Parker Welch
@parkerwelch.bsky.social
Transportation engineer, urbanist, Austinite, liberal patriot
Board Secretary @aura-atx.org
Poems & Essays: https://thisfaintfire.substack.com/
Board Secretary @aura-atx.org
Poems & Essays: https://thisfaintfire.substack.com/
Pinned
Many such cases!
what drives me insane about “centers and corridors” in US urban planning is that seemingly no professionals in the field have stopped and realized that this “best practice” has not worked anywhere it’s been tried
November 25, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Many such cases!
Reposted by Parker Welch
It's official, last night Denver City Council adopted a local single-stair ordinance!
Beginning December 31, 2025, 5-story single-stair housing will be permitted in Denver!
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/24/d...
Beginning December 31, 2025, 5-story single-stair housing will be permitted in Denver!
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/24/d...
Denver City Council approves single-stair building ordinance
Denver City Council approves ordinance for 5-story single-stair buildings, promoting affordable housing and flexible building options.
www.coloradopolitics.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:09 PM
It's official, last night Denver City Council adopted a local single-stair ordinance!
Beginning December 31, 2025, 5-story single-stair housing will be permitted in Denver!
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/24/d...
Beginning December 31, 2025, 5-story single-stair housing will be permitted in Denver!
www.coloradopolitics.com/2025/11/24/d...
You know I just hope they all have fun
Texas - GOP Senate Polling:
Paxton: 36%
Hunt: 26%
Cornyn: 25%
Paxton: 51%
Cornyn: 34%
Cornyn: 29%
Hunt: 29%
Stratus / Nov 22, 2025
Paxton: 36%
Hunt: 26%
Cornyn: 25%
Paxton: 51%
Cornyn: 34%
Cornyn: 29%
Hunt: 29%
Stratus / Nov 22, 2025
November 25, 2025 at 4:13 AM
You know I just hope they all have fun
Reposted by Parker Welch
Paul’s at the forefront of American housing policy. Tying together YIMBYism, public finance, and public development, he’s building *the model* for American social housing.
Now he’s been appointed to Zohran’s Transition Committee on Housing. We at @publicenterprise.bsky.social couldn’t be prouder!
Now he’s been appointed to Zohran’s Transition Committee on Housing. We at @publicenterprise.bsky.social couldn’t be prouder!
November 24, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Paul’s at the forefront of American housing policy. Tying together YIMBYism, public finance, and public development, he’s building *the model* for American social housing.
Now he’s been appointed to Zohran’s Transition Committee on Housing. We at @publicenterprise.bsky.social couldn’t be prouder!
Now he’s been appointed to Zohran’s Transition Committee on Housing. We at @publicenterprise.bsky.social couldn’t be prouder!
Reposted by Parker Welch
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
November 24, 2025 at 12:47 AM
As we all wait for Callais to come down, our piece showing that Shelby County increased the racial turnout gap in most of the covered parts of the country has cleared the replication check and is incoming at JOP.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Gutting the VRA was bad, actually.
Reposted by Parker Welch
Boston's Mayor Wu playing with Yo-Yo Ma at Symphony Hall
November 23, 2025 at 5:11 AM
Boston's Mayor Wu playing with Yo-Yo Ma at Symphony Hall
Reposted by Parker Welch
If you’re in Austin, please leave a comment on the City’s official form in support of the Rosedale rezoning—Case Number C14-2025-0094
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
Microsoft Forms
forms.office.com
November 22, 2025 at 9:43 PM
If you’re in Austin, please leave a comment on the City’s official form in support of the Rosedale rezoning—Case Number C14-2025-0094
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
forms.office.com/pages/respon...
People will really say in public, in front of God and everybody, that more teachers should be fired and more kids should lose their school because they don’t want to see a six-story building in their neighborhood
Rosedale school fight is a great example
Wealthy NIMBYs fought to kill housing in Austin for decades, driving up the cost of living for AISD employees while keeping out new students. Now the district is selling off empty schools and they’re fighting to stop that so more schools will have to close
Wealthy NIMBYs fought to kill housing in Austin for decades, driving up the cost of living for AISD employees while keeping out new students. Now the district is selling off empty schools and they’re fighting to stop that so more schools will have to close
November 22, 2025 at 9:37 PM
People will really say in public, in front of God and everybody, that more teachers should be fired and more kids should lose their school because they don’t want to see a six-story building in their neighborhood
Mayor Whitmire spending money to undo a finished project, make the road more dangerous, and incur a permanent maintenance liability
That’s okay, Houston only has a 227 million dollar deficit to close next year, what’s a few hundred k between friends?
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
That’s okay, Houston only has a 227 million dollar deficit to close next year, what’s a few hundred k between friends?
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Houston to tear out $200K roundabout and replace it with a traffic light
Houston spent $200,000 in federal money to build this roundabout on Houston's northside in hopes of reducing wrecks. Now the mayor is taking it out.
www.houstonchronicle.com
November 22, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Mayor Whitmire spending money to undo a finished project, make the road more dangerous, and incur a permanent maintenance liability
That’s okay, Houston only has a 227 million dollar deficit to close next year, what’s a few hundred k between friends?
