Jake Berman
@lostsubways.com
Lawyer, historian, mapmaker. Transport + housing nerd. Californian living in New York.
Wrote and illustrated "The Lost Subways of North America". Order the book at: http://lostsubways.com
Wrote and illustrated "The Lost Subways of North America". Order the book at: http://lostsubways.com
The combination of savory marmite and pasta sounds a lot like this fish sauce vinaigrette pasta that I used to make a lot:
www.seriouseats.com/spaghetti-co...
www.seriouseats.com/spaghetti-co...
January 27, 2026 at 5:38 PM
The combination of savory marmite and pasta sounds a lot like this fish sauce vinaigrette pasta that I used to make a lot:
www.seriouseats.com/spaghetti-co...
www.seriouseats.com/spaghetti-co...
The Siberia analogy is apt. Bovino was cracking heads in Chicago and Minneapolis; now he's being transferred to El Centro, California, which has roughly three people, a border crossing, and a cow.
Bovino has wanted to do this his whole life. It really is Siberia for him. I wouldn’r be surprised if he doesn’t go quietly.
January 27, 2026 at 1:54 PM
The Siberia analogy is apt. Bovino was cracking heads in Chicago and Minneapolis; now he's being transferred to El Centro, California, which has roughly three people, a border crossing, and a cow.
Reposted by Jake Berman
Will America build transit using the latest design best practices, like automation, electrification and through-running service?
Or will it continue to build slow, at-grade light rail lines; infrequent diesel commuter trains; and short, impossibly expensive heavy rail subway extensions?
Or will it continue to build slow, at-grade light rail lines; infrequent diesel commuter trains; and short, impossibly expensive heavy rail subway extensions?
What should America’s transit ‘moonshot’ look like?
The nation doesn’t just need more transit. It needs to build faster, more advanced transit in the places with the highest ridership potential.
benjaminschneider.substack.com
January 26, 2026 at 4:03 PM
Will America build transit using the latest design best practices, like automation, electrification and through-running service?
Or will it continue to build slow, at-grade light rail lines; infrequent diesel commuter trains; and short, impossibly expensive heavy rail subway extensions?
Or will it continue to build slow, at-grade light rail lines; infrequent diesel commuter trains; and short, impossibly expensive heavy rail subway extensions?
Turns out that when a city decides to actually build more housing instead of *pretending* it wants to build more housing, it gets more housing. (Hint, hint, @mayor.lacity.gov )
San Diego shows what happens when a city actually lets builders build
Why does San Diego lead California in apartment construction?
www.aol.com
January 26, 2026 at 2:24 PM
Turns out that when a city decides to actually build more housing instead of *pretending* it wants to build more housing, it gets more housing. (Hint, hint, @mayor.lacity.gov )
Reposted by Jake Berman
Darnold in the Super Bowl for Jets fans is like running into an ex who got really into Pilates and promoted to VP after you broke it off.
when the Jets drafted Sam Darnold his OC/QB coach was Jeremy Bates who has not been hired to any job in football since. then they fired the coaching staff and hired Adam Gase who also has not been hired to any job in football since. no i'm not mad about it
January 26, 2026 at 3:22 AM
Darnold in the Super Bowl for Jets fans is like running into an ex who got really into Pilates and promoted to VP after you broke it off.
jets owner woody johnson before the '18 draft: I SWEAR, I'LL DO ANYTHING. PLEASE, WE DESPERATELY NEED A SUPER-BOWL BOUND QB.
[monkey's paw curls]
[monkey's paw curls]
January 26, 2026 at 2:51 AM
jets owner woody johnson before the '18 draft: I SWEAR, I'LL DO ANYTHING. PLEASE, WE DESPERATELY NEED A SUPER-BOWL BOUND QB.
[monkey's paw curls]
[monkey's paw curls]
matthew stafford on that 4th down:
January 26, 2026 at 2:25 AM
matthew stafford on that 4th down:
man. i hate the rams, but mad respect for stafford.
