Mandi Spishak-Thomas
@aspishakthomas.com
Research professor @ Rutgers studying Medicaid. Social worker and health policy wonk. Union organizer (AAUP-AFT) and member of Brooklyn CB6. Baseball #LFGM and WNBA🗽enthusiast. Free 🇵🇸. ACAB. Still 😷. she/her.
aspishakthomas.com
aspishakthomas.com
Not only do boulders ensure pedestrian islands remain for pedestrians (not cars), but they also provide a much needed place to sit.
In a world where benches and public seating are basically nonexistent, the boulders offer a welcome reprieve for dogs and humans alike!
In a world where benches and public seating are basically nonexistent, the boulders offer a welcome reprieve for dogs and humans alike!
November 25, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Not only do boulders ensure pedestrian islands remain for pedestrians (not cars), but they also provide a much needed place to sit.
In a world where benches and public seating are basically nonexistent, the boulders offer a welcome reprieve for dogs and humans alike!
In a world where benches and public seating are basically nonexistent, the boulders offer a welcome reprieve for dogs and humans alike!
When people complain about the new bike lane and say, “we support a bike lane just not this way” (which we hear a lot on CB6), this is why it needs to be protected and not just a lane in traffic. The second a bike lane is not protected it becomes a secondary place for cars to park, as pictured here.
November 17, 2025 at 3:13 PM
When people complain about the new bike lane and say, “we support a bike lane just not this way” (which we hear a lot on CB6), this is why it needs to be protected and not just a lane in traffic. The second a bike lane is not protected it becomes a secondary place for cars to park, as pictured here.
The big day has finally arrived, thanks to the new protected Court Street bike lane there are beautiful new crosswalks at Court & Douglass St! It’s a great day to be a pedestrian looking to safely cross Court Street 😎
(New curb cuts hopefully coming soon, DOT?????)
(New curb cuts hopefully coming soon, DOT?????)
November 17, 2025 at 3:10 PM
The big day has finally arrived, thanks to the new protected Court Street bike lane there are beautiful new crosswalks at Court & Douglass St! It’s a great day to be a pedestrian looking to safely cross Court Street 😎
(New curb cuts hopefully coming soon, DOT?????)
(New curb cuts hopefully coming soon, DOT?????)
Ventured further down Court Street this morning close to Hamilton, arguably the most important part of the new bike lane given BQE traffic and the general car chaos that area is known for.
Here we already see missing and broken flex posts further underscoring why harder barriers are better.
Here we already see missing and broken flex posts further underscoring why harder barriers are better.
November 14, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Ventured further down Court Street this morning close to Hamilton, arguably the most important part of the new bike lane given BQE traffic and the general car chaos that area is known for.
Here we already see missing and broken flex posts further underscoring why harder barriers are better.
Here we already see missing and broken flex posts further underscoring why harder barriers are better.
Monumental update on Court Street. DOT has begun to put boulders in the pedestrian islands !! Restricting the ability for cars/trucks to bowl the flex posts over AND giving pedestrians a place to sit and relax (shown here).
November 12, 2025 at 2:32 AM
Monumental update on Court Street. DOT has begun to put boulders in the pedestrian islands !! Restricting the ability for cars/trucks to bowl the flex posts over AND giving pedestrians a place to sit and relax (shown here).
Well now it’s just getting egregious, this truck is endangering both pedestrians by parking in the pedestrian island and cars who can’t see clearly to pull onto Court Street
November 4, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Well now it’s just getting egregious, this truck is endangering both pedestrians by parking in the pedestrian island and cars who can’t see clearly to pull onto Court Street
Happy #ElectionDay New Yorkers, get out there and vote for @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social 🔥
November 4, 2025 at 12:56 PM
Happy #ElectionDay New Yorkers, get out there and vote for @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social 🔥
Yet another example of a truck completely disregarding both the tan paint and flex posts that DOT uses to denote a pedestrian island on Court Street…la la la we need sturdier barriers on Court Street
November 3, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Yet another example of a truck completely disregarding both the tan paint and flex posts that DOT uses to denote a pedestrian island on Court Street…la la la we need sturdier barriers on Court Street
Another day, another truck mowed down a flex post on a pedestrian island…
October 31, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Another day, another truck mowed down a flex post on a pedestrian island…
Just a friendly reminder why safe streets advocates are always yelling about things like “hard daylighting” 🤬
Without boulders, planters, seating, or more aggressive barriers, cars continue to disregard flex posts, thus disregarding what should be a lovely pedestrian island. #CourtStBikeLane
Without boulders, planters, seating, or more aggressive barriers, cars continue to disregard flex posts, thus disregarding what should be a lovely pedestrian island. #CourtStBikeLane
October 30, 2025 at 2:39 PM
Just a friendly reminder why safe streets advocates are always yelling about things like “hard daylighting” 🤬
Without boulders, planters, seating, or more aggressive barriers, cars continue to disregard flex posts, thus disregarding what should be a lovely pedestrian island. #CourtStBikeLane
Without boulders, planters, seating, or more aggressive barriers, cars continue to disregard flex posts, thus disregarding what should be a lovely pedestrian island. #CourtStBikeLane
The Carroll Gardens library branch has been closed for over a year so we on @bkcb6.bsky.social worked to open a temporary library branch until they complete the renovations (in 2026). Absolutely thrilled to see I can finally request a library book pick up from the temporary space!
June 24, 2025 at 7:50 PM
The Carroll Gardens library branch has been closed for over a year so we on @bkcb6.bsky.social worked to open a temporary library branch until they complete the renovations (in 2026). Absolutely thrilled to see I can finally request a library book pick up from the temporary space!
Come visit my best poster nominee BP-10, “The Association of Medicaid Estate Recovery with Homeownership, Home Equity, and Medicaid Enrollment” at #ARM25. Let’s talk Medicaid estate recovery and why it might be associated with a ~10% increase in home equity with implications for wealth disparities.
June 8, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Come visit my best poster nominee BP-10, “The Association of Medicaid Estate Recovery with Homeownership, Home Equity, and Medicaid Enrollment” at #ARM25. Let’s talk Medicaid estate recovery and why it might be associated with a ~10% increase in home equity with implications for wealth disparities.
We’re so back, strikes work 🔥
May 20, 2025 at 11:17 AM
We’re so back, strikes work 🔥
It's hard to convey to people who don't conduct research or policy/advocacy work how detrimental the removal of public data will be for years to come. Access to public data allows researchers to conduct rigorous and timely research that can be leveraged to meaningfully impact policy.
February 4, 2025 at 7:47 PM
It's hard to convey to people who don't conduct research or policy/advocacy work how detrimental the removal of public data will be for years to come. Access to public data allows researchers to conduct rigorous and timely research that can be leveraged to meaningfully impact policy.
Muppet and I left the house after 11:30pm in winter to celebrate the start of congestion pricing !!
January 5, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Muppet and I left the house after 11:30pm in winter to celebrate the start of congestion pricing !!
Absolutely want this to exist, until then here’s a 12ft Halloween skeleton dressed in a Santa suit spotted this year in Dyker Heights
December 16, 2024 at 1:41 AM
Absolutely want this to exist, until then here’s a 12ft Halloween skeleton dressed in a Santa suit spotted this year in Dyker Heights