biting kids and two involved dogs biting cops.
sfstandard.com
cyrushall.bsky.social
BART asking the real questions.
bart.gov
BART @bart.gov · 6h
When will Caltrans start adding time via transit to their freeway signs? ⏳
bart.gov
BART @bart.gov · 7h
Take transit.

It’s safer, better for the environment and it will support our ability to fund service and make improvements.
cyrushall.bsky.social
Thank you for never giving up on finding a way. This was a long, difficult win. Now two more elections next year and we can breathe a sigh of relief for a wee bit.
cyrushall.bsky.social
Paul, CEQA was used by three people in SF to stop bus and bike lanes year after year. Who is being protected here - the majority who need government to improve sustainable transportation options, or a small set of special interests who are afraid of losing a few parking spots?
cyrushall.bsky.social
Maybe we should fix that rather than using it as an excuse to not expand life saving measures. But what do I know...
cyrushall.bsky.social
I'm curious if you've done an analysis there. Operators make up about 11% of BART employees. I'd much rather see the money that would go to automation go to in-fill stations and in-fill lines.
cyrushall.bsky.social
SB 63 has been signed into law by @gavinnewsom.bsky.social! Thank you Governor for allowing the Bay Area the opportunity to fund save public transit by defining a new financial support structure.

Signing statement is attached. It was posted as a scan; afraid there isn't ALT text.
cyrushall.bsky.social
I encourage you to take a bus or two in a city (say, SF) with sufficient service and density for public transit to be depended upon, and let me know if you find all the operator does is drive.

Other countries have this figured out. We're not special. We don't need to wait for some future moment.
cyrushall.bsky.social
As you well know, capital funds aren't forever, and make poor funding for operations. We need sustainable ops funding, not patchwork solutions that also drain the money we need to build and maintain low and zero carbon transportation infrastructure.
cyrushall.bsky.social
And letting transit fail wouod be far more regressive.

Which tax would you have preferred?
Reposted by Cyrus Hall
dereksagehorn.bsky.social
A bit different than every California bus agency seeking discretionary, competitive grant funds to do a one off battery or hydrogen bus purchase.
trenvistaen.bsky.social
Germany aims to reunify the procurement of PSO trains in order to make their acquisition and maintenance easier and cheaper. The model is based on that of the VDV Tram-Train consortium.
Germany's 27 states join forces to make joint train purchases
Since regionalisation, purchasing has become fragmented, losing the benefits of economies of scale.
www.trenvista.net
Reposted by Cyrus Hall
bikeportland.org
Amazing Emergency Naked Ride. Here’s the moment thousands of riders rolled through the protests at the ICE facility and cheers erupted. 😮💯
cyrushall.bsky.social
And the conflation was intentional on that part of opponents in this case.

"Dig once" is not currently working well, and stripping bad faith arguments away from opponents would be good. But I'd also like to imagine the city could someday approach infra projects sanely and cost/time effectively.
cyrushall.bsky.social
We need to get whistles distributed while we prepare for the inevitable federal invasion of SF. Seems to be effective at scaring ICE/CBP thugs.
royalpratt.bsky.social
ICE / Border Patrol threatening to arrest a cyclist for following and recording in Chicago
Reposted by Cyrus Hall
davidzipper.bsky.social
Intelligent Speed Assist is awesome—an affordable and reliable mobility technology that really does save lives. As a safety solution, I’d take ISA 10/10 times over robotaxis.

For more info, see this explainer I wrote for @vox.com
Driving at ridiculous speeds should be physically impossible
Reckless speeding is epidemic in the US. This simple technology could save tens of thousands of lives.
www.vox.com
cyrushall.bsky.social
Stripping perceived moral legitimacy from Christian nationalists is a vital project, and it's largely going to have to come from other Christians. Mad respect for the work Rev. Black is performing.
cyrushall.bsky.social
My grandfather was a Presbyterian minister who was sympathetic to liberation theology while the denomination was quite conservative. Those values were expressed in his life by allying with and supporting the civil rights movement and putting his body on the front line. Always been an inspiration.
outfrontcnn.bsky.social
“We could hear them laughing.”

Rev. David Black, the minister of the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, speaks to #CNN’s Erin Burnett in his first television interview since he was shot in the head with pepper balls while praying in front of an ICE facility.

#OutFrontCNN #News #ICE #Chicago
cyrushall.bsky.social
@gavinnewsom.bsky.social still hasn't signed SB 63, the bill allowing the Bay Area to vote on transit funding next November. Today is the last day he can sign it (or veto it) before it automatically becomes law.

Why the foot dragging?
cyrushall.bsky.social
As someone who got their PhD in Switzerland, it gets my recommendation. I can't recommend anyone move to the US right now.