Author | Lightnews

mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · 18h

Back injuries are THE WORST. Just as I was starting to feel normal again, I re-injured my back in the most embarrassing way possible. (I'm not telling how!) 😣

mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · 9d

No one person can care about everything that deserves caring about. I need reminders of this, and we all need to extend grace to each other concerning what issues we let lie.

mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · 22d

Definitely not new, but also not widely known by Kansas Citians.

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · 22d

Fair point about the infra! I hadn't thought of that.

mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · 22d

Hmm, bummer! Hope you all recuperate soon!

mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · 22d

Certainly the northeastern ones are. OP, Olathe, Lenexa, and Shawnee have all continued to expand west and south. That said, most JoCo cities seem to me fiscally healthier than your average suburb. But I reserve the right to be wrong.

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · 22d

Important article from Beck Johnson on Kansas City's fundamental economic quagmire: www.linkedin.com/pulse/kansas...

Kansas City Built a City We Can't Afford - And How We Might Fix It

For decades, The City of Kansas City, MO has been celebrated as one of America’s most affordable and livable cities. This has lead to a prosperous period with lots of positive momentum, but buried in ...

www.linkedin.com

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · 22d

Any other midwestern asthmatics been struggling over the past week, or is it just me? Trying to figure out if I'm fighting sickness or just allergies. Bronchitis is the worst (well, next to pneumonia).

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · 27d

Been working through my photo editing backlog. Here's a gallery documenting PorchFest KC in October of 2023: mattstephens.zenfolio.com/porchfestkc2... #porchfestkc

PorchFest Kansas City 2023

Matt Stephens Photography

mattstephens.zenfolio.com

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · 27d

Housing advocates / YIMBYs and map geeks, the National Zoning Atlas is a promising project with growing influence around the country. Check out this article and interview with its founder: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

#housing #YIMBY #zoning

Mapping a Way Out of the US Housing Affordability Crisis

Sara Bronin, founder of the National Zoning Atlas, has won the Heinz Award for her ongoing project to map the land-use rules that restrict housing production.

www.bloomberg.com

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 29

Don't miss KC Library's next installment in the Making a Great City lecture series, to be hosted at the Plaza Branch at 6pm, Tues, Sep 30. Chuck Marohn, founder of Strong Towns, will address the US’s housing affordability crisis. RSVP at kclibrary.org/events/housi....

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Reposted by mattstephenskc

Brent Anderson @andbrent.bsky.social · Sep 26

Fun with the American healthcare system, episode #5384: During a recent routine gynecological visit my wife was informed of some abnormalities. The doctor we've known for years, who delivered one of our children, assured us she wasn't concerned, but surgery could be involved. Then it got worse. 1/

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 26

Gosh, Brent. This royally sucks. I had no idea ACA was so worthless. I wish I had some hope that universal healthcare was a political possibility in the US. I share your hatred of our current system.

mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 24

A tad belated, but always timely: “Mental Health Awareness Month shouldn’t just be about personal coping strategies and mindfulness reminders. It should include a reckoning with the systems that make us sick in the first place.” www.fastcompany.com/91330344/car...

‘Car Brain’ is killing us—literally

As millions of Americans take to the road this weekend, we would do well to rethink how we behave behind the wheel.

www.fastcompany.com

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 21

Sight triangles done right make an extraordinary impact on intersection safety.

Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · Sep 21

Doing the Hoboken intersection daylighting tour today. It's actually embarrassing that Seattle isn't doing this at the same scale.

Intersection bulb out on a one lane street with two parking lanes

Family with kid in stroller crossing street

Someone on a bike approaching a daylighted intersection

Wide daylighted intersection near a park

mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 19

I felt a little more human and a little more hopeful after reading this. Warning: It's long. But I thought it was worth the time and effort to read. (Thank you, Isaac and the team at @tanglenews.bsky.social.) www.readtangle.com/charlie-kirk...

The response to our coverage about the Charlie Kirk assassination.

We received a lot of responses to our Charlie Kirk coverage.

www.readtangle.com

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 16

The Cycling Embassy of Denmark has a pretty thorough article detailing when/where and how it’s appropriate to install bidirectional cycletracks: cyclingsolutions.info/two-way-cycl....

Two-way cycle tracks along the road or with their own layout

Two-way cycle tracks can either be placed along the road or with their own layout away from the road. There are binding rules for their placement along the roads. The design of track termination and i...

cyclingsolutions.info

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 16

All considered, two-way, protected cycletracks are safer on arterials and collectors than unprotected lanes or mixing with car traffic. And I’m thankful for those we have.

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 16

It depends on context. All else being equal (key consideration), unidirectional is logically safer in places where there’s a higher number of intersections/curb cuts. However, there hasn’t been enough research to compare the two statistically. Extant studies don’t control for key variables.

mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 16

I now own my 2020 VW, free and clear! Payoff day feels great. 😊 #smallwins

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 16

Thoughtfulness may well be my favorite trait a person can embody. Kindness is up there with it. If everyone were thoughtful and kind, the world would be alright.

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 15

Yes, the risks are real. I’m sure the risk of the kinds of collisions I’ve been narrowly avoiding are less severe than the risks of available alternatives. The safest option is unidirectional, protected lanes or separated tracks.

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 15

Yeah, I had a few incidents back to back that shook me; now I’m hyper vigilant. But hypervigilance is not a fun experience. It’s a product of fear, which bike facilities are supposed to combat.

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 15

All I know is I’ve encountered many close calls on contra-flow bike lanes and zero on same-flow lanes, from motorists turning right onto the street.

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mattstephenskc @mattstephens.bsky.social · Sep 15

I’ve certainly become more vigilant and, well, slow, especially in the stretch between 33rd and 39th Streets. And I appreciate the existing cycling infra tremendously. Just wish we could get more unidirectional lanes, including on Broadway.