Nick Sementelli
@nsementelli.bsky.social
710 followers 240 following 220 posts
National progressive political strategist by day, local safe streets and housing advocate by night. @ggwash board member.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
joshlinden.bsky.social
For those following the slow drip of DC regional transportation planning, there's a big vote looming

The Transportation Planning Board will decide whether to include a new highway expansion - 11 miles of 4 new toll lanes from VA to MD over the Woodrow Wilson bridge - in Visualize 2050 (small 🧵)
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
davidjroth.bsky.social
It's wild that when Trump talks about how they're getting rid of Democrat Programs and keeping Republican Programs he means "public health" and "Sicario Fantasy Camp: Chicagoland." Full polarization, to the point where anything aimed at keeping people alive or alleviating suffering is woke bullshit.
nsementelli.bsky.social
The story of the 2010s is that the Nazis took over the GOP but your boomer parents still thought of their friends and neighbors when they think of Republicans so they didn't believe it.
jonathanbernstein.bsky.social
Full endorse. Also: The evidence is that it *does* matter. Trump is unpopular! Which is part of why he loses so often!

Most people don't like bigots and Nazi-lovers, but they also don't pay much attention to politics and are not inclined to believe stuff like this. So seeing hard evidence matters.
anamariecox.bsky.social
To everyone who says, "But this won't matter": *MAKE IT MATTER.*

You have that power! This is not inside baseball and your friends and neighbors will likely be appalled. And if they're *not* appalled, don't be cynical yourself. Take the lead, give the cue.
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
sjshancoxli.liberalcurrents.com
one of the reasons they're so mad at "no kings" is that they thought they were going to get a different kind of protest. they *want* the black bloc to be out there fighting with the cops. those are the images they've been trying to generate from "go." instead--

newrepublic.com/article/2016...
MAGA Rage at “No Kings” Boils Over—and It Quickly Backfires on Trump
As Trump allies smear the coming protests, a good writer on MAGA skewers the absurdity of these attacks on large swaths of Americans—and explains why our best recourse will be to turn out in force.
newrepublic.com
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
byerussell.com
The M Street NE protected bike lanes in NoMa *finally* continue through the underpass under the Metro and Amtrak.

This has only been talked about — checks notes — since at least 2015 (ggwash.org/view/38048/n...). #bikedc
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
markharris.bsky.social
Quick question: If the Republicans are right, and someone is paying millions and millions of us to protest, and has done it hundreds of other times, and they STILL can't figure out who's funding us, aren't they way too stupid to hold office?
atrupar.com
Sean Duffy: "The No Kings protest, Maria, really frustrating. This is part of antifa, paid protesters. It begs the question who's funding it."
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
giuliomattioli.bsky.social
Interesting-looking study into the drivers of global transport CO2 emissions from 1850 to 2020 finding that efficiency gains were insufficient to counter rising demand driven by GDP per capita, service intensity, and population doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
davidho.bsky.social
“Living car-free is the most impactful behavior by far in terms of reducing emissions.”
wriclimate.bsky.social
🚲🥗🚗 Small choices matter, but big change happens when systems support them.

WRI Climate ranked 19 climate-friendly behaviors to show which ones cut the most emissions and why policies & businesses must make them accessible.

See the list 👉 bit.ly/4q0pWvC
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
westnorth.com
The essence of why populism doesn't work out: childish answers are usually wrong
veryimportant.lawyer
“I’m strong and I want to have like fifty kids and a farm” of course you do. You’re twelve. “I don’t want to eat vegetables I think steak and French fries is the only meal” hell yeah homie you’re twelve. “Maybe if there’s crime we should just send the army” bless your heart my twelve year old buddy
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
benrosstransit.bsky.social
It's remarkable how the people most insistent on preserving "naturally occurring affordable housing" (older housing with low market rents) are also most insistent on the non-existence of filtering (the market rent of housing declines as it ages).
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
mkorman.bsky.social
I am serving on the Workgroup on the Reorganization of the Maryland Transit Administration. Why do I seek reform? This is why. Maryland’s commuter rail is not living up to its potential and we can do better. Just check out our neighbor.
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
yonahfreemark.com
Puerto Rico and DC—both part of the US, of course—collectively have more than 4 times the population of South Dakota, which Thune represents.
atrupar.com
Thune: "If the Democrats had won the majority, they probably would've tried to nuke the filibuster. And then you'd have four new senators from Puerto Rico and DC, you'd have a packed Supreme Court, you'd have abortion on demand ... "
nsementelli.bsky.social
Car brain: Delivery trucks endangering the lives of the most vulnerable users (cyclists and pedestrians) by parking in bike lanes and crosswalks is perfectly fine.

