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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 23h

Seriously, though: even if you are someone who is skeptical of rail trails and wish we could just have our national railroad system back, you should watch this. They do get into it—and also the challenges of building a future transportation system when the past it's built upon was deeply troubled.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 23h

Also: Edward Norton narrated it!

a picture of a boy scout with the words yasss written in pink

ALT: a picture of a boy scout with the words yasss written in pink

media.tenor.com

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 1d

Thrilled that someone finally made a documentary about the rail trail movement that treats that history for what it is: a fascinating and shockingly controversial story about the right to public space, which is every bit as epic as the battle against the highway movement (which sometimes overlaps).

The Shocking Untold History of America's Rails-to-Trails Movement — Streetsblog USA

Some of the fiercest battles for the future of public space in America have happened on abandoned railway corridors — and the battles aren't over yet.

usa.streetsblog.org

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Reposted by Kea Wilson

Alissa Walker @awalkerinla.bsky.social · 1d

Reflections on last week's #WeekWithoutDriving in a city that still refuses to acknowledge the existence of its nondrivers — which a comprehensive new report claims make up one-third of LA's population

One-third of Angelenos do not drive

Walking back the "car-free" games promise is unconscionable in a city where the people who don't drive are also the most vulnerable users of our streets

www.torched.la

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 4d

Meant to type NY but you’re right it’s not the best shorthand

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 4d

But even your city isn't: these projects getting cancelled is bad news for the climate we all our share, our national traffic violence stats, and our future as an equitable society. Not to mention any semblance of public trust that the federal government will actually follow the laws it passes. /🧵

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 4d

@t4america.bsky.social has a list of the ~$500 million in projects that are under threat if this dirty resolution passes, if you want to look up if your community is one of them — and yes, this includes red districts.

[T4A] Grants cancelled/at risk of expiration - September 2025

docs.google.com

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 4d

Because the budget resolution that Duffy is pressuring Congress to pass — by dangling that $18 billion like a bargaining chip — is RIFE with transit clawbacks *all over the country.* And very likely in your community!

Advocates: Congress Must Stop Trump From Illegally Holding Back Sustainable Transportation Funds — Streetsblog USA

Congress has a chance to seize back their power of the purse, and stop Trump from his "pocket-rescissions."

usa.streetsblog.org

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 4d

The 2nd Avenue Subway and Hudson Tunnel projects are huge deal on their own — as in, $18 billion, biggest-transit-projects-in-the-country huge.

But that's just the beginning.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 4d

Also: 3) the office of civil rights at DOT has listed the director position as "vacant" on its website since trump took office, so excuse me if I don't buy the "the democrats made us furlough the staff or else we would TOTALLY do this super-important review right now" line.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 4d

This is messed up on a bunch of levels, but basically:

1) New gov rules usually require a public comment period unless there's an emergency, which this ... isn't.
2) NY is basically now being punished for *following laws* re: hiring minority contractors, which the Trump admin can't just rewrite

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 4d

BG: Sec. Duffy put out a release saying that "the Democrats' shutdown" will prevent him from conducting a civil rights review necessary to keep the 2nd Avenue Subway and Hudson Tunnel projects moving, because a government rule requires it.

But Duffy *wrote that rule* just hours before the release.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 4d

If you saw a headline about NYC potentially losing two big transit projects "because of the government shutdown," know this: 1) it's bullshit, and 2) ending the shutdown on the Trump administration's terms would be terrible for transit *all across the country*, and very likely in your community. 🧵

Is Sec. Duffy Holding NY Transit Hostage To Negotiate Away The Rest of America's Transportation Future? — Streetsblog USA

The federal Transportation secretary is using two large transit projects as a bargaining chip to bully Congress into passing a budget that could be disastrous for communities across the country.

usa.streetsblog.org

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 6d

Also, one stat a source gave me that didn't make the final article: the UK and some European countries do annual surveys about the mobility needs of people with disabilities.

In the US, we only do it roughly *every ten years.*

And one in four Americans has a disability.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 6d

And it's not even a complete count! To highlight one that's very personal to me right now while my dad gets cancer treatment and has to take meds that prevent him from driving: 'temporary' disabilities are not always that temporary, and they impact so many who are still on the books as drivers.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 6d

It had never occurred to me that a full two percent of the US population was over 75 and self-reporting as periodically struggling with driving, e.g. after dark. The idea of that many people potentially losing their independence half the time is staggering.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 6d

This chart blew my mind a little.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 6d

It's one thing to talk about the 1 in 20 Americans who live in households without cars. But it's another to talk about all the people who live in households with fewer cars than people who need to drive to participate in an autocentric society, particularly kids, elders, and people w/disabilities.

Report: A Third of Americans Can't Rely On Cars — And 16 Million Have No Access At All — Streetsblog USA

So why do we plan our cities like everyone can and does get behind the wheel every day?

usa.streetsblog.org

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 6d

no idea and I hope to never find out lolol.

Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 7d

It is shocking how much money it saves (+ obviously the CO2.) There are enough free/subsidized chargers that we really only spend about $15/month tops.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 7d

Yep, we drive almost exclusively with regen turned on. It also feels a lot safer because the car is literally slowing anytime you’re not actively hitting the accelerator. Obviously still not as safe as a bike or a bus or a walk but at least it’s some mild harm reduction.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 7d

We ended up with the Chevy Bolt EUV for a bunch of reasons, not least of which was we found a dealer that had one + would give us the credit at the point of sale, vs. trusting the Trump administration would honor the credit if we claimed it personally later.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 8d

But if you don't have to drive: don't buy a car. And either way: fight for a city where NO ONE has to drive, whether because they physically can't, they can't afford to, or they just don't want to.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 8d

I will say this for those in similar situations: it's a great car. It's comfortable, it's easy to keep it charged even without a garage at local businesses (shout out to the PlugShare app), and we've never come close to draining the battery. If you have to drive, you shouldn't hesitate to get one.

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Kea Wilson @keawilson.bsky.social · 8d

Anyway, here's one podcast I did on EVs a few years ago, which I'm thinking about a lot lately. Also happy to answers questions for the EV-curious (and the EV-hostile, lol; I feel you).

Podcast: Is the Electric Car a 'Wolf In Sheep's Clothing'? — Streetsblog USA

On today's episode of The Brake, we sit down with the co-author of a new paper, "Exposing the Structural Violence of Private Electric Automobility," to talk about why the EV debate is so polarizing.

usa.streetsblog.org

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