Ryan Richter, AICP
@ryanjrichter.com
Transportation/urban planner. Fascinated with cities, geography and the movement of people and goods. Chicagoan. ryanjrichter.com
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Ryan Richter, AICP
@ryanjrichter.com
· Jun 13
Me, yapping about the benefit/cost and community mobility improvements of the CREATE Program.
Jesus fuck they could have written this article years ago.
November 26, 2025 at 7:42 AM
Jesus fuck they could have written this article years ago.
It's the enshittification theory applied to Starbucks. They basically brought back the cafe model with their stores then decided to sacrifice it all on the profitability of drive thru stores. At this point, what makes them different from any other chain?
Me: I want Starbucks to fail and small cafes to thrive.
Also me: NOT LIKE THAT!
Also me: NOT LIKE THAT!
After spending a few days in the car sprawl of Louisville I can see how Starbucks sales are in decline.
These little drivethrus have popped up everywhere in a matter of months
These little drivethrus have popped up everywhere in a matter of months
November 25, 2025 at 1:33 PM
It's the enshittification theory applied to Starbucks. They basically brought back the cafe model with their stores then decided to sacrifice it all on the profitability of drive thru stores. At this point, what makes them different from any other chain?
What is the standard operating procedure for these things when there's a wheelchair user or stroller in the way?
Example 1000 of these privately operated machines from Uber blocking access to sidewalks for pedestrians and people using strollers and mobility aids.
November 20, 2025 at 3:29 PM
What is the standard operating procedure for these things when there's a wheelchair user or stroller in the way?
I added stops at UP-NW at Western/Logan, UP-N at Addison/Lincoln, UP-W Fulton Market as my personal top three choices. Many, many other valid ones.
Cook County has an active infill rail station study underway. Put dots on the map where you want a new train station. cook-rail-survey-hntbcorp.hub.arcgis.com
Cook County Rail Survey
Take the Cook County Rail Infill Station Study Survey for where you'd like to see rail stations.
cook-rail-survey-hntbcorp.hub.arcgis.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:23 PM
I added stops at UP-NW at Western/Logan, UP-N at Addison/Lincoln, UP-W Fulton Market as my personal top three choices. Many, many other valid ones.
I want to see 10 story minimum from the lake to the river.
“Residents overwhelmingly asked for more housing near transit, fewer parking requirements and better design standards while pushing to preserve the ward’s older housing stock — priorities that now form the foundation of the final plan and Lawson’s guidelines.”
blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/18/w...
blockclubchicago.org/2025/11/18/w...
What Will Lakeview Look Like In 10 Years? New Community Plan Offers A Roadmap
Ald. Bennett Lawson’s plan calls for more transit-oriented housing, stronger design standards and redevelopment of four long-vacant sites.
blockclubchicago.org
November 20, 2025 at 3:45 AM
I want to see 10 story minimum from the lake to the river.
I find this discussion of Iowa City's free bus to be interesting. I am a proud alum of the University of Iowa and a former bus driver for the university's bus system, Cambus. So, naturally, I have a few thoughts.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/c...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/c...
Iowa City Made Its Buses Free. Traffic Cleared, and So Did the Air.
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:40 PM
I find this discussion of Iowa City's free bus to be interesting. I am a proud alum of the University of Iowa and a former bus driver for the university's bus system, Cambus. So, naturally, I have a few thoughts.
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/c...
Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/11/18/c...
I am really tired of 12 minute headways on the Blue Line during rush hour. 5 trains per hour is unacceptable.
November 12, 2025 at 10:02 PM
I am really tired of 12 minute headways on the Blue Line during rush hour. 5 trains per hour is unacceptable.
One thing I want to highlight in this excellent post about the operational reforms still needed from the service boards that will be under NITA is the fact that CTA has extreme difficulty relocating its bus stops within the city of Chicago. Why?
citythatworks.substack.com/p/we-havent-...
citythatworks.substack.com/p/we-havent-...
We haven't saved transit yet
What comes after the fiscal cliff
citythatworks.substack.com
November 7, 2025 at 4:03 PM
One thing I want to highlight in this excellent post about the operational reforms still needed from the service boards that will be under NITA is the fact that CTA has extreme difficulty relocating its bus stops within the city of Chicago. Why?
citythatworks.substack.com/p/we-havent-...
citythatworks.substack.com/p/we-havent-...
This puts an interesting wrinkle in my transportation planning study.
Unfortunately NITA is making us pay for the CTA’s bad service planning just a little bit longer: the legislation requires reopening the Central Blue Line station, which probably could’ve been entirely mitigated by having the 7, 12, and/or 85 simply end at an existing Blue Line station instead
November 5, 2025 at 3:05 PM
This puts an interesting wrinkle in my transportation planning study.
Lots of factual errors here, mostly that rush hour only buses do not trigger the parking reduction. Also...suburbanites, if you want to be able to drive and park everywhere, 99.9% of the built environment is for you!
If The Tribbles Are Against Ya, Ya Know You're On The Right Side, Part 2,304,678
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/04/e...
www.chicagotribune.com/2025/11/04/e...
