Ben S
@bensh3.bsky.social
Transit planning & geospatial analysis
Ed Bacon fan | 平均地权 upholder | Philadelphia maneto
Posts are mine only and don't reflect anyone else
Ed Bacon fan | 平均地权 upholder | Philadelphia maneto
Posts are mine only and don't reflect anyone else
Reposted by Ben S
Trains to boats
November 25, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Trains to boats
Reposted by Ben S
"there are no third spaces anymore" wrong. blast furnace
November 25, 2025 at 12:59 AM
"there are no third spaces anymore" wrong. blast furnace
Lance Haver and his band of "consumer advocates" should explain why they're aligned with this POS
November 24, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Lance Haver and his band of "consumer advocates" should explain why they're aligned with this POS
Reposted by Ben S
the idea of a neighborhood character is every bit as reactionary as the idea of a national character, and is motivated by the same thing: "I deserve to be here and others don't"
Great piece on how density restrictions in zoning are essentially BS.
November 24, 2025 at 4:55 PM
the idea of a neighborhood character is every bit as reactionary as the idea of a national character, and is motivated by the same thing: "I deserve to be here and others don't"
@robertmanduca.bsky.social's spatial work across metropolitan finance is truly groundbreaking and eye-opening, and this is yet another example of that
🚨We analyzed 138 million geocoded property tax records to quantify how municipal boundaries spatially overlap onto economic segregation in every US metro area—creating disparities in localities’ ability to fund public goods. And we made an interactive map of our results! [1/16]
November 24, 2025 at 5:50 PM
@robertmanduca.bsky.social's spatial work across metropolitan finance is truly groundbreaking and eye-opening, and this is yet another example of that
Reposted by Ben S
Rick Cotton is stepping down from the Port Authority. We need to pressure Hochul to appoint someone who cares about transit.
November 24, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Rick Cotton is stepping down from the Port Authority. We need to pressure Hochul to appoint someone who cares about transit.
Reposted by Ben S
"Why I lost faith in zoning." tinyurl.com/5n8sh428 Baltimore’s former zoning board executive director, on why she supports @mayorbmscott.bsky.social bills to promote more density and multi-family housing in the city. [OP-ED]
Baltimore’s former zoning board director explains why she lost faith in zoning | Baltimore Brew
The mayor’s “Housing Options and Opportunity” legislation – including Bill 25-0066 – will go a long way toward fixing an unfair system. [OP-ED]
tinyurl.com
November 24, 2025 at 12:39 PM
"Why I lost faith in zoning." tinyurl.com/5n8sh428 Baltimore’s former zoning board executive director, on why she supports @mayorbmscott.bsky.social bills to promote more density and multi-family housing in the city. [OP-ED]
Reposted by Ben S
1018 S 5TH ST
November 24, 2025 at 2:22 AM
1018 S 5TH ST
Reposted by Ben S
For decades, China's only electrified suburban railway was a 300km-system in Fushun, an industrial city of a little over a million in Liaoning province. I wrote a little about it: kaptrice.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
The Fushun Electric Railway - China's First Electric Railway
China is not a country well-known for legacy suburban railways. Although lately several dozen new-build lines have appeared, and several mai...
kaptrice.blogspot.com
November 18, 2025 at 8:21 PM
For decades, China's only electrified suburban railway was a 300km-system in Fushun, an industrial city of a little over a million in Liaoning province. I wrote a little about it: kaptrice.blogspot.com/2025/11/the-...
Reposted by Ben S
Reposted by Ben S
This pedestrian bridge between a parking garage and a Home2 Suites by Hilton does *not* need to go this hard.
November 21, 2025 at 5:58 PM
This pedestrian bridge between a parking garage and a Home2 Suites by Hilton does *not* need to go this hard.
Reposted by Ben S
Another really remarkable thing about this is when Trump, for about 10 seconds in public, wrestles with the notion that the job he really wanted in politics was New York City mayor
November 21, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Another really remarkable thing about this is when Trump, for about 10 seconds in public, wrestles with the notion that the job he really wanted in politics was New York City mayor
Reposted by Ben S
I don't want to blow up the mentions of some my Philly follows, but it's a good debate worth keeping tabs on. The hollowing out of Center City and everyone going to office parks in KoP (or [insert burb]) has been *bad* for Philly residents, Philly government finances and SEPTA.
November 21, 2025 at 11:37 PM
I don't want to blow up the mentions of some my Philly follows, but it's a good debate worth keeping tabs on. The hollowing out of Center City and everyone going to office parks in KoP (or [insert burb]) has been *bad* for Philly residents, Philly government finances and SEPTA.
It is pure malpractice to advance this bill forward before lowering our sky-high business taxes. Philly will turn into a city of reverse commuters abandoning transit and our Democratic leadership down to the progressives in Gauthier are fully on board
Mayor Parker successfully lobbied Harrisburg to allow the city to create a 20 year tax abatement for the conversion, and demolition, of underutilized buildings to residential uses. She says an affordability component will be part of her bill next year: www.inquirer.com/real-estate/...
20-year tax abatement to help turn schools into homes may soon be legal in Philly
Buried in the state budget is a provision allowing for the new abatement. It is now up to City Council and Mayor Parker to craft city legislation to support it.
www.inquirer.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:29 PM
It is pure malpractice to advance this bill forward before lowering our sky-high business taxes. Philly will turn into a city of reverse commuters abandoning transit and our Democratic leadership down to the progressives in Gauthier are fully on board
It would be really great to see preservation advocates and Friends of the Wissahickon partner with traffic safety advocates for a light at Gypsy Lane, speed humps & protective bollards so that Wissahickon Hall doesn't suffer another car crash. Also could have a bridge across the Wiss to the trail
An Underutilized Landmark on Lincoln Drive Receives Some TLC
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is spending $750K to repair Wissahickon Hall, but to what end?
hiddencityphila.org/2025/11/an-u...
