Emily Gates | Active Modes
@activemodes.bsky.social
philly | car-free since 2013 | service delivery at Transit app | walk/bike/bus/train | proud tern owner | bikes toddler in cities
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The festive spirit of the season hits better on a bike #southphilly
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Nine years ago today — January 9, 2017 — was the last time Hoboken had a traffic death.
Universal daylighting works. New Yorkers deserve the same protections as our neighbors across the Hudson River. Hundreds of New Yorkers die in preventable crashes every year. That has to end.
Universal daylighting works. New Yorkers deserve the same protections as our neighbors across the Hudson River. Hundreds of New Yorkers die in preventable crashes every year. That has to end.
January 9, 2026 at 7:59 PM
Nine years ago today — January 9, 2017 — was the last time Hoboken had a traffic death.
Universal daylighting works. New Yorkers deserve the same protections as our neighbors across the Hudson River. Hundreds of New Yorkers die in preventable crashes every year. That has to end.
Universal daylighting works. New Yorkers deserve the same protections as our neighbors across the Hudson River. Hundreds of New Yorkers die in preventable crashes every year. That has to end.
Happy new year! Same old tired wobbly bike racks next to 5 day old crowd control measures to use here in Philly!
Maybe #fifa2026 or #america250 celebrations means we can get better bike infra for everyone? A girl can dream.
Maybe #fifa2026 or #america250 celebrations means we can get better bike infra for everyone? A girl can dream.
January 5, 2026 at 11:44 PM
Happy new year! Same old tired wobbly bike racks next to 5 day old crowd control measures to use here in Philly!
Maybe #fifa2026 or #america250 celebrations means we can get better bike infra for everyone? A girl can dream.
Maybe #fifa2026 or #america250 celebrations means we can get better bike infra for everyone? A girl can dream.
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Happy Christmas to all and to all a good bike!
December 25, 2025 at 1:29 AM
Happy Christmas to all and to all a good bike!
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Latest rumor about New Jersey's e-bike regulation bill, which would require licenses, insurance, and registration for all e-bikes, including Class I e-bikes, is that the state Senate has introduced an amendment with a carve-out for "bike-share companies with municipal contracts" 😬🙄🤮
December 23, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Latest rumor about New Jersey's e-bike regulation bill, which would require licenses, insurance, and registration for all e-bikes, including Class I e-bikes, is that the state Senate has introduced an amendment with a carve-out for "bike-share companies with municipal contracts" 😬🙄🤮
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Luxury Apartments Are Bringing Rent Down in Some Big Cities
“New building openings are bringing rents down as wealthy tenants trade up, forcing landlords to drop prices for older apartments.” @bloomberg.com
“New building openings are bringing rents down as wealthy tenants trade up, forcing landlords to drop prices for older apartments.” @bloomberg.com
December 23, 2025 at 10:44 PM
Luxury Apartments Are Bringing Rent Down in Some Big Cities
“New building openings are bringing rents down as wealthy tenants trade up, forcing landlords to drop prices for older apartments.” @bloomberg.com
“New building openings are bringing rents down as wealthy tenants trade up, forcing landlords to drop prices for older apartments.” @bloomberg.com
Charge more for the stuff you don't want people doing (driving in the city) and it'll do that magic supply/demand curve we all learned about in Econ 101. Science wins again!
Year 1 data on congestion pricing in Manhattan…
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
* Vehicle traffic: -11%
* Foot traffic: +3.4%
* Storefront vacancy: -0.9%
* Pollution: -22%
* Revenue for mass transit: $548M
So YES this has been a huge success.
December 24, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Charge more for the stuff you don't want people doing (driving in the city) and it'll do that magic supply/demand curve we all learned about in Econ 101. Science wins again!
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Garden State pols want to require all e-bike riders have licenses, registration and insurance — citing several instances of drivers killing two-wheelers to justify making it harder for New Jerseyans to access the benefits of even the lowest-speed e-bikes. nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/12/19/n...
NJ Legislature Poised to Pass Victim-Blaming E-Bike Restrictions - Streetsblog New York City
An e-bike registration bill is speeding through the New Jersey Legislature after several crashes in which drivers killed young cyclists.
nyc.streetsblog.org
December 19, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Garden State pols want to require all e-bike riders have licenses, registration and insurance — citing several instances of drivers killing two-wheelers to justify making it harder for New Jerseyans to access the benefits of even the lowest-speed e-bikes. nyc.streetsblog.org/2025/12/19/n...
