@dereksagehorn.bsky.social
Interested in figuring out how to build better housing, transit and cities. Construction lawyer for CAHSR; advocate for East Bay for Everyone. Oakland.
Reposted
What organization will make this road map for Capitol Corridor, ACE, Gold Runner (formerly San Joaquins), and Caltrain?
Metrolinx publishing a meaningfully specific set of goals and the infrastructure work required to achieve it for GO Expansion? Am I dreaming?
November 23, 2025 at 11:28 PM
What organization will make this road map for Capitol Corridor, ACE, Gold Runner (formerly San Joaquins), and Caltrain?
@mayorofoakland.bsky.social my son would like to interview you for his class
November 22, 2025 at 11:28 PM
@mayorofoakland.bsky.social my son would like to interview you for his class
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There's a broadly assumed trope that large projects make trade offs between being fast, cheap or high quality.
But I increasingly think that it's the opposite. Agencies that do things faster, also tend to get cheaper projects that are even better quality!
But I increasingly think that it's the opposite. Agencies that do things faster, also tend to get cheaper projects that are even better quality!
On the flip side, you can save significant money by reducing durations through shortening construction phasing.
November 22, 2025 at 4:21 PM
There's a broadly assumed trope that large projects make trade offs between being fast, cheap or high quality.
But I increasingly think that it's the opposite. Agencies that do things faster, also tend to get cheaper projects that are even better quality!
But I increasingly think that it's the opposite. Agencies that do things faster, also tend to get cheaper projects that are even better quality!
Reading California’s Urban Strategy for California from Spring 1978 (Jerry Brown 1.0 administration).
Struck by this section on transportation funding:
h/t @cafedujord.bsky.social
Struck by this section on transportation funding:
h/t @cafedujord.bsky.social
November 22, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Reading California’s Urban Strategy for California from Spring 1978 (Jerry Brown 1.0 administration).
Struck by this section on transportation funding:
h/t @cafedujord.bsky.social
Struck by this section on transportation funding:
h/t @cafedujord.bsky.social
November 22, 2025 at 2:25 PM
I really enjoyed this conversation especially on the work of Edith Elmer Woods.
Woods is an under-indexed, bridge figure in early 20th C housing reform from minimums work of Veiller to public housing work of Bauer Wurster.
Woods is an under-indexed, bridge figure in early 20th C housing reform from minimums work of Veiller to public housing work of Bauer Wurster.
Really enjoyed this conversation. We trace how 19th century tenement laws laid the groundwork for today's housing crisis.
Hopefully it offers some historical perspective on the work of building code reformers like @stephenjacobsmith.com + @holz-bau.bsky.social.
www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/11/19/1...
Hopefully it offers some historical perspective on the work of building code reformers like @stephenjacobsmith.com + @holz-bau.bsky.social.
www.lewis.ucla.edu/2025/11/19/1...
Episode 102: Minimum Standards vs. Affordability with Benjamin Schneider (Incentives Series pt. 5)
We’ve been grappling with trade-offs between stricter building codes and declining affordability for over 100 years. Benjamin Schneider helps us trace the history.
www.lewis.ucla.edu
November 21, 2025 at 8:41 PM
I really enjoyed this conversation especially on the work of Edith Elmer Woods.
Woods is an under-indexed, bridge figure in early 20th C housing reform from minimums work of Veiller to public housing work of Bauer Wurster.
Woods is an under-indexed, bridge figure in early 20th C housing reform from minimums work of Veiller to public housing work of Bauer Wurster.
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It's interesting to dig around the organization of the Central Marin Fire Department (serving Larkspur and Corte Madera). They've got four fire stations serving a population of just 13,000 over around 6 sq. mi. www.centralmarinfire.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:50 PM
It's interesting to dig around the organization of the Central Marin Fire Department (serving Larkspur and Corte Madera). They've got four fire stations serving a population of just 13,000 over around 6 sq. mi. www.centralmarinfire.org
Corte Madera, Marin adopted fire protection impact fees via urgency ordinance ahead of new housing applications. Ordinance includes fee reductions for affordable homes.
The mayor expressed concerns re waiving impact fees for 100% affordable homes “housing we don’t necessarily want to encourage.”
The mayor expressed concerns re waiving impact fees for 100% affordable homes “housing we don’t necessarily want to encourage.”
