Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 1m

Bay Bridge originally had trains, but good point that they never had a shoulder

Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Sham Jaff @shamjaff.bsky.social · 9h

It’s a "crisis" when immigrants "take jobs away", but "innovation" when machines do. Funny.

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Keith W. Dickinson @keithwdickinson.bsky.social · 6h

Today is a day when arts degrees are worthless, but the product of those degrees is so valuable it would kill an entire industry if they were made to pay for it.

The Verge @theverge.com · May 26

Nick Clegg says asking artists for use permission would ‘kill’ the AI industry

Paul McCartne, Elton John and others signed an open letter.

buff.ly

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Plenary Popehat Power @kenwhite.bsky.social · 15h

These people are evil. Never stop saying so. Don’t be intimidated into shutting up.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 16h

Here’s video of the incident

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Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 1h

Also, perhaps ask for the cost difference if it was designed like the Antioch Bridge, which has the same number of lanes as SR-37 currently has

Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 2h

If Caltrans insists they need a shoulder, then why has Caltrans converted the shoulders to travel lanes on Bay Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, Richmond Bridge, Dumbarton Bridge, and Carquinez Bridge

Only the San Mateo Bridge, Martinez Bridge, and Alfred Zampa Bridge have retained their shoulders

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Cyrus Hall @cyrushall.bsky.social · 14h

What are we even doing here, Caltrans? An $11B project that will result in status quo or worse VMT. It accepts climate change as real, and then totally ignores one of the prime causes.

This state needs a complete reboot when it comes to transportation planning.

Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 18h

Caltrans has released a cross section for the ultimate (raised viaduct) version of SR-37.

Now maybe I'm just being paranoid, but if you were building a road that you planned to keep at 4 lanes wide, I don't think it would look like this.

Cross section of 114' wide bridge structure with each direction having a 12' outside shoulder and a 10' inside shoulder.

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Jake Berman @lostsubways.com · 13h

For those of you on my feed who aren't from NorCal: this is an asinine construction project. The original SR-37 is built on a mudflat and it'll be underwater in a decade or three. It's a marginal road between two Bay Area suburbs, and they're spending $11 billion on it.

Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 18h

Caltrans has released a cross section for the ultimate (raised viaduct) version of SR-37.

Now maybe I'm just being paranoid, but if you were building a road that you planned to keep at 4 lanes wide, I don't think it would look like this.

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

TR @transited.bsky.social · 13h

If we're really open to spending $11B to elevate transportation infrastructure susceptible to sea level rise, can I interest Caltrans in 8 more miles of SMART?

A map showing how SMART could continue south from Larkspur all the way to the Sausalito ferry via the old Southern Pacific ROW. The section from Blithedale to Manzanita is circled, as it's currently at sea level and occasionally floods in very high tides.

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Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 14h

Bay Area is fighting right now for a $750M *loan* to keep transit barely operating, meanwhile Caltrans is here with a $11B climate bomb

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Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 15h

You could electrify 4.5 Caltrains for the cost of this $11B eight lane highway through the wetlands that is currently a two lane road

Warren Wells, AICP @warrenjwells.bsky.social · 18h

Caltrans has released a cross section for the ultimate (raised viaduct) version of SR-37.

Now maybe I'm just being paranoid, but if you were building a road that you planned to keep at 4 lanes wide, I don't think it would look like this.

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Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 15h

When the AI bubble pops it is going to pop hard

Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 15h

AMD: Terrific. That will be $78 billion. How would you like to pay?

OpenAI: Well, we were thinking that we would announce the deal, and that would add $78 billion to the value of your company, which should cover it.

AMD: …

OpenAI: …

How do those negotiations go? Like, schematically:

OpenAI: We would like six gigawatts worth of your chips to do inference.

AMD: Terrific. That will be $78 billion. How would you like to pay?

OpenAI: Well, we were thinking that we would announce the deal, and that would add $78 billion to the value of your company, which should cover it.

AMD: …

OpenAI: …

AMD: No I’m pretty sure you have to pay for the chips.

OpenAI: Why?

AMD: I dunno, just seems wrong not to.

OpenAI: Okay. Why don’t we pay you cash for the value of the chips, and you give us back stock, and when we announce the deal the stock will go up and we’ll get our $78 billion back.

