Eric Cunningham
noteric.bsky.social
Eric Cunningham
@noteric.bsky.social
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed 4 years ago. In new research @urbaninstitute.bsky.social we study its effects.

US transport spending increased by 30%, but:
—Funding for non-highway projects flatlined
—Construction cost increases resulted in no actual increase in infrastructure
Federal Infrastructure Spending on Transportation, Four Years after the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is up for reauthorization in 2026. New analysis shows that the act increased spending on transportation infrastructure, but…
www.urban.org
November 12, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
🚨BIG changes happening -- ICE leadership is being purged tonight. The old guard, which prioritized targeted enforcement operations aimed at people with criminal records, is being replaced with Border Patrol and Gregory Bovino's "Midway Blitz" style.

Think things are bad now? It'll get worse.
October 28, 2025 at 12:27 AM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
Funding for legal assistance will be very helpful.
October 15, 2025 at 1:37 AM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
“[T]he factual conditions necessary for President Trump to have properly invoked Section 12406(3) [to send the National Guard to Chicago] simply do not exist.”
October 10, 2025 at 10:31 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
YES in God's Backyard! Arlington County needs to pursue its own YIGBY #housing policies for the many religious institutions in the community, even if they continue opposing state-wide reforms in favor of keeping local control.
August 5, 2025 at 3:58 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
Chicago basically eliminated parking requirements near transit citywide except downtown today!

Transit = within 1/2 mi of CTA rail & 1/4 mi of some well-served bus routes.

[Downtown carve-out is odd. But downtown developers can better handle bureaucracy they must still undergo for parking relief.]
City Council reduced parking mandates in a big way today - Chicago Cityscape - Blog
The Chicago City Council adopted O2025-0015577 — introduced by 1st Ward Alderperson La Spata — today that eliminates parking mandates for a...
www.chicagocityscape.com
July 16, 2025 at 8:02 PM
Wait, I've seen this one before!
More than 450 subway passengers were led out of a tunnel beneath Boston Harbor after a Blue Line train became stuck due to a power outage Tuesday afternoon, officials said. https://trib.al/P9giBSj
July 15, 2025 at 11:41 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
Shockingly, there is some truth to this; in 1975, the Supreme Court ruled that racial profiling CAN be used for reasonable suspicion in immigration stops.

But that decision was based on demographics at the time, and in the 50 years since, courts have invalidated it as used in Latino communities.
Homan: "People need to understand ICE officers and Border Patrol don't need probable cause to walk up to somebody, briefly detain them, and question them ... based on their physical appearance."
July 11, 2025 at 3:47 PM
UNDER FIRE: Chimney sweeps recommend disposing of ash weekly.
SCOOP: I am eating ice cream
EXCLUSIVE: My partner and I have decided to have a monogamous relationship.
July 11, 2025 at 1:32 AM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
Not picking on Atrios, but I think this is basically the experience problem of US transit creating a zero sum mindset. Nobody in the US (except *maybe* LA/DC/Seattle) ever sees substantial transit service improvements, so it's treated as practical impossibility even though it's normal outside the US
"people generally would prefer better service to free"
cool bro when's that better service coming
July 9, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
If the capital city of a much less wealthy country currently experiencing economic crisis can subsidize public transit, makes one wonder about why cities in the US can't make buses free
Cabinet approves 20-baht electric railway fare project, starting in October
Cabinet approves 20-baht electric railway fare for Bangkok and suburbs, starting October 1. Registration begins in August.
www.nationthailand.com
July 8, 2025 at 9:16 AM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
I'm not wading into the political discussion arising out of the tragedy in Texas. I can tell you, however, that based on my father's experience in the National Weather Service, that it's a lot more complicated than "was the forecast good." 1/x
July 6, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
Congestion pricing by the # ‘s 6 months in:
* 67k fewer drivers entering zone daily
* Delays in Holland Tunnel down 65%
* Traffic deaths down 32% so far in 2025
* $500m projected this year for MTA capital improvements
* B’way attendance +12%
* Subway ridership +7%

So yes this program is a SUCCESS.
July 6, 2025 at 1:50 AM
If I were the Pirates, I would maybe just not post some of these.

#LetsGoBucs
July 4, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
A federal judge has ruled that the Trump administration cannot deny entry to people crossing the southern border to apply for asylum. The court found that neither the constitution nor federal immigration law allow the president to make that decision.
Federal judge strikes down Trump's order suspending asylum access at the southern border
The ruling was a win for immigrant advocacy groups that sued over the president's order, which they say put thousands of lives at risk.
n.pr
July 3, 2025 at 12:46 AM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
Montgomery County, MD's Ride On transit service became fare-free this weekend. It's the 49th-highest-ridership transit agency in the country and I believe now the largest with free fares.
Fares - Ride On - Montgomery County Division of Transit Services
The regular Ride On fare is $1.00, using SmarTrip, cash, or token. See fare details for passes, seniors, persons with disabilities, kids / youth, Montgomery College students, express buses, and transf...
www.montgomerycountymd.gov
July 1, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
DC completely redesigned their bus network yesterday to improve service and seeing a lot of the irrational negative reactions (“I can’t believe they’re changing the name of my bus route”) and the rational ones (“they removed my stop to speed up service”) makes me appreciate how bit a lift this was
June 30, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
Great news, but this appeal only says the lawsuit will need a do-over to incl. those who started building #MissingMiddle housing units, whom the original judge excluded for sketchy reasons. Plaintiffs could drop the lawsuit rather than keep raising $$ from gullible NIMBYs, but I doubt it. #urbanism
Arlington's missing middle policy ending single-family-only zoning was effectively reinstated Tuesday by a Virginia panel of judges, who ruled that homeowners suing over that effort did not adequately take real estate developers to court, too.

www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/202...
Va. appeals court says Arlington can eliminate single-family-only zoning
The Northern Virginia county’s push for more “missing middle” housing had divided its residents and was paused in response to a lawsuit from some homeowners.
www.washingtonpost.com
June 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Flagpoles in progress.
June 18, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
gonna go contact our senators brb
June 13, 2025 at 1:43 AM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
Incredible. The immigrant history of Dan’s Cafe, probably the most iconic dive bar in the city! Little did I know that “Dan” was a last name.
June 11, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
Brief #mapoli math lesson in transportation equity👇
In 1959, it cost $2.45 to travel the Mass Turnpike from New York to Route 128. www.ebay.com/itm/37456503...

Adjusted for inflation, it would cost $27.10.

Today, that same trip, covering 120 miles, costs just $4.25, 3.5¢ per mile.
Pardon Our Interruption...eBay Home
www.ebay.com
May 27, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
The median age of all homebuyers in America today is 56, up from 31 in 1981 and 40 in 2010.
May 19, 2025 at 1:27 AM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
Local DC post for the day, but it's insane how successful the transit-oriented development around NoMA has been.

The station is now ~50% busier than it was in 2019, despite overall metro ridership still being down. This year, it's busier than Dupont Circle or Columbia Heights
May 16, 2025 at 7:53 PM
Reposted by Eric Cunningham
In DC, the city installed protected bike lanes along a major neighborhood corridor—Columbia Road NW. One big effect: Bike share use increased dramatically there, increasing by 49% compared to the year before, much higher than the citywide 36% increase. ggwash.org/view/99476/b...
May 16, 2025 at 1:10 PM