Micheál Podgers
@michealpodgers.bsky.social
Yassssssifying infrastructure.
📍Chicago
👨🏻💻Urban Planner
🗣️ EN DE FR NL GA
Professional account. All opinions my own.
📍Chicago
👨🏻💻Urban Planner
🗣️ EN DE FR NL GA
Professional account. All opinions my own.
When you have a big win you celebrate. When you have TWO big wins you celebrate extra hard! Finally, members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition are toasting to passing major clean energy and transportation legislation that will decarbonize Illinois! We’re the national leaders in this moment!
November 14, 2025 at 10:27 PM
When you have a big win you celebrate. When you have TWO big wins you celebrate extra hard! Finally, members of the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition are toasting to passing major clean energy and transportation legislation that will decarbonize Illinois! We’re the national leaders in this moment!
Now heading south. Black helicopter with a yellow strip. No livery to mark a company or organization. Does not show on the plane finder app.
October 27, 2025 at 5:40 PM
Now heading south. Black helicopter with a yellow strip. No livery to mark a company or organization. Does not show on the plane finder app.
Unmarked black helicopter flying very low over Edgewater at approximately 12:30pm on 10/27. Heading north parallel with the lakefront. Not showing on air traffic monitoring apps. @the48thward.bsky.social @leniann.bsky.social
October 27, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Unmarked black helicopter flying very low over Edgewater at approximately 12:30pm on 10/27. Heading north parallel with the lakefront. Not showing on air traffic monitoring apps. @the48thward.bsky.social @leniann.bsky.social
@aldconway.bsky.social, a billionaire’s son, can’t imagine spending $40 million (0.2% of the budget) on sidewalk snow plowing, an essential service that would help every Chicagoan especially disabled people, parents, and seniors. Oh, and police misconduct has cost $231.2 million in 2025 already.
October 3, 2025 at 9:25 PM
@aldconway.bsky.social, a billionaire’s son, can’t imagine spending $40 million (0.2% of the budget) on sidewalk snow plowing, an essential service that would help every Chicagoan especially disabled people, parents, and seniors. Oh, and police misconduct has cost $231.2 million in 2025 already.
Tomorrow the @rtachicago.bsky.social is gunna say everything is fine and that we don’t need reform and funding is fine and the fiscal cliff is shifting and there aren’t issues and transit is working and that reform isn’t needed as a part of the funding crisis and then this happens.
October 2, 2025 at 10:38 PM
Tomorrow the @rtachicago.bsky.social is gunna say everything is fine and that we don’t need reform and funding is fine and the fiscal cliff is shifting and there aren’t issues and transit is working and that reform isn’t needed as a part of the funding crisis and then this happens.
These two images were taken less an an hour apart. The good energy on Milwaukee during the pedestrian event was strong and lovely. It’s gone. The life is gone. Back to narrow sidewalks, aggressive drivers, and zero reason to make the trip to the neighborhood.
August 31, 2025 at 10:30 PM
These two images were taken less an an hour apart. The good energy on Milwaukee during the pedestrian event was strong and lovely. It’s gone. The life is gone. Back to narrow sidewalks, aggressive drivers, and zero reason to make the trip to the neighborhood.
IMO people who live and/or work in the area outlined in yellow have the most to gain from transit reform and funding. People who live in the urban core will benefit from less traffic on their streets. People who live in the fringes will still have access to fast trips into the city.
August 7, 2025 at 10:35 PM
IMO people who live and/or work in the area outlined in yellow have the most to gain from transit reform and funding. People who live in the urban core will benefit from less traffic on their streets. People who live in the fringes will still have access to fast trips into the city.
