Thomas Bamonte
@thomasbamonte.bsky.social
Chicago. Transportation law, policy, and technology mostly. Senior Advisor, Metropolitan Planning Council. Views my own. One ticket, one timetable, one network....
"The increase in fatalities is essentially entirely on urban roads — deaths on rural roads are flat. On most categories of urban road, pedestrian fatalities have doubled. Whatever is causing the increase in pedestrian deaths, it’s only happening in urban areas."
November 29, 2025 at 3:44 PM
"The increase in fatalities is essentially entirely on urban roads — deaths on rural roads are flat. On most categories of urban road, pedestrian fatalities have doubled. Whatever is causing the increase in pedestrian deaths, it’s only happening in urban areas."
Deep dive into the possible causes of the rise in pedestrian fatalities in the US. The "Big SUV" hypothesis has some legs but there's noise in the data. www.construction-physics.com/p/why-are-so...
November 29, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Deep dive into the possible causes of the rise in pedestrian fatalities in the US. The "Big SUV" hypothesis has some legs but there's noise in the data. www.construction-physics.com/p/why-are-so...
Chicago lags in per capita permitting of housing units. May be a function of lagging economy/population growth or high costs and regulatory barriers, or both (or more). Cheaper housing is a key Sunbelt advantage that the Chicago region exacerbates by building less. kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/de...
November 24, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Chicago lags in per capita permitting of housing units. May be a function of lagging economy/population growth or high costs and regulatory barriers, or both (or more). Cheaper housing is a key Sunbelt advantage that the Chicago region exacerbates by building less. kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/de...
Over a year ago @humantransit.bsky.social laid out a transit reform path that would have addressed Chair Barclay's concerns by consolidating CTA with CDOT and moving away from a regional governance model. But there were no takers for such from anywhere in the region. humantransit.org/2024/07/chic...
November 21, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Over a year ago @humantransit.bsky.social laid out a transit reform path that would have addressed Chair Barclay's concerns by consolidating CTA with CDOT and moving away from a regional governance model. But there were no takers for such from anywhere in the region. humantransit.org/2024/07/chic...
Summary of recent @urbaninstitute.bsky.social study on IIJA's failure to prompt shift in federal transportation funding priorities between highway and non-highway modes. usa.streetsblog.org/2025/11/17/r...
November 18, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Summary of recent @urbaninstitute.bsky.social study on IIJA's failure to prompt shift in federal transportation funding priorities between highway and non-highway modes. usa.streetsblog.org/2025/11/17/r...
An earlier look at the same issue that focuses on how expansion of highway capacity faster than population growth resulted in more, not less, traffic congestion. t4america.org/resource/con...
November 17, 2025 at 12:21 PM
An earlier look at the same issue that focuses on how expansion of highway capacity faster than population growth resulted in more, not less, traffic congestion. t4america.org/resource/con...
London's failed move to per mile road charging: "A brief period of political weakness led the mayor to abandon a policy that could have radically changed London – boosting public transport, improving the health of Londoners, and cleaning up the city’s air." www.londoncentric.media/p/london-roa...
November 11, 2025 at 7:27 PM
London's failed move to per mile road charging: "A brief period of political weakness led the mayor to abandon a policy that could have radically changed London – boosting public transport, improving the health of Londoners, and cleaning up the city’s air." www.londoncentric.media/p/london-roa...
It's time for all good citizens to pick up a snow shovel and clear space around their nearest bus stops because both municipalities and private landowners don't #PlowTheSidewalks. Indeed, they sometimes dump snow in bus stop areas. Query: Is municipal failure to clear bus stops an #ADA issue?
November 10, 2025 at 3:08 PM
It's time for all good citizens to pick up a snow shovel and clear space around their nearest bus stops because both municipalities and private landowners don't #PlowTheSidewalks. Indeed, they sometimes dump snow in bus stop areas. Query: Is municipal failure to clear bus stops an #ADA issue?
Here's a quick and dirty one-page overview of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority legislation that the Illinois General Assembly passed early this morning. Reply w/questions. Link to bill: ilga.gov/documents/le...
October 31, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Here's a quick and dirty one-page overview of the Northern Illinois Transit Authority legislation that the Illinois General Assembly passed early this morning. Reply w/questions. Link to bill: ilga.gov/documents/le...
Penn urban planner Erick Guerra’s new book, ‘Overbuilt,’ argues that additional spending on building more highways might not be the solution to the country’s transportation issues. In a Q&A, Guerra shares his insights. penntoday.upenn.edu/news/why-are...
October 30, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Penn urban planner Erick Guerra’s new book, ‘Overbuilt,’ argues that additional spending on building more highways might not be the solution to the country’s transportation issues. In a Q&A, Guerra shares his insights. penntoday.upenn.edu/news/why-are...
This is a big bone for Downstate on top of other funding it would receive from the revenue mechanisms in the House and Senate transit bills.
