Bryan Culbertson 🥄
@bryanculbertson.com
he/him
Living the car-free life in Oakland, CA. Don't make me drive.
https://mastodon.social/@bryanculbertson
Living the car-free life in Oakland, CA. Don't make me drive.
https://mastodon.social/@bryanculbertson
Every single AI company is losing a boatload of money with no reasonable path to profitability
The entire industry brings in ~$10B in revenue to cover a $1T+ in expenses. 10x-ing the revenue would be a miracle, but even an 100x increase would be insufficient
www.wheresyoured.at/why-everybod...
The entire industry brings in ~$10B in revenue to cover a $1T+ in expenses. 10x-ing the revenue would be a miracle, but even an 100x increase would be insufficient
www.wheresyoured.at/why-everybod...
November 24, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Every single AI company is losing a boatload of money with no reasonable path to profitability
The entire industry brings in ~$10B in revenue to cover a $1T+ in expenses. 10x-ing the revenue would be a miracle, but even an 100x increase would be insufficient
www.wheresyoured.at/why-everybod...
The entire industry brings in ~$10B in revenue to cover a $1T+ in expenses. 10x-ing the revenue would be a miracle, but even an 100x increase would be insufficient
www.wheresyoured.at/why-everybod...
November 24, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Oakland should close Embarcadero West with plastic posts immediately
Cars get stuck driving across the tracks multiple times a week delaying Capital Corridor and San Joaquins
Stop prioritizing car access for shitty drivers on a low usage road over transit riders
Cars get stuck driving across the tracks multiple times a week delaying Capital Corridor and San Joaquins
Stop prioritizing car access for shitty drivers on a low usage road over transit riders
November 22, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Oakland should close Embarcadero West with plastic posts immediately
Cars get stuck driving across the tracks multiple times a week delaying Capital Corridor and San Joaquins
Stop prioritizing car access for shitty drivers on a low usage road over transit riders
Cars get stuck driving across the tracks multiple times a week delaying Capital Corridor and San Joaquins
Stop prioritizing car access for shitty drivers on a low usage road over transit riders
Nov 20th at 8:15pm
Thank you for looking into this. I was just talking with my friends about how the 22 is such a good route when there is a bus to take, so I would be excited to see the frequency improve
Thank you for looking into this. I was just talking with my friends about how the 22 is such a good route when there is a bus to take, so I would be excited to see the frequency improve
November 21, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Nov 20th at 8:15pm
Thank you for looking into this. I was just talking with my friends about how the 22 is such a good route when there is a bus to take, so I would be excited to see the frequency improve
Thank you for looking into this. I was just talking with my friends about how the 22 is such a good route when there is a bus to take, so I would be excited to see the frequency improve
If AC Transit had gone fare free in 2023 like Iowa City then they could have also experienced the same 118 percent growth!
Instead AC Transit chose higher fares, lower ridership and reduced service
Facts over ideology. Free fares work!
Instead AC Transit chose higher fares, lower ridership and reduced service
Facts over ideology. Free fares work!
November 21, 2025 at 5:09 AM
If AC Transit had gone fare free in 2023 like Iowa City then they could have also experienced the same 118 percent growth!
Instead AC Transit chose higher fares, lower ridership and reduced service
Facts over ideology. Free fares work!
Instead AC Transit chose higher fares, lower ridership and reduced service
Facts over ideology. Free fares work!
I really wish I could use AC Transit more often, but the frequency is just way too poor
November 21, 2025 at 4:17 AM
I really wish I could use AC Transit more often, but the frequency is just way too poor
Cars takes up so much space that drivers think it is the dominant mode of travel, when in fact most people in cities travel by transit, walking or biking
London:
- Personal Car: 34.6%
- Transit: 32.9%
- Walk: 25.8%
- Cycle: 4.5%
- Motorcycle: 1.3%
- Taxi: 0.9%
content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-lo...
London:
- Personal Car: 34.6%
- Transit: 32.9%
- Walk: 25.8%
- Cycle: 4.5%
- Motorcycle: 1.3%
- Taxi: 0.9%
content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-lo...
November 20, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Cars takes up so much space that drivers think it is the dominant mode of travel, when in fact most people in cities travel by transit, walking or biking
London:
- Personal Car: 34.6%
- Transit: 32.9%
- Walk: 25.8%
- Cycle: 4.5%
- Motorcycle: 1.3%
- Taxi: 0.9%
content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-lo...