November 4, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Lots of factual errors here, mostly that rush hour only buses do not trigger the parking reduction. Also...suburbanites, if you want to be able to drive and park everywhere, 99.9% of the built environment is for you!
Weird way to describe a torture program. You can draw a direct line from Dick Cheney to Donald Trump, even if the former hates the latter.
November 4, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Weird way to describe a torture program. You can draw a direct line from Dick Cheney to Donald Trump, even if the former hates the latter.
Yeah, no kidding CBP didn't want to linger in a neighborhood filled with cops.
Here's the second half of CBP walking him away. But the protesting continued as they were present and as they left. Whistles were at the end. I got the sense CBP didn't want to linger. Saw from BORSTAR and BORTAC here.
October 31, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Yeah, no kidding CBP didn't want to linger in a neighborhood filled with cops.
I went to France for a week this summer and survived on nothing but red wine, cheese and trains. AMA.
A French cyclist survived for three days after a horrendous 130-foot fall into a ravine, kept alive by the bottles of red wine he had in his shopping bag, police said.
Cyclist falls down 130-foot ravine in France, survives 3 days by drinking wine he had in shopping bag
A helicopter airlifted him to hospital, with a rescue doctor calling his survival "a miracle."
cbsn.ws
October 31, 2025 at 4:07 PM
I went to France for a week this summer and survived on nothing but red wine, cheese and trains. AMA.
We saw what happened in Philly with their transit fiscal cliff and turned around and ran the other way.
Illinois is ending a Chaotic Era and has entered a Stable Era, meaning we can rehydrate our population and blossom until the next Chaotic Era falls upon us.
October 31, 2025 at 3:35 PM
We saw what happened in Philly with their transit fiscal cliff and turned around and ran the other way.
Nothing like riding into work on a smokey blue line train! At least transit is saved so now we can go back to more routine complaints.
October 31, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Nothing like riding into work on a smokey blue line train! At least transit is saved so now we can go back to more routine complaints.
Consultants licking their chops!
List of harder parts: (?)
- selecting good board members
- standing up a new authority while dissolving an extant authority
- figuring out how exactly to do all of the service studies (and other policy implementation) stipulated in the bill
- selecting good board members
- standing up a new authority while dissolving an extant authority
- figuring out how exactly to do all of the service studies (and other policy implementation) stipulated in the bill
October 31, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Consultants licking their chops!
I understand the politics of offsetting road revenues being redirected towards transit with a toll increase on the IL Tollway, but...
The Tollway is a separate authority that receives no general funds.
So the Tollway, which is already flush with revenues, gets an extra $1B?
The Tollway is a separate authority that receives no general funds.
So the Tollway, which is already flush with revenues, gets an extra $1B?
October 31, 2025 at 11:09 AM
I understand the politics of offsetting road revenues being redirected towards transit with a toll increase on the IL Tollway, but...
The Tollway is a separate authority that receives no general funds.
So the Tollway, which is already flush with revenues, gets an extra $1B?
The Tollway is a separate authority that receives no general funds.
So the Tollway, which is already flush with revenues, gets an extra $1B?
We saved public transit!
SB2111 passes the Senate 36-21
October 31, 2025 at 10:30 AM
We saved public transit!
Reposted by Ryan Richter, AICP
JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
October 30, 2025 at 8:07 AM
JD Vance claims that diversity weakens unions, as people end up distrusting each other and not organizing.
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
Let me tell you two menswear stories related to this claim. 🧵
This right here.
More importantly though, it's time to come clean and take a stand on revenue sources. We know what revenue sources the Governor doesn't like; @govpritzker.illinois.gov, what transit revenue package *would* you support?
The House and Senate are clearly still light years apart; we need leadership.
The House and Senate are clearly still light years apart; we need leadership.
October 30, 2025 at 1:56 PM
This right here.
So, if I have this correctly, we're going to cancel SNAP benefits because we don't have the money (we do) and we can't reopen the House because Grijalva is the final vote to release the Epstein files. So pedophiles over people, huh?
October 29, 2025 at 2:45 AM
So, if I have this correctly, we're going to cancel SNAP benefits because we don't have the money (we do) and we can't reopen the House because Grijalva is the final vote to release the Epstein files. So pedophiles over people, huh?
JFC, lol.
At a fundamental level, we have to accept much of silicon valley has gone insane.
An ex-Intel CEO’s mission to build a Christian AI: ‘hasten the coming of Christ’s return’
Patrick Gelsinger, executive chairman of Gloo, has made it his mission to advance Christian principles in Silicon Valley
www.theguardian.com
October 29, 2025 at 2:37 AM
JFC, lol.
Metra clusterf*ck with the signboards out of service at Ogilvie and the conductors giving differing instructions. It shouldn't be this difficult in 2025 to communicate what the hell train we're on.
October 28, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Metra clusterf*ck with the signboards out of service at Ogilvie and the conductors giving differing instructions. It shouldn't be this difficult in 2025 to communicate what the hell train we're on.
This is in my ward. Proud of these neighbors!
October 25, 2025 at 7:01 PM
This is in my ward. Proud of these neighbors!
Undisclosed Tuesday drinking location.
October 21, 2025 at 9:37 PM
Undisclosed Tuesday drinking location.