November 21, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Corte Madera, Marin adopted fire protection impact fees via urgency ordinance ahead of new housing applications. Ordinance includes fee reductions for affordable homes.
The mayor expressed concerns re waiving impact fees for 100% affordable homes “housing we don’t necessarily want to encourage.”
The mayor expressed concerns re waiving impact fees for 100% affordable homes “housing we don’t necessarily want to encourage.”
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Transit Signal Priority is an umbrella term for multiple strategies that reduce delays for transit vehicles at signalized intersections, potentially down to zero.
Here, I'm comparing the trade-offs between a "French-style" and an "in-phase" TSP strategy, more common in North America.
Here, I'm comparing the trade-offs between a "French-style" and an "in-phase" TSP strategy, more common in North America.
November 20, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Transit Signal Priority is an umbrella term for multiple strategies that reduce delays for transit vehicles at signalized intersections, potentially down to zero.
Here, I'm comparing the trade-offs between a "French-style" and an "in-phase" TSP strategy, more common in North America.
Here, I'm comparing the trade-offs between a "French-style" and an "in-phase" TSP strategy, more common in North America.
“The new timetable assumes each bus will spend nearly 45% of its runtime idling at BART (or about 6.2 hours of a 14 hour shift).
It is hard to escape the conclusion that the timetable is being designed around the limitations of the aging [BEB] capacity.”
www.seamlessbayarea.org/blog/2025/11...
It is hard to escape the conclusion that the timetable is being designed around the limitations of the aging [BEB] capacity.”
www.seamlessbayarea.org/blog/2025/11...
November 20, 2025 at 4:44 AM
“The new timetable assumes each bus will spend nearly 45% of its runtime idling at BART (or about 6.2 hours of a 14 hour shift).
It is hard to escape the conclusion that the timetable is being designed around the limitations of the aging [BEB] capacity.”
www.seamlessbayarea.org/blog/2025/11...
It is hard to escape the conclusion that the timetable is being designed around the limitations of the aging [BEB] capacity.”
www.seamlessbayarea.org/blog/2025/11...
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"over the past century most of the vacant property in the city has been developed, the budget says"
November 20, 2025 at 4:33 AM
"over the past century most of the vacant property in the city has been developed, the budget says"
SPUR's 2021 paper "More for Less" on transit cost reform is really good.
It's too bad there hasn't been much movement to institutionalize business cases (aka cost/benefit analyses) through the project development phase and with late funding commitment since then.
www.spur.org/sites/defaul...
It's too bad there hasn't been much movement to institutionalize business cases (aka cost/benefit analyses) through the project development phase and with late funding commitment since then.
www.spur.org/sites/defaul...
November 20, 2025 at 1:04 AM
SPUR's 2021 paper "More for Less" on transit cost reform is really good.
It's too bad there hasn't been much movement to institutionalize business cases (aka cost/benefit analyses) through the project development phase and with late funding commitment since then.
www.spur.org/sites/defaul...
It's too bad there hasn't been much movement to institutionalize business cases (aka cost/benefit analyses) through the project development phase and with late funding commitment since then.
www.spur.org/sites/defaul...
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PUCs can and should take action on this.
"The speed of utility relocation is entirely subject to the utility owner's control."
cdn.sjjpa.com/wp-content/u...
cdn.sjjpa.com/wp-content/u...
November 19, 2025 at 2:51 AM
PUCs can and should take action on this.
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I think this thread is worth digging into purely because it demonstrates something I’ve seen over and over again in housing policy discussions: practitioners who take the policy status quo as ideal and basically refuse to engage with reformers to weigh policy efficacy.
The argument for two stairs is not egress redundancy, but to lower the population load demand on a single stairwell in a fire event. Too many people egressing in one direction increases the total time to safely evacuate a building.
November 18, 2025 at 11:35 PM
I think this thread is worth digging into purely because it demonstrates something I’ve seen over and over again in housing policy discussions: practitioners who take the policy status quo as ideal and basically refuse to engage with reformers to weigh policy efficacy.
"The speed of utility relocation is entirely subject to the utility owner's control."
cdn.sjjpa.com/wp-content/u...
cdn.sjjpa.com/wp-content/u...
November 18, 2025 at 5:14 PM
"The speed of utility relocation is entirely subject to the utility owner's control."
cdn.sjjpa.com/wp-content/u...
cdn.sjjpa.com/wp-content/u...