London:
- Personal Car: 34.6%
- Transit: 32.9%
- Walk: 25.8%
- Cycle: 4.5%
- Motorcycle: 1.3%
- Taxi: 0.9%
content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-lo...
Mode share in London:
- Personal Car: 34.6%
- Walk: 25.8%
- Transit - Bus: 12.9%
- Transit - Underground: 10.1%
- Transit - Overground: 9.8%
- Cycle: 4.5%
- Motorcycle: 1.3%
- Taxi: 0.9%
content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-lo...
- Personal Car: 34.6%
- Walk: 25.8%
- Transit - Bus: 12.9%
- Transit - Underground: 10.1%
- Transit - Overground: 9.8%
- Cycle: 4.5%
- Motorcycle: 1.3%
- Taxi: 0.9%
content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-lo...
November 20, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Mode share in London:
- Personal Car: 34.6%
- Walk: 25.8%
- Transit - Bus: 12.9%
- Transit - Underground: 10.1%
- Transit - Overground: 9.8%
- Cycle: 4.5%
- Motorcycle: 1.3%
- Taxi: 0.9%
content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-lo...
- Personal Car: 34.6%
- Walk: 25.8%
- Transit - Bus: 12.9%
- Transit - Underground: 10.1%
- Transit - Overground: 9.8%
- Cycle: 4.5%
- Motorcycle: 1.3%
- Taxi: 0.9%
content.tfl.gov.uk/travel-in-lo...
Imagine the road expansions you would need to support 40x more cars driving on them 😱
You would have to resurrect the highway proposals from the 50s and more. Say goodbye to Golden Gate Park and hello to Golden Gate Parkway 🤢
You would have to resurrect the highway proposals from the 50s and more. Say goodbye to Golden Gate Park and hello to Golden Gate Parkway 🤢
November 19, 2025 at 10:29 PM
Imagine the road expansions you would need to support 40x more cars driving on them 😱
You would have to resurrect the highway proposals from the 50s and more. Say goodbye to Golden Gate Park and hello to Golden Gate Parkway 🤢
You would have to resurrect the highway proposals from the 50s and more. Say goodbye to Golden Gate Park and hello to Golden Gate Parkway 🤢
Yep! That is a good summary. Higher priority capital projects first and then automation
Adding a 3rd track to the Wye cost $22M in 1981 ($42M in 2025). So maybe $50M-$100M for a 4th track now?
$100M of new track unlocks more service than $2B of automation
onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/t...
Adding a 3rd track to the Wye cost $22M in 1981 ($42M in 2025). So maybe $50M-$100M for a 4th track now?
$100M of new track unlocks more service than $2B of automation
onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/t...
November 18, 2025 at 9:16 PM
Yep! That is a good summary. Higher priority capital projects first and then automation
Adding a 3rd track to the Wye cost $22M in 1981 ($42M in 2025). So maybe $50M-$100M for a 4th track now?
$100M of new track unlocks more service than $2B of automation
onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/t...
Adding a 3rd track to the Wye cost $22M in 1981 ($42M in 2025). So maybe $50M-$100M for a 4th track now?
$100M of new track unlocks more service than $2B of automation
onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/t...
You could also get to 2 minute frequencies by isolating the tracks into an SF line (Yellow) and a EB line (Orange) and requiring a transfer at 12 St between Orange and Yellow lines
A configuration like this may be politically possible after a Link21 tunnel provides mainline rail service
A configuration like this may be politically possible after a Link21 tunnel provides mainline rail service
November 18, 2025 at 6:12 PM
You could also get to 2 minute frequencies by isolating the tracks into an SF line (Yellow) and a EB line (Orange) and requiring a transfer at 12 St between Orange and Yellow lines
A configuration like this may be politically possible after a Link21 tunnel provides mainline rail service
A configuration like this may be politically possible after a Link21 tunnel provides mainline rail service
WMATA is able to automate now because they are funded to operate 5m headways at peak (compared to BART's every 20m)
WMATA's frequent headways induced the largest urban rail ridership growth in the US!
BART will never be able to automate if the state continues to chronically underfund
WMATA's frequent headways induced the largest urban rail ridership growth in the US!
BART will never be able to automate if the state continues to chronically underfund
November 18, 2025 at 4:33 PM
WMATA is able to automate now because they are funded to operate 5m headways at peak (compared to BART's every 20m)
WMATA's frequent headways induced the largest urban rail ridership growth in the US!
BART will never be able to automate if the state continues to chronically underfund
WMATA's frequent headways induced the largest urban rail ridership growth in the US!
