dariusj.bsky.social
@dariusj.bsky.social
You don't have to trust my or anyone else's authority, you can read and criticize the actual work.
May 13, 2025 at 11:36 PM
You don't have to trust my or anyone else's authority, you can read and criticize the actual work.
Having worked on the ETA report, I can tell you it was not primarily Alon's work. I think you're correct about the Marron report's writing, though if other members disagreed deeply with any part of it I'd think it wouldn't be published.
May 13, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Having worked on the ETA report, I can tell you it was not primarily Alon's work. I think you're correct about the Marron report's writing, though if other members disagreed deeply with any part of it I'd think it wouldn't be published.
The report is published by Marron, not just Alon, and ETA also argues Penn Expansion is a waste.
May 13, 2025 at 6:58 PM
The report is published by Marron, not just Alon, and ETA also argues Penn Expansion is a waste.
Consultants work for the agency commissioning the report, there's no additional independence there. Independent checks of project assumptions are welcome, especially with the costs of Penn Expansion.
May 13, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Consultants work for the agency commissioning the report, there's no additional independence there. Independent checks of project assumptions are welcome, especially with the costs of Penn Expansion.
Amazing how you lack substantive critiques. Very helpful, thank you!
May 13, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Amazing how you lack substantive critiques. Very helpful, thank you!
I'm actually sympathetic to this take, but you can derive these lessons from this report — for example, it explains how super elevation speeds up travel times, just as level boarding and electrification do.
May 6, 2025 at 4:02 AM
I'm actually sympathetic to this take, but you can derive these lessons from this report — for example, it explains how super elevation speeds up travel times, just as level boarding and electrification do.
I certainly wouldn't call those projects outright failures, but Second Avenue Subway has become a synonym for government dysfunction (see Ezra Klein). Not conducive to continued support for mass transit, obviously.
May 5, 2025 at 11:38 PM
I certainly wouldn't call those projects outright failures, but Second Avenue Subway has become a synonym for government dysfunction (see Ezra Klein). Not conducive to continued support for mass transit, obviously.
Yet agencies with relatively consistent funding like the MTA have subpar planning uninformed by international practice. Consistent funding isn't enough without pressure for high quality leadership and outcomes. The line for all these agencies no matter how well funded is that they don't have enough.
May 5, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Yet agencies with relatively consistent funding like the MTA have subpar planning uninformed by international practice. Consistent funding isn't enough without pressure for high quality leadership and outcomes. The line for all these agencies no matter how well funded is that they don't have enough.
Sure, this does not mean technical standards don't matter, or that pointing out modern planning practices isn't important.
May 5, 2025 at 11:14 PM
Sure, this does not mean technical standards don't matter, or that pointing out modern planning practices isn't important.
The Northeast Corridor has seen at least planning money for decades, but the planning since electrification has not produced good results. Bad practices need to be called out and addressed, or you burn remarkable amounts of cash.
May 5, 2025 at 11:12 PM
The Northeast Corridor has seen at least planning money for decades, but the planning since electrification has not produced good results. Bad practices need to be called out and addressed, or you burn remarkable amounts of cash.
I can't say this is a bad policy, but yeah you're just cranking the money spigot. Amtrak itself isn't an effective agency with capital projects or service planning, and you suggest nothing to fix that.
May 5, 2025 at 11:07 PM
I can't say this is a bad policy, but yeah you're just cranking the money spigot. Amtrak itself isn't an effective agency with capital projects or service planning, and you suggest nothing to fix that.
The point of a technical report isn't primarily in convincing, it's to show what needs to be done. Attacking bloated budgets and lacking progress is the main strategy, this is the alternative.
What's your reform strategy, demanding the money spigot be opened ever wider, with few visible results?
What's your reform strategy, demanding the money spigot be opened ever wider, with few visible results?
May 5, 2025 at 11:01 PM
The point of a technical report isn't primarily in convincing, it's to show what needs to be done. Attacking bloated budgets and lacking progress is the main strategy, this is the alternative.