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is spending $750K to repair Wissahickon Hall, but to what end?
hiddencityphila.org/2025/11/an-u...
An Underutilized Landmark on Lincoln Drive Receives Some TLC
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation is spending $750K to repair Wissahickon Hall, but to what end?
hiddencityphila.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:59 PM
It would be really great to see preservation advocates and Friends of the Wissahickon partner with traffic safety advocates for a light at Gypsy Lane, speed humps & protective bollards so that Wissahickon Hall doesn't suffer another car crash. Also could have a bridge across the Wiss to the trail
In an effort to remain one of the worst Councilmembers, Cindy Bass is filing an appeal to prevent the replacement of this non-historic 1940s airlite into 13 new homes, which is even by-right legal under zoning. This is why we have a housing crisis Mayor Parker!
phila.legistar.com/LegislationD...
phila.legistar.com/LegislationD...
November 21, 2025 at 3:21 PM
In an effort to remain one of the worst Councilmembers, Cindy Bass is filing an appeal to prevent the replacement of this non-historic 1940s airlite into 13 new homes, which is even by-right legal under zoning. This is why we have a housing crisis Mayor Parker!
phila.legistar.com/LegislationD...
phila.legistar.com/LegislationD...
American insistence that money for transit grows on trees is really what killed the private operators. To a large degree we didn't deserve privately-run transit
In 1922 Buffalonians organized the “Nickel or Walk Club.” Condemning “Mittenism,” they pledged “to walk or seek other means of transportation until such time as the International Railway company restores the five cent fare and guarantees better seating accommodations to the car-riding public.”
November 21, 2025 at 2:36 PM
American insistence that money for transit grows on trees is really what killed the private operators. To a large degree we didn't deserve privately-run transit
Reposted by Ben S
Reposted by Ben S
A poor predominantly Black tract in North Philly West— unlike NYC this tract uses primarily buses for transportation despite the Broad Street line ~ 1 mile away.
Housing is mostly standard Philly rowhouses & the tract suffers from disinvestment with empty plots visible in the satellite imagery
Housing is mostly standard Philly rowhouses & the tract suffers from disinvestment with empty plots visible in the satellite imagery
November 20, 2025 at 8:51 PM
A poor predominantly Black tract in North Philly West— unlike NYC this tract uses primarily buses for transportation despite the Broad Street line ~ 1 mile away.
Housing is mostly standard Philly rowhouses & the tract suffers from disinvestment with empty plots visible in the satellite imagery
Housing is mostly standard Philly rowhouses & the tract suffers from disinvestment with empty plots visible in the satellite imagery
Reposted by Ben S
For a fun GIS project I mapped the highest transit mode share census tract in every state to examine transit dependent neighborhoods across the country, particularly in less urban states. The national peak tract map is below with individual maps in this thread from highest to lowest.
November 20, 2025 at 8:51 PM
For a fun GIS project I mapped the highest transit mode share census tract in every state to examine transit dependent neighborhoods across the country, particularly in less urban states. The national peak tract map is below with individual maps in this thread from highest to lowest.
With two NJ light rail projects now not poised to not get federal funding (+Glassboro-Camden Line), maybe NJ Transit should trade in NEPA planners for in-house capital engineers and incrementally build out the extensions with state funding
“The Northern Branch Project”from NJ Transit will bring the Light Rail tracks 10 miles further north to an anticipated terminal at Englewood Hospital
NJ Transit Announces Plans to Expand Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Service
The Hudson-Bergen Light Rail line will extend service into North Bergen with a proposed station at Englewood Hospital. Read more.
www.hobokengirl.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:04 PM
With two NJ light rail projects now not poised to not get federal funding (+Glassboro-Camden Line), maybe NJ Transit should trade in NEPA planners for in-house capital engineers and incrementally build out the extensions with state funding
Reposted by Ben S
Police say a woman was struck and killed by a car while walking to work with colleagues in University City early Thursday morning. The driver fled the scene. www.audacy.com/kywnewsradio...
Woman fatally struck by car while walking to work in University City
Philadelphia police said a woman was struck and killed by a car while walking to work with colleagues in University City on Thursday morning. The driver fled the scene.
www.audacy.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Police say a woman was struck and killed by a car while walking to work with colleagues in University City early Thursday morning. The driver fled the scene. www.audacy.com/kywnewsradio...
"over the past century most of the vacant property in the city has been developed, the budget says"
November 20, 2025 at 4:33 AM
"over the past century most of the vacant property in the city has been developed, the budget says"
Just like how @councilmemberjg.bsky.social hopes the courts will rule in her favor to build housing, I hope that future upzoning efforts by the Councilmember will enable housing to be built by-right without years of delays and legal risk. It's only the logical thing to do
November 20, 2025 at 4:23 AM
Just like how @councilmemberjg.bsky.social hopes the courts will rule in her favor to build housing, I hope that future upzoning efforts by the Councilmember will enable housing to be built by-right without years of delays and legal risk. It's only the logical thing to do
Reposted by Ben S
Why does Philly have so much public art? Because we demand it! Come learn about Philly‘s historic Percent for Art mandate. A history-making work of dual legislations that cities across the country are still emulating to this day.
November 20, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Why does Philly have so much public art? Because we demand it! Come learn about Philly‘s historic Percent for Art mandate. A history-making work of dual legislations that cities across the country are still emulating to this day.