Garrett Pennell
@garrettpennell.bsky.social
140 followers 200 following 28 posts
I’m on the board of Dallas Bicycle Coalition and support pretty much every urbanist thing in Dallas that I can.
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garrettpennell.bsky.social
Today's #WeekWithoutDriving adventure: Biking like 40 pounds of compost 11 miles across Dallas only to find that I came on the wrong day. Luckily they let me drop it off anyway.

My ride was mostly pleasant and I'd do it again, but planning is key!
Bicycle loaded up with compost in saddle bags

Rough pedestrian infrastructure along Maple Avenue

Sign showing community drop off hours on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Unloading compost from my bike into the bin
Reposted by Garrett Pennell
americawalks.bsky.social
🌟 Week Without Driving is September 29 – October 5, 2025! 🌟

Want to learn more about this national campaign to reflect on the gaps in our transportation system and demand change? Join America Walks’ Virtual Town Hall on September 17.

Register to join ➡️ buff.ly/d5KVAu1
garrettpennell.bsky.social
Dallas City Council is voting on an amendment tomorrow to cut bike lane funding.

Bike lanes improve street safety and provide a desperately needed alternative to driving, and make transit accessible to more people.

Email your councilmember!

dallasbicyclecoalition.org/blog/post/20...
Dallas Bike Coalition
dallasbicyclecoalition.org
garrettpennell.bsky.social
My acceptance of on-street vehicle size is on a U-shaped curve.

Bicycles are perfect, compact cars are marginally acceptable, SUVs and emotional support trucks should be phased out, but buses, streetcars, and trams are wonderful.
garrettpennell.bsky.social
I honestly don’t think there’s a better selling point for taking the bus than this.
garrettpennell.bsky.social
Photos from this evening, one in Downtown Dallas, two in Deep Ellum
garrettpennell.bsky.social
Sidewalk at the Walnut Hill Station park and ride.

Power lines are usually invisible to me, but they made themselves pretty obvious last night for some reason.
garrettpennell.bsky.social
DART Noir

... OR ...

POV: You're a suburbanite having a nightmare.
garrettpennell.bsky.social
More pics from my walk around Downtown Dallas this afternoon/evening
garrettpennell.bsky.social
Here are a couple of photos from Critical Mass this evening. Couldn't be bothered to edit them.
garrettpennell.bsky.social
Rainy day downtown Dallas vibes
garrettpennell.bsky.social
This is the first thing I saw when I logged in to Bluesky to change the email address in bsky from an iCloud Hide My Email address to the Proton-owned SimpleLogin service. Wish you a smooth data migration!
garrettpennell.bsky.social
Mary set an exceptionally powerful example of leadership in advocacy. I've been an advocate in various causes for years, and I can count on one hand the number of times I've met someone as capable, passionate, and committed as Mary. The transit advocacy community has lost one of its best this week.
Reposted by Garrett Pennell
bikedallas.bsky.social
Great DBC Board meeting to kick off the year. Amazing things are coming for biking in Dallas!
garrettpennell.bsky.social
I've been enjoying these. Maybe I missed it, but are there any medium to large cities where housing attainability is high? I'd love to see those compared.
garrettpennell.bsky.social
If this level of destruction happened to our land any other way, we'd call it an environmental disaster. Since it's car infrastructure, we call it "development."
garrettpennell.bsky.social
I didn’t count, but someone else counted 18! I consider that fairly overwhelming for a meeting like this.
garrettpennell.bsky.social
I don’t know that they didn’t know it per se. I think maybe they just hadn’t made that connection yet. It didn’t require explaining, just pointing out. There’s a few steps between parking minimums and this new financial disaster the city has to deal with.
garrettpennell.bsky.social
#parkingreform underway in Dallas! So many advocates showed up. I tried to use the "costly parking mandate" language that @parkingreform.org shared earlier today and missed, but made the point that the city's finances were dire and we needed the density to bring in revenue. That got their attention!
kohiwonomu.bsky.social
we’re finally at the parking reform section of the CPC meeting! Staff is starting out with their presentation. Lots of emphasis on customizability to developers’ needs and vehicle demand management.
garrettpennell.bsky.social
Timely advice for today’s Dallas City Plan Commission meeting!
parkingreform.org
Don't say "Parking Requirements"
Instead use "Costly Parking Mandates"

The language we use evokes emotion and mental shortcuts; we like to create coherent stories. Framing the story of parking reform in a compelling way will help us succeed. 🧵/7
Framing The Story of Parking Reform
The language we use evokes emotion and mental short cuts; we like to create coherent stories.
Framing the story of parking reform in a compelling way will help us succeed.
Don't Say: Parking Requirements
The word “requirements” indicates something is required, implicitly that it is needed. It is also value-neutral.
Instead Use: Costly Parking Mandates
Remind people parking costs money and land to provide. And use the term “mandates” which implies a heavier hand.
Parking Reform Network - parkingreform.org
This work draws on Evan Manvel’s work for the Transportation and Growth Management program at the State of Oregon
garrettpennell.bsky.social
Took the train downtown Dallas, walked into a local microbrewery, got a free barbecue sandwich, ran into someone I know, and played BINGO.

I love living in a city. Not a perfect city, but a decent one where cool and quirky things happen and where I don’t have to drive to participate.