If your bus route has three according buses bunching at a time, then your bus route needs to be a subway line. @chicagocta.bsky.social @illinoisdot.bsky.social @chicagosmayor.bsky.social @govpritzker.illinois.gov
August 6, 2025 at 11:14 PM
If your bus route has three according buses bunching at a time, then your bus route needs to be a subway line. @chicagocta.bsky.social @illinoisdot.bsky.social @chicagosmayor.bsky.social @govpritzker.illinois.gov
Also, just cause we’re chatting, this would hit hard in the NW suburbs.
August 4, 2025 at 2:07 AM
Also, just cause we’re chatting, this would hit hard in the NW suburbs.
I’m so glad the @chicagotribune.com is opting to let spill letting Edgewater NIMBYs spill ink to rail against the Broadway upzoning, and doing so with lies and utter bull*. Whatever Chicago’s transportation problems are, they’re not more housing for people without cars. It’s whatever this shit is. 👇🏻
July 24, 2025 at 10:59 PM
I’m so glad the @chicagotribune.com is opting to let spill letting Edgewater NIMBYs spill ink to rail against the Broadway upzoning, and doing so with lies and utter bull*. Whatever Chicago’s transportation problems are, they’re not more housing for people without cars. It’s whatever this shit is. 👇🏻
This L car is climate action in practice. It is real. It achieves our goals. We need to spend more time and resources building more of this instead of focusing attention on untested ideas that could take years if not decades to make viable. This is “practical” climate action.
July 22, 2025 at 1:46 AM
This L car is climate action in practice. It is real. It achieves our goals. We need to spend more time and resources building more of this instead of focusing attention on untested ideas that could take years if not decades to make viable. This is “practical” climate action.
The City of Chicago really needs to wake up to what an amazing photo op exists on the North Avenue bridge. Given the chance, people would absolutely flock here for photos. But work needs to be done: North Ave needs a road diet and better transit, improve the pedestrian expense nearby, & add benches!
July 22, 2025 at 1:31 AM
The City of Chicago really needs to wake up to what an amazing photo op exists on the North Avenue bridge. Given the chance, people would absolutely flock here for photos. But work needs to be done: North Ave needs a road diet and better transit, improve the pedestrian expense nearby, & add benches!
@govpritzker.illinois.gov says at @aspenideas.bsky.social that Illinois is committed to continuing its climate progress. “I am committed to getting it done.” Waiting to hear more on transportation policy.
July 21, 2025 at 11:44 PM
@govpritzker.illinois.gov says at @aspenideas.bsky.social that Illinois is committed to continuing its climate progress. “I am committed to getting it done.” Waiting to hear more on transportation policy.
Another weird little idea I’ve had to allow more capacity and interlining options would be a spur from 95th to Olive-Harvey College. The ROW exists, it could frankly be single track and only requires a terminal station. Not a clue if there’s any value tho but, hey, I’ll put the idea into the ether.
July 20, 2025 at 3:42 AM
Another weird little idea I’ve had to allow more capacity and interlining options would be a spur from 95th to Olive-Harvey College. The ROW exists, it could frankly be single track and only requires a terminal station. Not a clue if there’s any value tho but, hey, I’ll put the idea into the ether.
This newer development gives perhaps the best impression of what could be built automatically under the new zoning code. This six floor building has ground floor commercial (all empty, a sign the neighborhood could use more people). It abuts many NIMBY households who complain about views.
July 20, 2025 at 2:02 AM
This newer development gives perhaps the best impression of what could be built automatically under the new zoning code. This six floor building has ground floor commercial (all empty, a sign the neighborhood could use more people). It abuts many NIMBY households who complain about views.