BART will never be able to automate if the state continues to chronically underfund
Very rough estimate based on WMATA estimating full automation saving them $14M
November 17, 2025 at 11:55 PM
Very rough estimate based on WMATA estimating full automation saving them $14M
There are a couple ways, to measure efficiency. I am looking at operating costs per-mile from the FTA NTD
www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/data-pro...
www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/data-pro...
November 17, 2025 at 11:39 PM
There are a couple ways, to measure efficiency. I am looking at operating costs per-mile from the FTA NTD
www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/data-pro...
www.transit.dot.gov/ntd/data-pro...
Doyle Street in Emeryville is a perfect model for a quick-build pedestrianization that accommodates necessary vehicle traffic
Berkeley could pedestrianize the left lane of Telegraph exactly like this and leave the right lane for the bus
They could do this all in a week
Berkeley could pedestrianize the left lane of Telegraph exactly like this and leave the right lane for the bus
They could do this all in a week
November 16, 2025 at 4:28 AM
Doyle Street in Emeryville is a perfect model for a quick-build pedestrianization that accommodates necessary vehicle traffic
Berkeley could pedestrianize the left lane of Telegraph exactly like this and leave the right lane for the bus
They could do this all in a week
Berkeley could pedestrianize the left lane of Telegraph exactly like this and leave the right lane for the bus
They could do this all in a week
The average wage for a construction worker in NYC Metro area is $39.34/hr
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
November 14, 2025 at 2:25 AM
The average wage for a construction worker in NYC Metro area is $39.34/hr
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
The average wage for a construction worker in NYC Metro area is $39.34/hr
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
November 14, 2025 at 2:24 AM
The average wage for a construction worker in NYC Metro area is $39.34/hr
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
The average wage for a construction worker in NYC Metro area is $39.24/hr, while the salary for a engineer is $60+
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
November 14, 2025 at 2:20 AM
The average wage for a construction worker in NYC Metro area is $39.24/hr, while the salary for a engineer is $60+
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
OakDOT Director made a similar comment a couple days ago on San Antonio's IG, so I think density this is the current excuse being passed around
November 13, 2025 at 9:43 PM
OakDOT Director made a similar comment a couple days ago on San Antonio's IG, so I think density this is the current excuse being passed around
Looks like Construction Helpers were paid $34.58 in 2024, so a minimum wage of $40 doesn't change much here either
November 13, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Looks like Construction Helpers were paid $34.58 in 2024, so a minimum wage of $40 doesn't change much here either
I have spent too much of my life staring at a broken zscaler window
I am never working for another company that uses them ever again
I am never working for another company that uses them ever again
November 13, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I have spent too much of my life staring at a broken zscaler window
I am never working for another company that uses them ever again
I am never working for another company that uses them ever again
BLS data here is for the NYC Metro area which includes parts of NJ and all of Long Island
censusreporter.org/profiles/310...
censusreporter.org/profiles/310...
November 13, 2025 at 4:11 PM
BLS data here is for the NYC Metro area which includes parts of NJ and all of Long Island
censusreporter.org/profiles/310...
censusreporter.org/profiles/310...
Average wage for construction workers in NYC is currently $39.34, so this won't change construction costs by that much
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
November 13, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Average wage for construction workers in NYC is currently $39.34, so this won't change construction costs by that much
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
data.bls.gov/oes/#/area/0...
Every financial service is hard pitching their "Pay Later" options, going so far as to send push notifications to my phone to apply
This is not what a bull market looks like
This is not what a bull market looks like
November 13, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Every financial service is hard pitching their "Pay Later" options, going so far as to send push notifications to my phone to apply
This is not what a bull market looks like
This is not what a bull market looks like
Entering into the shutdown, 78% of voters wanted to keep the ACA Credits, including 59% of Republicans
Healthcare affordability in general, and ACA Credits in particular, are supported by both Democrat and Republican voters
www.kff.org/public-opini...
Healthcare affordability in general, and ACA Credits in particular, are supported by both Democrat and Republican voters
www.kff.org/public-opini...
November 12, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Entering into the shutdown, 78% of voters wanted to keep the ACA Credits, including 59% of Republicans
Healthcare affordability in general, and ACA Credits in particular, are supported by both Democrat and Republican voters
www.kff.org/public-opini...
Healthcare affordability in general, and ACA Credits in particular, are supported by both Democrat and Republican voters
www.kff.org/public-opini...