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Reposted

Josh Marshall @joshtpm.bsky.social · 1d

If GOP wants to abolish the filibuster over this, awesome. It helps Rs way more than Ds. It’s also a central reason for loss of faith in government over the last 25 yrs. Rs can reopen the govt tonight if they want. If they want to do it to make sure 15 million lose their health care that’s on them.

ringwiss @ringwiss.bsky.social · 1d

“And that’s why we nuked it twice in the past month.”

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

I was just at Star tonight. Bought 12 lbs of pasta. The sale lasts until November (same as Pastificio Di Martino).

But do enjoy your trip!

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

@savvysteph.bsky.social, @princessmom122.bsky.social

Rummo pasta is on sale at Star Market!

[De Cecco is on sale at Sudbury Farms. Rao’s, too.]

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Reposted

City Nolan @ndhapple.bsky.social · 1d

There are a lot of legitimate criticisms of the free bus — it costs a lot, it doesn't get people out of cars, the induced trips were walked, picking up formerly walked drips slows down service more than the dwell savings from ditching the farebox, etc. — and Cuomo has somehow landed on none of them

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Here is what I’m talking about with Jarrett’s opinion on integrating CTA, Pace, and Metra. He definitely is opposed to integrating them as agencies.

humantransit.org/2024/07/chic...

Chicago Area: Rethinking Both Pace and CTA — Human Transit

As the State of Illinois launches a complex conversation about how to fund public transit into the future, our firm has been doing planning work with two of the three big agencies in the Chicagoland r...

humantransit.org

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

And so the city would likely lose frequency from suburbanites vetoing high frequency.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Suburbia is a different animal. Suburbia doesn’t value frequency the way the city does. And so integrating Metra and Pace with the CTA would almost certainly mean that suburbia wouldn’t be willing to pay for frequent urban transit service to local destinations outside of the Loop.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Jarrett Walker has written against integration in Chicago. The CTA integration works because the wealthier North Side of Chicago proper is also much denser, and values frequency.

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Reposted

Jarrett Walker @humantransit.bsky.social · 1d

California legalizes life near public transit! Governor Newsom has signed SB 79. My thoughts: humantransit.org/2025/10/cali...

California Legalizes Life Near Public Transit — Human Transit

OK, the headline is a little exaggerated, but California’s Senate Bill 79, authored by Senator Scott Wiener and just signed by Governor Newsom, is a game-changer. It prohibits most cities from forbid...

humantransit.org

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

I am not one who believes that fare integration can work everywhere. I think the CTA buses and the El are reasonable to integrate fares (which for some odd reason the MBTA can’t even manage). Metra, Pace, and CTA? Not so much. The south side would lose service were all these to be integrated.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

A forced transfer is the same service as a one-seat ride to the Loop, South Loop, Near North Side, Wrigley Field, etc.? That‘s News to me.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Also, with regards to capex, how many additional trainsets would be needed for ME?

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Okay, saying that it would cost $700M to build 400 ft station platforms (something not even Paris has) in a metropolitan area as large as Chicago (which only London and Paris are) isn’t credible.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

It’s not about laziness that makes me (and Jarrett Walker, btw) dislike fare integration between CTA and Metra — it’s giving Naperville, Winnetka, Highland Park, etc. the power to veto frequent service on the South Side, which is far less dense than the North Side, leading to less equity.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

More important, you finish what you start. Otherwise, contractors will never come back.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Not at Red Line frequencies, no.

The RL extension is a much easier service to sustain politically & also a much more equitable service that isn‘t predicated on fare integration like MED.

Capital costs are one-time costs; operating costs and ridership are eternal; hence, the latter matters more.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

The RTA isn’t going to cancel the Red Line Extension.

The CTA Red Line is a 24-hour service route; MED is not.

Many environmental justice communities on the South Side work irregular hours, and are better off with the 24-hour Red Line service than MED.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

I think Paris should teach DC about making its Metro stations disability accessible.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

It’s the same basic tradeoff of asking people to transfer more in exchange for higher frequency, greater reliability, better dwells, and more politically sustainable service.

newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Honestly, if you double Castro Valley AC Transit bus service (assuming enough buses and bus garage space) to 20 minute headways (quadruple if you half bus line lengths), you’d likely be fine with 20 minute off-peak headways on mythical Valley Link from Bayfair to Stockton.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Jobs going elsewhere

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Melanie to Taylor Swift: We are never ever getting back together.

a woman is talking on a cell phone and saying `` like ever '' while holding a stuffed animal .

ALT: a woman is talking on a cell phone and saying `` like ever '' while holding a stuffed animal .

media.tenor.com

newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Okay, but you still have the same crummy 20 minute headway off-peak service on the Orange Line that you do today.

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 1d

Okay, but I’d personally rather spend a higher operating budget where there is greater demand potential than running 6 tph from Bayfair to Tracy.

That, to me, means ALM in SF, Oakland/Berkeley, and SJ (which also requires significant capex).

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newtonmarunner.bsky.social @newtonmarunner.bsky.social · 2d

Predicting Spanberger winning isn't bold; it's your margin of victory what makes your prediction to me bold.

Oh, and to be pedantic, it's 11 of the last 12 elections -- TMac 2013 being the lone exception.

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