Xavier Harmony
@transitharmony.bsky.social
Australian-American 🇦🇺🇺🇸 | Transport Politics and Policy | PhD | Lover of cities 🌃, buses 🚌, trains 🚊, nature 🌳, and cats 🐈⬛ | He/him
Pinned
What if your ability to vote depended on your transport options? What if your ability to vote also shapes your transport options?🚍🗳️ My new Transport Reviews paper shows how democracy and transport are more connected than we think 👉 www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
Almost half the Waymos on California streets are driving around empty. They're either waiting for the next customer or en route for a pickup.
If robotaxis scale, anything close to that level of deadheading would create crushing gridlock.
www.thedriverlessdigest.com/p/what-cpuc-...
If robotaxis scale, anything close to that level of deadheading would create crushing gridlock.
www.thedriverlessdigest.com/p/what-cpuc-...
November 19, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Almost half the Waymos on California streets are driving around empty. They're either waiting for the next customer or en route for a pickup.
If robotaxis scale, anything close to that level of deadheading would create crushing gridlock.
www.thedriverlessdigest.com/p/what-cpuc-...
If robotaxis scale, anything close to that level of deadheading would create crushing gridlock.
www.thedriverlessdigest.com/p/what-cpuc-...
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
"The cars are not [your] constituents!" - @sgoodyear.bsky.social speaking truth to power (elected officials)
November 16, 2025 at 9:43 PM
"The cars are not [your] constituents!" - @sgoodyear.bsky.social speaking truth to power (elected officials)
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
This is brilliant.
November 15, 2025 at 3:18 PM
This is brilliant.
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
![4-panel vertical comic. (1) 100 Years Ago [two people standing next to bicycle with small car nearby] PERSON 1: It’s too dangerous riding a bike with these cars around. I should get a car, too. (2) 50 Years Ago [two people between smaller car and bigger car] PERSON 2 with short hair: Small cars are less safe in collisions with larger vehicles, so I should get a bigger one. (3) Today [two people between big car and even bigger car] PERSON 1: Everyone has huge SUVs now. If I don’t get the biggest one, I’m putting my family at risk. (4) Soon [two people next to large armored car with spiked clubs attached] PERSON 2: If I don’t install more whirling spike clubs, I’ll be destroyed by all the other drivers who...](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiby6can6k76yzfmv2czxs4pu2l7zie7bqbrpswi7h3ifmiadkuqvu@jpeg)
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed 4 years ago. In new research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social we study its effects.
US transport spending increased by 30%, but:
—Funding for non-highway projects flatlined
—Construction cost increases resulted in no actual increase in infrastructure
US transport spending increased by 30%, but:
—Funding for non-highway projects flatlined
—Construction cost increases resulted in no actual increase in infrastructure
Federal Infrastructure Spending on Transportation, Four Years after the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is up for reauthorization in 2026. New analysis shows that the act increased spending on transportation infrastructure, but…
www.urban.org
November 12, 2025 at 5:32 PM
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed 4 years ago. In new research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social we study its effects.
US transport spending increased by 30%, but:
—Funding for non-highway projects flatlined
—Construction cost increases resulted in no actual increase in infrastructure
US transport spending increased by 30%, but:
—Funding for non-highway projects flatlined
—Construction cost increases resulted in no actual increase in infrastructure
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
"Fossil demand has been flat for industrial energy since 2014, for buildings since 2018, for road transport since 2019, & may peak for electricity this year. 2/3 of countries have already seen peak fossil demand in end-use sectors, & half the world has seen a peak in fossil fuels for electricity."
The Electrotech Revolution | Ember
The annual slidedeck from Kingsmill Bond and the Ember Futures team unpacks how electrotech is rewriting the economics and geopolitics of energy.
ember-energy.org
November 11, 2025 at 6:02 AM
"Fossil demand has been flat for industrial energy since 2014, for buildings since 2018, for road transport since 2019, & may peak for electricity this year. 2/3 of countries have already seen peak fossil demand in end-use sectors, & half the world has seen a peak in fossil fuels for electricity."
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
Breaking news from down under today, Australian scientists have figured out how to add a fifth vowel to the word "No", English speakers around the world call the discovery "devastating"
November 6, 2025 at 6:25 AM
Breaking news from down under today, Australian scientists have figured out how to add a fifth vowel to the word "No", English speakers around the world call the discovery "devastating"
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
Absolutely amazing: they've got so much solar in Australia that they need more people to use more of it, so the gov't has instructed energy retailers to offer *at least three hours of free power* during the middle of the day.