If 4 kids can ride their bikes next to this stroad maybe they'll grow up to get rid of the stroad?
December 19, 2025 at 4:07 PM
If 4 kids can ride their bikes next to this stroad maybe they'll grow up to get rid of the stroad?
Just went to Shane Confectionery for gifts in Old City and coming back in a mostly-not-icy new protected bike lane! Thanks to everyone who made this happen! My mother in law will be very pleased with her treats
December 17, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Just went to Shane Confectionery for gifts in Old City and coming back in a mostly-not-icy new protected bike lane! Thanks to everyone who made this happen! My mother in law will be very pleased with her treats
24 hours post storm and post rush hour Monday and fully half the cars on the block are still covered in snow and unusable. So glad we allow unlimited free storage of this stuff on our streets.
December 15, 2025 at 1:56 PM
24 hours post storm and post rush hour Monday and fully half the cars on the block are still covered in snow and unusable. So glad we allow unlimited free storage of this stuff on our streets.
The festive spirit of the season hits better on a bike #southphilly
December 14, 2025 at 2:56 AM
The festive spirit of the season hits better on a bike #southphilly
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
A wealthy safe streets advocate could do the most good by paying a team of maybe a half dozen journalists to aggressively and comprehensively report every single traffic death in every major city. Depicting the horrifying human cost, FOIing PDs and DOTS, contextualizing it in policy choices, etc.
November 9, 2025 at 5:55 PM
A wealthy safe streets advocate could do the most good by paying a team of maybe a half dozen journalists to aggressively and comprehensively report every single traffic death in every major city. Depicting the horrifying human cost, FOIing PDs and DOTS, contextualizing it in policy choices, etc.
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Doubling down on forced car dependency is *not* the path to addressing climate change.
Any city or state that isn’t investing in ebike subsidies and separated bike infrastructure is missing out on more affordable climate, health and livability wins via bikes.
Any city or state that isn’t investing in ebike subsidies and separated bike infrastructure is missing out on more affordable climate, health and livability wins via bikes.
After 4 years and 2 failed attempts, California is giving up on the idea of ebike subsidies and dumping the money back into electric car subsidies.
November 2, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Doubling down on forced car dependency is *not* the path to addressing climate change.
Any city or state that isn’t investing in ebike subsidies and separated bike infrastructure is missing out on more affordable climate, health and livability wins via bikes.
Any city or state that isn’t investing in ebike subsidies and separated bike infrastructure is missing out on more affordable climate, health and livability wins via bikes.
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Hoboken has had zero traffic deaths since the beginning of 2017. By contrast, Philadelphia had 134 traffic deaths last year, 59 of which involved pedestrians hit by vehicles.
What can the city learn? Advocates say a “culture of accountability” is paramount.
🔗 www.inquirer.com/transportati...
What can the city learn? Advocates say a “culture of accountability” is paramount.
🔗 www.inquirer.com/transportati...
October 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Hoboken has had zero traffic deaths since the beginning of 2017. By contrast, Philadelphia had 134 traffic deaths last year, 59 of which involved pedestrians hit by vehicles.
What can the city learn? Advocates say a “culture of accountability” is paramount.
🔗 www.inquirer.com/transportati...
What can the city learn? Advocates say a “culture of accountability” is paramount.
🔗 www.inquirer.com/transportati...
Philly ended their current fiscal year with $1.2B surplus and my neighborhood fb group and preschool are desperately posting all the community fridge locations prepping for the end of SNAP benefits. Let's rebalance that immediately. And buy a street paving machine or two.
October 30, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Philly ended their current fiscal year with $1.2B surplus and my neighborhood fb group and preschool are desperately posting all the community fridge locations prepping for the end of SNAP benefits. Let's rebalance that immediately. And buy a street paving machine or two.
Was picking up trash near our house last night with my kid and somebody asked if we were accepting donations. I expected him to give me a candy wrapper. He gave me a $20 bill and said thanks for cleaning up the street! 🎊🤑🗑️ I shoulda given him a link to build a network of public trash cans instead
October 28, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Was picking up trash near our house last night with my kid and somebody asked if we were accepting donations. I expected him to give me a candy wrapper. He gave me a $20 bill and said thanks for cleaning up the street! 🎊🤑🗑️ I shoulda given him a link to build a network of public trash cans instead
'To sum it all up: “A good part of each day’s work goes to pay for the travel necessary to get to work.” (Ivan Illich).' - I went to grad school for transportation thanks to I 66 in Arlington Va commuting to Tysons Corner from Southeast DC
"Unlike the vacuum cleaner, the radio, or the bicycle, which retain their use value when everyone has one, the car... is only desirable and useful insofar as the masses don’t have one."