California policymaker looking at a proposal for matching California condo pre sales rules to British Columbia, Hawaii et al:
POLICYMAKER: we used to expect developers to finance their own projects and not rely on the public.
POLICYMAKER: we used to expect developers to finance their own projects and not rely on the public.
November 18, 2025 at 3:47 PM
California policymaker looking at a proposal for matching California condo pre sales rules to British Columbia, Hawaii et al:
POLICYMAKER: we used to expect developers to finance their own projects and not rely on the public.
POLICYMAKER: we used to expect developers to finance their own projects and not rely on the public.
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These is a troubling quote because this is not how it’s supposed to work. Fire safety rules are supposed to balance cost and benefit, not just push for any possible risk reduction no matter the cost.
November 17, 2025 at 9:30 PM
These is a troubling quote because this is not how it’s supposed to work. Fire safety rules are supposed to balance cost and benefit, not just push for any possible risk reduction no matter the cost.
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Center for Public Enterprise now has a transportation vertical! Congratulations to @jmooreotto.bsky.social on joining us as its Program Manager. He’ll be focusing on transit and TOD value capture, rail electrification, and state capacity development.
publicenterprise.org/author/jacks...
publicenterprise.org/author/jacks...
Jackson Moore-Otto
Building a better public sector.
publicenterprise.org
November 17, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Center for Public Enterprise now has a transportation vertical! Congratulations to @jmooreotto.bsky.social on joining us as its Program Manager. He’ll be focusing on transit and TOD value capture, rail electrification, and state capacity development.
publicenterprise.org/author/jacks...
publicenterprise.org/author/jacks...
Got a peak into the Tilden Steam Train roundhouse today.
November 17, 2025 at 5:07 AM
Got a peak into the Tilden Steam Train roundhouse today.
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How conservative were early housing reformers like Lawrence Veiller?
When in 1926, New York State passed a law that gave 20-year exemptions to new co-ops and other limited dividend corporations, he denounced it as a "pernicious" burden on taxpayers.
When in 1926, New York State passed a law that gave 20-year exemptions to new co-ops and other limited dividend corporations, he denounced it as a "pernicious" burden on taxpayers.
November 16, 2025 at 6:16 PM
How conservative were early housing reformers like Lawrence Veiller?
When in 1926, New York State passed a law that gave 20-year exemptions to new co-ops and other limited dividend corporations, he denounced it as a "pernicious" burden on taxpayers.
When in 1926, New York State passed a law that gave 20-year exemptions to new co-ops and other limited dividend corporations, he denounced it as a "pernicious" burden on taxpayers.
When you’ve been reliably modernizing your rail network for 100 years through programmatic investment, electrifying a single track foothill line with at-grade crossings is still a good investment apparently.
November 15, 2025 at 2:32 PM
When you’ve been reliably modernizing your rail network for 100 years through programmatic investment, electrifying a single track foothill line with at-grade crossings is still a good investment apparently.
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Asserting as fact that "top-down investments" are what drives gentrification is...a choice
Live now: What is gentrification and what happened when @sjccorn.bsky.social, author of The Last House on the Block, bought a $7000 house in the Brightmoor neighborhood of Detroit?
www.jchs.harvard.edu/calendar/las...
www.jchs.harvard.edu/calendar/las...
November 14, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Asserting as fact that "top-down investments" are what drives gentrification is...a choice
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For local and urban transportation a pivot to all formula funding combined with much more robust federal technical assistance seems likely to produce better outcomes than the current system. If there’s no “free money” for applying for grants and you have to work with what you have…
November 13, 2025 at 2:43 PM
For local and urban transportation a pivot to all formula funding combined with much more robust federal technical assistance seems likely to produce better outcomes than the current system. If there’s no “free money” for applying for grants and you have to work with what you have…
Growing pains for California Railroad Commission of 1879.
From William Deverell’s “Railroad Crossing: Californians and the Railroad 1850-1910.”
From William Deverell’s “Railroad Crossing: Californians and the Railroad 1850-1910.”
November 13, 2025 at 1:36 AM
Growing pains for California Railroad Commission of 1879.
From William Deverell’s “Railroad Crossing: Californians and the Railroad 1850-1910.”
From William Deverell’s “Railroad Crossing: Californians and the Railroad 1850-1910.”