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
That’s okay, Houston only has a 227 million dollar deficit to close next year, what’s a few hundred k between friends?
www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston...
Last year Austin’s Cap Metro upgraded every MetroBike to an e-bike 😤
New research compares the use of electric and regular bikes in DC's Capital Bikeshare network.
Conclusion: E-bikes make bikeshare better.
"E-bikes enable broader dispersion across the city by connecting more distant bikeshare stations and supporting extended mobility."
doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...
Conclusion: E-bikes make bikeshare better.
"E-bikes enable broader dispersion across the city by connecting more distant bikeshare stations and supporting extended mobility."
doi.org/10.1016/j.tr...
November 22, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Last year Austin’s Cap Metro upgraded every MetroBike to an e-bike 😤
Reposted by Parker Welch
Noting the congressional pension is based on service time, it kicks in at 5 years and her retirement date - Jan. 5, 2026 - will be the first business day after she passes five years since her first swearing in. bsky.app/profile/heli...
Any idea why she's quitting then? Her statement isn't very coherent (big surprise), although it would make more sense as an explanation of just not running for re-election.
November 22, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Noting the congressional pension is based on service time, it kicks in at 5 years and her retirement date - Jan. 5, 2026 - will be the first business day after she passes five years since her first swearing in. bsky.app/profile/heli...
FAA issued a NOTAM closing Venezuelan airspace to civil aviation until February today, official background reads like pretext
Bomber sorties since Oct 15, Ford carrier strike group arrived in Caribbean 5 days ago, 20% of deployed fleet now in SOUTHCOM, FTO designation of Maduro takes effect Monday
Bomber sorties since Oct 15, Ford carrier strike group arrived in Caribbean 5 days ago, 20% of deployed fleet now in SOUTHCOM, FTO designation of Maduro takes effect Monday
Here is the Background Information Notice / advisory as reference in the NOTAM.
Some interesting stuff to dig into here:
Some interesting stuff to dig into here:
November 22, 2025 at 12:57 AM
FAA issued a NOTAM closing Venezuelan airspace to civil aviation until February today, official background reads like pretext
Bomber sorties since Oct 15, Ford carrier strike group arrived in Caribbean 5 days ago, 20% of deployed fleet now in SOUTHCOM, FTO designation of Maduro takes effect Monday
Bomber sorties since Oct 15, Ford carrier strike group arrived in Caribbean 5 days ago, 20% of deployed fleet now in SOUTHCOM, FTO designation of Maduro takes effect Monday
Read this Chronicle article about AISD fighting for its life to avoid a state Republican takeover www.austinchronicle.com/news/can-ais...
Then read this about NIMBYs fighting to kill apartments at the former Rosedale school, nuking $23M dollars from AISD’s budget communityimpact.com/austin/north...
Then read this about NIMBYs fighting to kill apartments at the former Rosedale school, nuking $23M dollars from AISD’s budget communityimpact.com/austin/north...
Can AISD Jump Through Enough Hoops to Avoid State Takeover? • The Austin Chronicle
Five weeks into the school year, on a Monday morning at Lively Middle School, English teachers were called in for an unexpected training session with Austin ISD officials. They were soon informed that...
www.austinchronicle.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Read this Chronicle article about AISD fighting for its life to avoid a state Republican takeover www.austinchronicle.com/news/can-ais...
Then read this about NIMBYs fighting to kill apartments at the former Rosedale school, nuking $23M dollars from AISD’s budget communityimpact.com/austin/north...
Then read this about NIMBYs fighting to kill apartments at the former Rosedale school, nuking $23M dollars from AISD’s budget communityimpact.com/austin/north...
As TXDOT studies passenger rail between San Antonio & Austin (report due out in March 2026) I thought it be interesting to dig up TXDOT’s old study of the same line from 1999
Once included photos of every grade crossing, but that compact disc has not been digitized
web.archive.org/web/20130421...
Once included photos of every grade crossing, but that compact disc has not been digitized
web.archive.org/web/20130421...
web.archive.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:42 PM
As TXDOT studies passenger rail between San Antonio & Austin (report due out in March 2026) I thought it be interesting to dig up TXDOT’s old study of the same line from 1999
Once included photos of every grade crossing, but that compact disc has not been digitized
web.archive.org/web/20130421...
Once included photos of every grade crossing, but that compact disc has not been digitized
web.archive.org/web/20130421...
Reposted by Parker Welch
Insane but true fact: making US roads as safe as Canadian, Australian, or European roads would save more lives than eliminating murder from the US.
November 21, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Insane but true fact: making US roads as safe as Canadian, Australian, or European roads would save more lives than eliminating murder from the US.