What's your reform strategy, demanding the money spigot be opened ever wider, with few visible results?
What's your reform strategy, demanding the money spigot be opened ever wider, with few visible results?
What's unworkable is that tens of billions of dollars being pumped into the corridor will achieve not much more than status quo. The exact reason grand visions collapse is because the nuts and bolts were defective.
May 5, 2025 at 10:55 PM
What's unworkable is that tens of billions of dollars being pumped into the corridor will achieve not much more than status quo. The exact reason grand visions collapse is because the nuts and bolts were defective.
This is where you seem to contradict yourself; the technical standards are load bearing because they're not irrelevant, but actually incredibly important
May 5, 2025 at 10:38 PM
This is where you seem to contradict yourself; the technical standards are load bearing because they're not irrelevant, but actually incredibly important
Love your work but this does not look like the place to economize
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Ne...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Ne...
March 29, 2025 at 3:33 PM
Love your work but this does not look like the place to economize
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Ne...
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Ne...
When passing through a space in passing, I still appreciate the architecture; I like Moynihan when I'm passing through it for work, for example. I think it is a fair callout that too much Penn conversation focuses on aesthetics alone, which is ultimately secondary
January 11, 2025 at 5:16 AM
When passing through a space in passing, I still appreciate the architecture; I like Moynihan when I'm passing through it for work, for example. I think it is a fair callout that too much Penn conversation focuses on aesthetics alone, which is ultimately secondary
I live near four small business supermarkets and a number of smaller grocery stores all concentrated on one block, and this enables access to high quality produce that's better than what you find in Trader Joe's. It's walkable and not corporate; is there a reason this arrangement isn't more common?
January 5, 2025 at 6:35 PM
I live near four small business supermarkets and a number of smaller grocery stores all concentrated on one block, and this enables access to high quality produce that's better than what you find in Trader Joe's. It's walkable and not corporate; is there a reason this arrangement isn't more common?
Anyone that spends time as a pedestrian in Manhattan (not just residents) will have a more pleasant experience. Drivers that still drive into the zone will save time, which has significant economic value. And 90%+ commuters are in fact taking public transit already and will see benefits
January 4, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Anyone that spends time as a pedestrian in Manhattan (not just residents) will have a more pleasant experience. Drivers that still drive into the zone will save time, which has significant economic value. And 90%+ commuters are in fact taking public transit already and will see benefits
Ah I know we're recommending it, thought you were saying it's done today
December 31, 2024 at 7:01 AM
Ah I know we're recommending it, thought you were saying it's done today
Do crew have access to the cameras today? I had assumed they're just recording today
December 31, 2024 at 6:58 AM
Do crew have access to the cameras today? I had assumed they're just recording today
I certainly agree and I'm a huge proponent for automating this line, but 4 vs 2 minute headways does not doom the project (and I suspect 3 minute headways at peak would be desirable even with the proposed length)
October 30, 2024 at 4:06 AM
I certainly agree and I'm a huge proponent for automating this line, but 4 vs 2 minute headways does not doom the project (and I suspect 3 minute headways at peak would be desirable even with the proposed length)
But perfection isn't necessary to make the project work, and the MTA isn't going to wake up as an optimal agency overnight. The current project as an automated light metro at four cars could work quite well, especially with general construction cost reforms not linked to platform length
October 30, 2024 at 4:03 AM
But perfection isn't necessary to make the project work, and the MTA isn't going to wake up as an optimal agency overnight. The current project as an automated light metro at four cars could work quite well, especially with general construction cost reforms not linked to platform length
You're right that platforms could be widened, except not easily at Broadway Junction. However length shouldn't explode costs on this project, since only one station will be tunneled. I will say the MTA should have studied what you're proposing rather than BRT lmao
October 30, 2024 at 4:02 AM
You're right that platforms could be widened, except not easily at Broadway Junction. However length shouldn't explode costs on this project, since only one station will be tunneled. I will say the MTA should have studied what you're proposing rather than BRT lmao