January 26, 2026 at 2:23 AM
man. i hate the rams, but mad respect for stafford.
man. it's nice to see a real football game after the nobody-gets-anywhere-why-are-we-playing-in-a-blizzard game that was the afc championship (even if it's between the 49ers' mortal enemies)
January 26, 2026 at 1:44 AM
man. it's nice to see a real football game after the nobody-gets-anywhere-why-are-we-playing-in-a-blizzard game that was the afc championship (even if it's between the 49ers' mortal enemies)
Reposted by Jake Berman
Brady as an announcer really exposes how long he has spent being an antisocial maniac dedicated to football who now has to sound like a person you’d want to hang out with
January 26, 2026 at 1:37 AM
Brady as an announcer really exposes how long he has spent being an antisocial maniac dedicated to football who now has to sound like a person you’d want to hang out with
New blog on a snowy day in NYC, about my granny's hometown in rural Kansas.
Don't fall into the trap of glamorizing rural life.
This is going to be a bit of a diversion from my usual urban posting on a snow day.
I want to talk about my trip back to visit my grandmother's tiny Kansas hometown, and why it's a bad idea to romanti...
53studio.com
January 25, 2026 at 6:35 PM
New blog on a snowy day in NYC, about my granny's hometown in rural Kansas.
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
Let us all have the courage displayed by the residents of Minneapolis.
January 25, 2026 at 2:39 PM
Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored;
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
Reposted by Jake Berman
Snow is nature's urban planner: It can show us what parts of the roadway drivers don't use — and what can be reclaimed for pedestrians.
Post your photos and videos of all the #sneckdowns you see and tag us and @mayor.nyc.gov so today's winter wonderland can inspire better streets year-round!
Post your photos and videos of all the #sneckdowns you see and tag us and @mayor.nyc.gov so today's winter wonderland can inspire better streets year-round!
January 25, 2026 at 2:23 PM
Snow is nature's urban planner: It can show us what parts of the roadway drivers don't use — and what can be reclaimed for pedestrians.
Post your photos and videos of all the #sneckdowns you see and tag us and @mayor.nyc.gov so today's winter wonderland can inspire better streets year-round!
Post your photos and videos of all the #sneckdowns you see and tag us and @mayor.nyc.gov so today's winter wonderland can inspire better streets year-round!
timeline cleanse on a snowy day: a three-part docuseries about the history of chinese food in america.
part 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvXJ...
part 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvXJ...
How Chop Suey Saved San Francisco's Chinatown [Chinese Food: An All-American Cuisine, Pt. 1] | AJ+
YouTube video by AJ+
www.youtube.com
January 25, 2026 at 2:23 PM
timeline cleanse on a snowy day: a three-part docuseries about the history of chinese food in america.
part 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvXJ...
part 1: www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvXJ...
LA Metro: "Nobody takes the bus or train in LA because it's illegal to build apartments near our stations."
Also LA Metro: "It's a terrible idea to legalize apartments near bus and train stations!"
Also LA Metro: "It's a terrible idea to legalize apartments near bus and train stations!"
LA transit agency seeks to override state law allowing more homes near train and bus lines
The L.A. Metro Board of Directors voted to oppose implementation of SB 79, calling for a countywide exemption.
laist.com
January 23, 2026 at 5:11 PM
LA Metro: "Nobody takes the bus or train in LA because it's illegal to build apartments near our stations."
Also LA Metro: "It's a terrible idea to legalize apartments near bus and train stations!"
Also LA Metro: "It's a terrible idea to legalize apartments near bus and train stations!"
Fun announcement: I'm going to be teaching a seminar in global practices in public transportation at Columbia's architecture and urban planning school in Fall 2026.
Any advice, hive mind?
Any advice, hive mind?
January 22, 2026 at 4:09 PM
Fun announcement: I'm going to be teaching a seminar in global practices in public transportation at Columbia's architecture and urban planning school in Fall 2026.
Any advice, hive mind?
Any advice, hive mind?
OOH. They're going to play at Maimonides Park at Coney Island. That's a GORGEOUS venue.
let’s go Brooklyn FC
January 22, 2026 at 2:28 PM
OOH. They're going to play at Maimonides Park at Coney Island. That's a GORGEOUS venue.