AMD: Yeah I guess that works though I feel like we should get some of the value?

OpenAI: Okay you can have half. You give us stock worth like $35 billion and you keep the rest.

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Cyrus Hall @cyrushall.bsky.social · 20h

I am pretty convinced that the way we fund many things in the US is largely broken. Non-profits, affordable housing, transit projects, and numerous other social goods rely on deeply fragmented funding, where each funding source comes with its own strings. Funding is always on the edge.

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

onion person @junlper.beer · 21h

if the democratic party starts stepping away trans people they might as well sign this country away to the far right forever

LGBTQ Nation @lgbtqnation.com · 22h

Gavin Newsom vetoes gender education bill, declines to sign other trans protections - buff.ly/MTUAV85

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Steve Randy Waldman @interfluidity.com · 1d

a way to understand Bari Weiss’ ascendance is that capital absolutely does not want to “turn down the temperature” on culture war, au contraire they understand culture war to be their most successful media project and want more more more.

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Parker Molloy @parkermolloy.com · 22h

Never, ever Newsom. Fuck that guy.

LGBTQ Nation @lgbtqnation.com · 22h

Gavin Newsom vetoes gender education bill, declines to sign other trans protections - buff.ly/MTUAV85

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Scott Feeney @graue.bsky.social · 1d

Yikes: SF's Bicycle Advisory Committee is proposed for deletion by the streamlining task force.

Prop. E was supposed to rein in S.F. mayor's power. Instead, it’s recommending the opposite.

People who campaigned for Proposition E, which created the task force, now say that it has gone off the rails.

missionlocal.org

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Jeffrey Tumlin 🏳️‍🌈 🌁 @jeffreytumlin.bsky.social · 1d

Book report: To address climate change and traffic violence, we desperately need more everyday citizens to work together for positive change. @carterlavin.bsky.social's book is the perfect how-to guide for anyone to translate their rage or hope into strategic action. Highly recommended

Jeffrey Tumlin 🏳️‍🌈 🌁 @jeffreytumlin.bsky.social · 4d

Sabbatical pleasure #27: Reading.
Sabbatical pleasure #28: When new books by @benschneider.bsky.social and @carterlavin.bsky.social arrive on the same day! @islandpress.bsky.social
islandpress.org/books/unfini...
islandpress.org/books/if-you...

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Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 1d

Source for cost of Oakland's speed camera program and effectiveness of NYCs speed camera program: oaklandbpac.org/2024/07/17/a...

Speed Safety Camera Update

At the July 18, 2024 BPAC meeting, Craig Raphael, Speed Safety Camera Program Manager at OakDOT, will present an update on implementation of speed safety cameras under Assembly Bill 645, which auth…

oaklandbpac.org

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Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 1d

Intervention A: $139k/yr, 17% reduction in fatalities and severe injuries

Intervention B: $10k once, 76% reduction in fatalities and severe injuries

It is beyond me why cities are prioritizing Intervention A over Intervention B

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Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 1d

Speed cameras with sufficient privacy protections are fine and all, but they are a poor intervention to jump to first when we have significantly cheaper and more effective traffic calming solutions available first

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Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 1d

Traffic calming is deployed as a corridor level treatment. The SF speed cameras are installed as a spot treatment at certain intersections.

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Reposted by Bryan Culbertson 🥄

Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups @maximalistac.bsky.social · 1d

Seriously. I pay $7500 a year in property taxes for the condo I own and live in. The guy upstairs, who rents out his apartment for nearly $3000 a month, pays $805 a year in property taxes.

Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 2d

Prop 13 assessed value should be tied to rent being charged to tenants

If property owner is charging 2025 rent then they should not be paying 1973 property taxes

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Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 1d

I would support that change!

Currently Prop 13 applies to all properties residential and commercial, owner and rental

projects.scpr.org/prop-13/hist...

The block that Prop. 13 built: Taxpayers revolt

Inspired by fear and anger, California voters passed Prop. 13 in 1978. That election reshaped the California dream for generations.

projects.scpr.org

Bryan Culbertson 🥄 @bryanculbertson.com · 2d

I completely agree that any Prop 13 reform must allow people to stay in their primary homes

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