I reread this every so often and I'm struck every time by how great it is unevenearth.org/2018/08/the-...
October 21, 2025 at 5:50 PM
'To sum it all up: “A good part of each day’s work goes to pay for the travel necessary to get to work.” (Ivan Illich).' - I went to grad school for transportation thanks to I 66 in Arlington Va commuting to Tysons Corner from Southeast DC
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
On-street cyclehangars (secure, covered bike parking), but the cover is in the shape of a Range Rover. More of this please!!
movepeople.substack.com/p/bread-bin-...
movepeople.substack.com/p/bread-bin-...
October 20, 2025 at 4:41 PM
On-street cyclehangars (secure, covered bike parking), but the cover is in the shape of a Range Rover. More of this please!!
movepeople.substack.com/p/bread-bin-...
movepeople.substack.com/p/bread-bin-...
Happy to lend out my cargo ebike in my neighborhood for a week or two for someone to try out and I'm sure I'm sure I'm not alone in that!
“Over half of the e-cargo bike mileage ridden during trials substituted for car use.”
Cities with mode-shift and climate goals should be funding bike share and bike libraries that include electric cargo bikes.
Cities with mode-shift and climate goals should be funding bike share and bike libraries that include electric cargo bikes.
E-cargo bikes as a personal transport mode in the UK: Insights from surveys and suburban trials
This paper explores the potential of e-cargo bikes as a personal transport mode in the UK, reporting on a series of surveys and trials. Hypothesising …
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Happy to lend out my cargo ebike in my neighborhood for a week or two for someone to try out and I'm sure I'm sure I'm not alone in that!
What does a 'class 3' ebike look like? I pedal up a sweat to briefly hit 16 mph between stop signs to fetch a forgotten pre-k item. It can go to 28 maybe downhill with a tailwind? I've seen a lot this week about the menacing unregistered beasts lurking... hide yer kids from the class 3s!
October 9, 2025 at 3:31 AM
What does a 'class 3' ebike look like? I pedal up a sweat to briefly hit 16 mph between stop signs to fetch a forgotten pre-k item. It can go to 28 maybe downhill with a tailwind? I've seen a lot this week about the menacing unregistered beasts lurking... hide yer kids from the class 3s!
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Kelly Drive in Fairmount Park has been engineered to remove most pedestrian crossings and amenities, to speed up traffic.
A thread with 8 examples of things that have been lost, with historical images. South to north.
1. A staircase from the river trail to the Girard Ave Bridge, and Brewerytown:
A thread with 8 examples of things that have been lost, with historical images. South to north.
1. A staircase from the river trail to the Girard Ave Bridge, and Brewerytown:
October 6, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Kelly Drive in Fairmount Park has been engineered to remove most pedestrian crossings and amenities, to speed up traffic.
A thread with 8 examples of things that have been lost, with historical images. South to north.
1. A staircase from the river trail to the Girard Ave Bridge, and Brewerytown:
A thread with 8 examples of things that have been lost, with historical images. South to north.
1. A staircase from the river trail to the Girard Ave Bridge, and Brewerytown:
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Urbanists should start an annual celebration of public transit.
Call it Dia de los Metros.
Call it Dia de los Metros.
October 5, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Urbanists should start an annual celebration of public transit.
Call it Dia de los Metros.
Call it Dia de los Metros.
It's pumpkins on bikes season everyone! How are you celebrating?
October 5, 2025 at 12:03 AM
It's pumpkins on bikes season everyone! How are you celebrating?
First time in 6 years the Transit logo on my clothes has been recognized in the wild. TSA agent loading bags onto the belt: "you work for Transit?! That's my APP!!" Buses and trains and bikes yall
September 17, 2025 at 12:58 PM
First time in 6 years the Transit logo on my clothes has been recognized in the wild. TSA agent loading bags onto the belt: "you work for Transit?! That's my APP!!" Buses and trains and bikes yall
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Preparing myself for this recurring conversation.
September 3, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Preparing myself for this recurring conversation.