Oh boy, Bill's about to sue the squirrels in the City Hall oak trees for meeting without official notice
November 21, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Oh boy, Bill's about to sue the squirrels in the City Hall oak trees for meeting without official notice
Keen-eyed MetroBike users may have noticed some of the 2025 expansion stations have been installed 👀
bikesharemap.com/austin/#/14....
bikesharemap.com/austin/#/14....
November 21, 2025 at 1:21 AM
Keen-eyed MetroBike users may have noticed some of the 2025 expansion stations have been installed 👀
bikesharemap.com/austin/#/14....
bikesharemap.com/austin/#/14....
Isn’t it funny how losing elections makes republicans rediscover their backbones
Suddenly Trump not getting everything he wants from GOP after a year of unity
- Indiana redistricting
- many Rs don’t like tariff rebate checks
- skepticism on his health care plan and AI moratorium
- rejection of filibuster changes
- Argentine beef push back
@eleanormueller.bsky.social
- Indiana redistricting
- many Rs don’t like tariff rebate checks
- skepticism on his health care plan and AI moratorium
- rejection of filibuster changes
- Argentine beef push back
@eleanormueller.bsky.social
November 20, 2025 at 11:15 PM
Isn’t it funny how losing elections makes republicans rediscover their backbones
Reposted by Parker Welch
Despite the mostly correct perception of Houston as a sprawling asphalt wasteland, it has managed to create one good rail line & transit oriented urban area, more than most cities can say. The Medical Center near the Red Line has many choice riders shown by high transit commuting & car ownership
November 20, 2025 at 8:51 PM
Despite the mostly correct perception of Houston as a sprawling asphalt wasteland, it has managed to create one good rail line & transit oriented urban area, more than most cities can say. The Medical Center near the Red Line has many choice riders shown by high transit commuting & car ownership
This tract is the most interesting of the top 8 to me
For reference in Austin, at 12k per sqmi, this is roughly the same density as Mueller, but 63.5% of people take transit to work and 49% of households are car-free
For reference in Austin, at 12k per sqmi, this is roughly the same density as Mueller, but 63.5% of people take transit to work and 49% of households are car-free
This tract in east DC is lower density & than the previous tracts like many neighborhoods east of the Anacostia but still manages high transit use due to good bus connections to the 2nd best US rapid transit system with a nearby Blue/Silver Metro station
November 20, 2025 at 9:12 PM
This tract is the most interesting of the top 8 to me
For reference in Austin, at 12k per sqmi, this is roughly the same density as Mueller, but 63.5% of people take transit to work and 49% of households are car-free
For reference in Austin, at 12k per sqmi, this is roughly the same density as Mueller, but 63.5% of people take transit to work and 49% of households are car-free
Reposted by Parker Welch
For a fun GIS project I mapped the highest transit mode share census tract in every state to examine transit dependent neighborhoods across the country, particularly in less urban states. The national peak tract map is below with individual maps in this thread from highest to lowest.
November 20, 2025 at 8:51 PM
For a fun GIS project I mapped the highest transit mode share census tract in every state to examine transit dependent neighborhoods across the country, particularly in less urban states. The national peak tract map is below with individual maps in this thread from highest to lowest.
Last year, under HOME Phase I, Austin legalized three units per lot citywide. Here’s a link to the City’s GIS map of those projects: austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapview...
Data includes parcels with approved permits + structures that have been completed between February 2024 and May 2025
Data includes parcels with approved permits + structures that have been completed between February 2024 and May 2025
November 20, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Last year, under HOME Phase I, Austin legalized three units per lot citywide. Here’s a link to the City’s GIS map of those projects: austin.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapview...
Data includes parcels with approved permits + structures that have been completed between February 2024 and May 2025
Data includes parcels with approved permits + structures that have been completed between February 2024 and May 2025
Here are some diagrams from the slides we used to advocate for single-stair in Austin
Left, an example lot with 5 different single-stair buildings
Right, an IBC-compliant two-stair building
These are obv different size lots, but I hope this gets across that single-stair buildings are *small*
Left, an example lot with 5 different single-stair buildings
Right, an IBC-compliant two-stair building
These are obv different size lots, but I hope this gets across that single-stair buildings are *small*
November 19, 2025 at 5:28 AM
Here are some diagrams from the slides we used to advocate for single-stair in Austin
Left, an example lot with 5 different single-stair buildings
Right, an IBC-compliant two-stair building
These are obv different size lots, but I hope this gets across that single-stair buildings are *small*
Left, an example lot with 5 different single-stair buildings
Right, an IBC-compliant two-stair building
These are obv different size lots, but I hope this gets across that single-stair buildings are *small*
Reposted by Parker Welch
Austin is better served with @doggett.house.gov and @gregcasar.bsky.social representing our community in Congress. Their leadership, commitment to working families, and dedication to equitable policy make a meaningful difference for Central Texas. Our future is stronger with their voices in DC.
November 19, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Austin is better served with @doggett.house.gov and @gregcasar.bsky.social representing our community in Congress. Their leadership, commitment to working families, and dedication to equitable policy make a meaningful difference for Central Texas. Our future is stronger with their voices in DC.