Yankee Stadium, Fenway, Wrigley and Oracle Park would like to have a word.
"Confused American family visiting European football stadium can’t find parking lot to get drunk in before the game, ends up in a restaurant."
January 22, 2026 at 2:23 PM
Yankee Stadium, Fenway, Wrigley and Oracle Park would like to have a word.
Puzzle: Tetris.
4x: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.
Space shooter: Freespace 2. (Conveniently, FS2 was also the last great game in the genre.)
4x: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.
Space shooter: Freespace 2. (Conveniently, FS2 was also the last great game in the genre.)
I actually am curious to know what people think are the earliest video games that have a serious claim to being the best in their genre. Not like “good for the time,” but like genuinely better than anything else out there.
January 22, 2026 at 2:07 PM
Puzzle: Tetris.
4x: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.
Space shooter: Freespace 2. (Conveniently, FS2 was also the last great game in the genre.)
4x: Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri.
Space shooter: Freespace 2. (Conveniently, FS2 was also the last great game in the genre.)
i hate the lakers, so i look forward to the documentary.
Jerry Buss built an empire but feared infighting among his children would tear it apart. He was right. "I don’t think my dad would be happy with the way things just went down,” said one. "Not at all.” How family dysfunction and discord fueled the $10B sale: www.espn.com/nba/story/_/...
How Buss family infighting drove the $10B sale of the Lakers
The post-Jerry Buss era was defined by resentment, dysfunction and conflict -- and ended with the loss of the most valuable family-owned franchise in the world.
www.espn.com
January 22, 2026 at 1:09 AM
i hate the lakers, so i look forward to the documentary.
Reposted by Jake Berman
Had an interesting experience today: I went to @lostsubways.com's wedding. (Congrats again Jake!) While there I ran into any number of friends and acquaintances from law school, some of whom I hadn't seen in a literal decade. And I realized: I don't have a good way to stay in touch.
January 19, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Had an interesting experience today: I went to @lostsubways.com's wedding. (Congrats again Jake!) While there I ran into any number of friends and acquaintances from law school, some of whom I hadn't seen in a literal decade. And I realized: I don't have a good way to stay in touch.
I've gotten requests about what people should do about this. If you can't make the board meeting, email [email protected], say that you're emailing about file # 2025-1053, Item 33, and tell the Board to reject the staff recommendation.
For some reason, LA Metro is pushing a proposal to repeal SB79, the new law that legalized apartment buildings near transit.
metro.legistar1.com
January 16, 2026 at 12:43 PM
I've gotten requests about what people should do about this. If you can't make the board meeting, email [email protected], say that you're emailing about file # 2025-1053, Item 33, and tell the Board to reject the staff recommendation.
For some reason, LA Metro is pushing a proposal to repeal SB79, the new law that legalized apartment buildings near transit.
metro.legistar1.com
January 16, 2026 at 3:40 AM
For some reason, LA Metro is pushing a proposal to repeal SB79, the new law that legalized apartment buildings near transit.
Reposted by Jake Berman
New #TalkingHeadways podcast! Jake Berman @lostsubways.com joins the show to talk about his book The Lost Subways of North America - link.theoverheadwire.com/upm3c @usa.streetsblog.org
Talking Headways Podcast: The Lost Subways of North America — Streetsblog USA
Author Jake Berman discusses transit histories through the lens of racial dynamics, monopolies, ballot measures and overlooked cities.
link.theoverheadwire.com
January 15, 2026 at 7:53 PM
New #TalkingHeadways podcast! Jake Berman @lostsubways.com joins the show to talk about his book The Lost Subways of North America - link.theoverheadwire.com/upm3c @usa.streetsblog.org
Love it. The suburbs desperately need retail within walking distance.
The Washington House just approved HB 1175, which would legalize neighborhood corner stores & cafes statewide. The bill was sent directly to the House floor after being approved in committee last session.
A last minute amendment dropped suburbs with fewer than 5,000 people. The vote was 94-2.
A last minute amendment dropped suburbs with fewer than 5,000 people. The vote was 94-2.
January 15, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Love it. The suburbs desperately need retail within walking distance.