Meanwhile fossil-addled US struggles with an energy-price crisis ...
Meanwhile fossil-addled US struggles with an energy-price crisis ...
Energy retailers to be directed to offer free power three hours a day
Saying there is enough solar power for everyone in the daytime, Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen will direct retailers to provide three hours of free power every day to consumers.
www.abc.net.au
November 3, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Absolutely amazing: they've got so much solar in Australia that they need more people to use more of it, so the gov't has instructed energy retailers to offer *at least three hours of free power* during the middle of the day.
Meanwhile fossil-addled US struggles with an energy-price crisis ...
Meanwhile fossil-addled US struggles with an energy-price crisis ...
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
God I am listening to @aoc.bsky.social unapologetically celebrating cities -- urbanity, diversity, creativity, decency -- and it is giving me life.
Nothing but respect for *my* president.
Nothing but respect for *my* president.
"We Are NOT the Crazy Ones, NYC" — AOC Fires Up Queens Rally for Zohran Mamdani | APT
YouTube video by APT
www.youtube.com
October 28, 2025 at 9:25 PM
God I am listening to @aoc.bsky.social unapologetically celebrating cities -- urbanity, diversity, creativity, decency -- and it is giving me life.
Nothing but respect for *my* president.
Nothing but respect for *my* president.
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
Exactly. Bicycling in the absence of car drivers is one of the most fun ways to move around. Bicycling in the presence of them is one of the worst.
Right. Biking should be more relaxing than driving and yet, the constant calculations for survival negate most of that…
October 27, 2025 at 1:57 AM
Exactly. Bicycling in the absence of car drivers is one of the most fun ways to move around. Bicycling in the presence of them is one of the worst.
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
US carmakers will make some short-term profits from selling more ICE vehicles, but in the long run it basically guarantees they’ll lose global market share to Chinese EV-makers that will simply have the better tech and vehicles once EVs mature.
US risks losing more ground to China in EV race as investment tumbles
White House backing for petrol-based cars poses dilemma for many automakers
www.ft.com
October 26, 2025 at 7:55 AM
US carmakers will make some short-term profits from selling more ICE vehicles, but in the long run it basically guarantees they’ll lose global market share to Chinese EV-makers that will simply have the better tech and vehicles once EVs mature.
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
who creates the lively art and music scenes if the rent is too high? who makes cultural life? who serves you food or washes your dishes? who creates the fancy little restaurants that draw you to urban living? affordable housing is at the heart of what makes city life worthwhile.
October 26, 2025 at 6:04 AM
who creates the lively art and music scenes if the rent is too high? who makes cultural life? who serves you food or washes your dishes? who creates the fancy little restaurants that draw you to urban living? affordable housing is at the heart of what makes city life worthwhile.
This is actually a pretty convincing argument for fare free transit…
October 25, 2025 at 7:57 AM
This is actually a pretty convincing argument for fare free transit…
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
most people don't want politics that hurt other people. we just want a long overcoat like david bowie and affordable housing
October 20, 2025 at 5:46 AM
most people don't want politics that hurt other people. we just want a long overcoat like david bowie and affordable housing
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
What if your ability to vote depended on your transport options? What if your ability to vote also shapes your transport options?🚍🗳️ My new Transport Reviews paper shows how democracy and transport are more connected than we think 👉 www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
October 1, 2025 at 10:36 AM
What if your ability to vote depended on your transport options? What if your ability to vote also shapes your transport options?🚍🗳️ My new Transport Reviews paper shows how democracy and transport are more connected than we think 👉 www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
We love guns more than kids. I don't see how you can interpret this as anything other than a diseased country in the latter stages of destroying itself.
Researchers discovered that since 2017, firearms have surpassed motor vehicle collisions as the leading cause of mortality for youth ages 11-18, spiking from 1,945 deaths in 2001 to 3,224 in 2022.
Gun deaths among high schoolers on the rise, WSU study finds
The researchers found that, nationwide, high schoolers ages 14 to 18 are at an exceptionally elevated risk for gun-inflicted injury and death compared to children in other age groups in both rural and urban settings.
www.opb.org
October 13, 2025 at 7:48 AM
We love guns more than kids. I don't see how you can interpret this as anything other than a diseased country in the latter stages of destroying itself.
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
Psst: Stop burning stuff on Earth for energy. Let the burning fireball in the sky be your energy source.
NEW: Biofuels globally emit more than the fossil fuels they replace, our latest study shows.