Another zoomed out view of the same building gives an impression of what development on Broadway will likely look like once it’s rezoned to allow more housing. For the most part, it shouldn’t differ much from the current scale due to the density of existing buildings, many won’t be developed. 6/
July 20, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Another zoomed out view of the same building gives an impression of what development on Broadway will likely look like once it’s rezoned to allow more housing. For the most part, it shouldn’t differ much from the current scale due to the density of existing buildings, many won’t be developed. 6/
The building shown is allowed as of right by the current zoning. It was built with four units originally and received a recent code variance to allow 8 units. Small developments like this are insufficient to meet the affordable housing demand that exists in Edgewater. 5/
July 20, 2025 at 2:02 AM
The building shown is allowed as of right by the current zoning. It was built with four units originally and received a recent code variance to allow 8 units. Small developments like this are insufficient to meet the affordable housing demand that exists in Edgewater. 5/
Much of Broadway along the corridors slated for rezoning to allow more housing looks like this however. While often charming and quaint, most existing development is very low density and older. A significant amount of it is one floor commercial developments. 3/
July 20, 2025 at 2:02 AM
Much of Broadway along the corridors slated for rezoning to allow more housing looks like this however. While often charming and quaint, most existing development is very low density and older. A significant amount of it is one floor commercial developments. 3/
The most egregious example may be at the intersection of Berwyn and Broadway, which is surrounded by strip malls on all sides of the last example was built in the past 10 years. It’s the result of wealthy home owners who killed a proposal for a relatively standard mixed-use building. 1/
July 20, 2025 at 2:02 AM
The most egregious example may be at the intersection of Berwyn and Broadway, which is surrounded by strip malls on all sides of the last example was built in the past 10 years. It’s the result of wealthy home owners who killed a proposal for a relatively standard mixed-use building. 1/
The @chicagocta.bsky.social hiring private security who then park their cars blocking the sidewalk to prevent tagging is a bad look. I don’t care if the infrastructure is new.
July 19, 2025 at 2:08 AM
The @chicagocta.bsky.social hiring private security who then park their cars blocking the sidewalk to prevent tagging is a bad look. I don’t care if the infrastructure is new.
No rest for the wicked! Jumping from Event 1 with my @climateaf.bsky.social coworker @emmafisher.bsky.social to Event 2 with @betterstreetschicago.org—a Climate Cabinet partner and where I’m a board member! We love transit and climate and putting in the work for wins on both!
June 23, 2025 at 11:15 PM
No rest for the wicked! Jumping from Event 1 with my @climateaf.bsky.social coworker @emmafisher.bsky.social to Event 2 with @betterstreetschicago.org—a Climate Cabinet partner and where I’m a board member! We love transit and climate and putting in the work for wins on both!
And here’s me ready to ride one of the United States’ biggest transit success stories! Here’s to more transit and more passenger rail for the Twin Cities region, Minnesota, and Midwest. 🍻
June 12, 2025 at 8:43 PM
And here’s me ready to ride one of the United States’ biggest transit success stories! Here’s to more transit and more passenger rail for the Twin Cities region, Minnesota, and Midwest. 🍻
This is why we love trains. You just don’t get these views of the Mississippi from a plane.
June 11, 2025 at 9:54 PM
This is why we love trains. You just don’t get these views of the Mississippi from a plane.
Long day working on transit legislation in Springfield. Started gray and rainy but at least it ended balmy and sunny. More work to fix it and fund it tomorrow!
May 29, 2025 at 3:41 AM
Long day working on transit legislation in Springfield. Started gray and rainy but at least it ended balmy and sunny. More work to fix it and fund it tomorrow!
Updated image with Alt text.
![Hello, my name is [your name] and I’m a constituent. I am asking you you vote Yes on the Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act and fund our transit systems before you go home at the end of this week..
We need this legislation and funding to pass by May 31 to avoid layoffs and service cuts. Cutting transit service now would irreparably harm the state’s economy and make it more expensive to live here and increase pollution. The Metropolitan Mobility Authority Act will make it easier to get around the whole region — from suburbs-to-city and suburb-to-suburb.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:mqclkiflw2czth2osvqdokos/bafkreibcwgaqjgp3b7uauvyyei4gnxkpf35fxwdpc7dnvnd24tmaynkbsi@jpeg)
May 28, 2025 at 5:54 PM
Updated image with Alt text.