But the minute it inconveniences drivers, that's when suddenly it becomes a problem.
maustermuhle.bsky.social
It's also notable that in the time since Larson was killed, Columbia Road NW was rebuilt with protected bike lanes and a dedicated bus lane on one portion. Some residents say the redesign is worse because... delivery trucks illegally park in the lanes of traffic.
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
wsinger.bsky.social
Events DC should have paid to the District government an additional $68.7 million in “excess cash” according to DC law
dcauditor.wpenginepowered.com
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
davidzipper.bsky.social
"Though robotaxis have notched up impressive growth, they look ploddingly pedestrian compared with far zippier pedal-powered rivals. [Waymo] proudly proclaims that its cars do around 250k trips a week. Yet in NYC alone that number of trips is made every three days using the city’s bikeshare scheme."
Forget EVs. Cycling is revolutionising transport
Pedal power is booming, spinning up a new culture war
www.economist.com
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
maustermuhle.bsky.social
It was almost four years ago that Nina Larson was killed by a driver as she crossed Columbia Road NW in Adams Morgan. (Story: dcist.com/story/21/11/...) It took until this week for the driver to be found guilty of two misdemeanor offenses.
24-Year-Old Aspiring Opera Singer, Restaurant Worker Killed By Driver In Adams Morgan
Nina Larson was an aspiring opera singer, American University graduate, and employee at Mintwood Place in Adams Morgan.
dcist.com
nsementelli.bsky.social
He looks like a college student dressed up as Angus King for Halloween
ericmgarcia.bsky.social
Spotted: Angus King introducing Ron Wyden to his son Angus King III, who is running for Governor
Angus King, an old white man with a moustache, standing next to Angus King III, a younger white man in a black suit, next to Ron Wyden, an older white man in a charcoal blazer
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
holz-bau.bsky.social
since denver launched its e-bike rebate program - the have sold 10,000 e-bikes and reduced an estimated 1,000,000 car trips - replacing millions of VMTs and reducing air pollution

there are no climate silver bullets... but damn - e-bikes and e-cargo bikes are close

denvergov.org/Government/A...
Denver Celebrates 10,000 E-Bike Rebates
Since its inception in April 2022, Denver has distributed over 10,000 electric bikes (e-bikes) to community members through its pioneering e-bike rebate program. As the first U.S. city to implement su...
denvergov.org
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
grudgie.bsky.social
This is indistinguishable from Newsmax.

WaPo has fallen further than any other once reputable paper
johnsipher.bsky.social
Time to truly cancel your WaPo subscription (even though they still have some great reporters).

“Not only does Donald Trump deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, but there has arguably never been an American president who deserved it more.”

I just can’t.

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...
Opinion | Yes, Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize
His Gaza agreement, though still fragile, adds to an unprecedented peacemaking record.
www.washingtonpost.com
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
davidzipper.bsky.social
The #1 piece of advice that TransLink's CEO offers other North American transit agencies:

Provide frequent service
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
transportenvironment.org
🚛 The Netherlands is seeing a major shift in urban freight thanks to zero-emission zones for freight in 18 of its cities.

By early 2025, 78% of new vans were electric -- compared to just 9% across the EU.

📑 New @cleancitiescampaign.org briefing: bit.ly/431I7al
Clean Cities Campaign graph with the title: Dutch municipalities with zero-emission zones for freight have a higher share of electric vans.
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
michaelcaley.bsky.social
there are so many things a New York City mayor doesn't really have power to do (funding service expansions of any pretty much any sort) but Zohran keeps finding spaces where a mayor really can make a big difference by determining policies and priorities for City Hall

it's exciting
davecolon.bsky.social
Whether it's universal daylighting or restarting Mayor Adams' stalled bus lanes, Zohran Mamdani told Streetsblog he'll get his agenda done even if means fighting the DOT deep state or the big shot political bosses who just endorsed him nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/10/09/m...
Mamdani Vows To Defy DOT Insiders, Political Bosses To Pursue His Streets Agenda - Streetsblog New York City
Mamdani pledged stand up to bureaucrats and political power players who oppose his plans to make streets safer and buses faster.
nyc.streetsblog.org
nsementelli.bsky.social
This is what's in store for opening day of the new Commanders stadium unless we start building a second station right away
chenderson.bsky.social
Closing the larger entrance for the Navy Yard-Ballpark station for escalator repair 1 week before Nationals Park hosts 3 sold out events leads to this.

Dangerous bottleneck on the street level. Bottleneck at the machines. And near empty cars because folks can’t actually get to the platform in time.
Reposted by Nick Sementelli
mims.bsky.social
Humans evolved a cognitive 'social proof' system for establishing what's true (if enough of the people around me believe something, I'll go along) and media fragmentation + social media has completely and totally hijacked it

Feels like AI will only make this worse
lordbusinessman.bsky.social
"no in the future people will cryptographically verify what's true and-" no they will not. People are fucking stupid.