October 30, 2025 at 2:27 PM
This is a big bone for Downstate on top of other funding it would receive from the revenue mechanisms in the House and Senate transit bills.
Chicago Trib: We need world class transit in Chicago but Trib doesn't like IL House revenue plan and proposes belt-tightening as its solution for fiscal cliff approaching ~$1B/yr. starting in FY 2027. Says governance reform should be full agency consolidation. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/29/e...
October 30, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Chicago Trib: We need world class transit in Chicago but Trib doesn't like IL House revenue plan and proposes belt-tightening as its solution for fiscal cliff approaching ~$1B/yr. starting in FY 2027. Says governance reform should be full agency consolidation. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/29/e...
Statement on transit bill introduced late yesterday by the Illinois House and transit funding options by @chicagocta.bsky.social Board member @splanish.bsky.social.
October 29, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Statement on transit bill introduced late yesterday by the Illinois House and transit funding options by @chicagocta.bsky.social Board member @splanish.bsky.social.
"Nobody wants to burden working families. But what’s more regressive than forcing people to own a car?" @ellensteinke.bsky.social @chi.streetsblog.org og.org 🔥 chi.streetsblog.org/2025/10/28/w...
October 29, 2025 at 12:57 PM
"Nobody wants to burden working families. But what’s more regressive than forcing people to own a car?" @ellensteinke.bsky.social @chi.streetsblog.org og.org 🔥 chi.streetsblog.org/2025/10/28/w...
Collar counties spend <2% of the RTA transit tax $$$ paid directly to those counties per the RTA Act on transit services. They spend the rest on law enforcement and roadway engineering. @alexnitkin.bsky.social @gracehauck.bsky.social @illinoisanswers.bsky.social illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/28/l...
October 28, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Collar counties spend <2% of the RTA transit tax $$$ paid directly to those counties per the RTA Act on transit services. They spend the rest on law enforcement and roadway engineering. @alexnitkin.bsky.social @gracehauck.bsky.social @illinoisanswers.bsky.social illinoisanswers.org/2025/10/28/l...
Op-Ed by Kirk Dillard, Chair of the Board @rtachicago.bsky.social. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/28/o...
October 28, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Op-Ed by Kirk Dillard, Chair of the Board @rtachicago.bsky.social. www.chicagotribune.com/2025/10/28/o...
"On the hopeful side,
transportation providers as well as transportation consumers are seeing the strength of
telework programs, bike and walk modes, as well as the social benefits of providing
workers with more job location flexibility."
transportation providers as well as transportation consumers are seeing the strength of
telework programs, bike and walk modes, as well as the social benefits of providing
workers with more job location flexibility."
October 23, 2025 at 3:17 PM
"On the hopeful side,
transportation providers as well as transportation consumers are seeing the strength of
telework programs, bike and walk modes, as well as the social benefits of providing
workers with more job location flexibility."
transportation providers as well as transportation consumers are seeing the strength of
telework programs, bike and walk modes, as well as the social benefits of providing
workers with more job location flexibility."
“Congestion is a fact of life in thriving regions. This year’s numbers challenge us to think differently about travel. Why are people on the road? Can we shift some of that demand, or give travelers more reliable options?” www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news/congest...
October 23, 2025 at 3:17 PM
“Congestion is a fact of life in thriving regions. This year’s numbers challenge us to think differently about travel. Why are people on the road? Can we shift some of that demand, or give travelers more reliable options?” www.traffictechnologytoday.com/news/congest...
Juan Sebastian Arias @elevatedchicago.bsky.social lays out how the transit reform bill (HB3438) empowers new regional agency (NITA) to partner with communities on transit-oriented development projects but does >not< empower NITA to roll over local land use rules. chi.streetsblog.org/2025/10/21/e...
October 22, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Juan Sebastian Arias @elevatedchicago.bsky.social lays out how the transit reform bill (HB3438) empowers new regional agency (NITA) to partner with communities on transit-oriented development projects but does >not< empower NITA to roll over local land use rules. chi.streetsblog.org/2025/10/21/e...
Minimal infrastructure.... 🤔
October 21, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Minimal infrastructure.... 🤔
As CMAP documented in its Plan of Action for Regional Transit State of Illinois support for public transit lags that of the funding support peer states provide their public transit systems. cmap.illinois.gov/wp-content/u...
October 21, 2025 at 2:24 PM
As CMAP documented in its Plan of Action for Regional Transit State of Illinois support for public transit lags that of the funding support peer states provide their public transit systems. cmap.illinois.gov/wp-content/u...
Cortland and Honore bump out.
October 20, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Cortland and Honore bump out.
Population density attracts @abundanthousingil.bsky.social mainstays like @mclean.bsky.social like catnip….
October 18, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Population density attracts @abundanthousingil.bsky.social mainstays like @mclean.bsky.social like catnip….