The first-of-a-kind study looks at global biofuels production today and the potential impacts of government biofuel targets.
🧵⤵️
The first-of-a-kind study looks at global biofuels production today and the potential impacts of government biofuel targets.
🧵⤵️
October 11, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Psst: Stop burning stuff on Earth for energy. Let the burning fireball in the sky be your energy source.
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
Combustion is the past, electricity is the future, pass it on.
October 9, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Combustion is the past, electricity is the future, pass it on.
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
You might think that the mayor of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's vast Northwest Territories, would be a fan of giant pickups.
Nope. He's disgusted by car bloat.
www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...
Nope. He's disgusted by car bloat.
www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...
October 2, 2025 at 3:59 PM
You might think that the mayor of Yellowknife, the capital of Canada's vast Northwest Territories, would be a fan of giant pickups.
Nope. He's disgusted by car bloat.
www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...
Nope. He's disgusted by car bloat.
www.linkedin.com/posts/benjam...
What if your ability to vote depended on your transport options? What if your ability to vote also shapes your transport options?🚍🗳️ My new Transport Reviews paper shows how democracy and transport are more connected than we think 👉 www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
October 1, 2025 at 10:36 AM
What if your ability to vote depended on your transport options? What if your ability to vote also shapes your transport options?🚍🗳️ My new Transport Reviews paper shows how democracy and transport are more connected than we think 👉 www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
I saw this neat Australian train book for kids on my lunch today
October 1, 2025 at 5:02 AM
I saw this neat Australian train book for kids on my lunch today
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
Fascinating study. Note that this is 1 in 10 adults. Factor in children and the percentage of non-driving Americans is much higher. Cities and towns need to account for their mobility needs too.
1 in 10 Americans rarely or never drive a car
Among U.S. adults, those who live in the Northeast (17%) are more likely than those in the South (10%), West (8%) and Midwest (7%) to be nondrivers.
www.pewresearch.org
September 28, 2025 at 11:12 AM
Fascinating study. Note that this is 1 in 10 adults. Factor in children and the percentage of non-driving Americans is much higher. Cities and towns need to account for their mobility needs too.
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
When it comes to road deaths, we often put the onus on people doing the dying rather than people doing the killing.
In 2024, 7,100 pedestrians were killed on the road, and in recent years, more than 1,000 cyclists have been hit and killed annually. Safety experts explain how bikers and walkers can stay safe.
8 walking and biking safety tips that just might save your life
In 2024, 7,100 pedestrians were killed on the road, and in recent years, more than 1,000 cyclists have been hit and killed annually. Safety experts explain how bikers and walkers can stay safe.
n.pr
September 28, 2025 at 8:33 AM
When it comes to road deaths, we often put the onus on people doing the dying rather than people doing the killing.
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
The US secretary of energy says the following.
“We will double the natural gas exports from where they are today in the next four or five years,” Wright said in Italy. LNG, he noted, is “the fastest growing source of energy on the planet.”
Who wants to tell this MIT-educated man?
“We will double the natural gas exports from where they are today in the next four or five years,” Wright said in Italy. LNG, he noted, is “the fastest growing source of energy on the planet.”
Who wants to tell this MIT-educated man?
September 22, 2025 at 10:23 AM
The US secretary of energy says the following.
“We will double the natural gas exports from where they are today in the next four or five years,” Wright said in Italy. LNG, he noted, is “the fastest growing source of energy on the planet.”
Who wants to tell this MIT-educated man?
“We will double the natural gas exports from where they are today in the next four or five years,” Wright said in Italy. LNG, he noted, is “the fastest growing source of energy on the planet.”
Who wants to tell this MIT-educated man?
Reposted by Xavier Harmony
In 2023, I spent a few months investigating why so many Aboriginal pedestrians were killed in road accidents in the NT. There was a lingering sense that racism played a part in this over representation, and that some drivers were dehumanising Aboriginal people. And lo: www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...
Fatal hit-run driver condemned for bragging about running men down
The Northern Territory's Director of Public Prosecutions is considering whether to appeal a decision to allow a young fatal hit-and-run driver who bragged to his friends afterwards to avoid jail time.
www.abc.net.au
September 18, 2025 at 3:40 AM
In 2023, I spent a few months investigating why so many Aboriginal pedestrians were killed in road accidents in the NT. There was a lingering sense that racism played a part in this over representation, and that some drivers were dehumanising Aboriginal people. And lo: www.abc.net.au/news/2025-09...