rohan aras
@rohanaras.bsky.social
Senior Transportation Policy Analyst @niskanencenter.bsky.social
I'd also still be worried about some form of aldermanic privilege developing over time.
Many cities are small enough in geography that I feel like a single district is probably better for this reason alone. A neighborhood bloc could still elect a rep if the interest group was salient enough!
Many cities are small enough in geography that I feel like a single district is probably better for this reason alone. A neighborhood bloc could still elect a rep if the interest group was salient enough!
December 1, 2025 at 6:03 AM
I'd also still be worried about some form of aldermanic privilege developing over time.
Many cities are small enough in geography that I feel like a single district is probably better for this reason alone. A neighborhood bloc could still elect a rep if the interest group was salient enough!
Many cities are small enough in geography that I feel like a single district is probably better for this reason alone. A neighborhood bloc could still elect a rep if the interest group was salient enough!
And a decade after the implementation of Charter Amendment 19, it's worth a conversation in Seattle as well
This is the most overt example yet of a slow move toward providing district councilmembers special privileges.
www.theurbanist.org/2025/07/21/s...
www.theurbanist.org/2025/07/21/s...
Seattle Councilmembers Push to Expand District Privileges » The Urbanist
# Since the 2023 Seattle council elections, a new dynamic has been taking shape in which extra deference is given to policy decisions made by the seven district-based councilmembers within their own d...
www.theurbanist.org
December 1, 2025 at 5:45 AM
And a decade after the implementation of Charter Amendment 19, it's worth a conversation in Seattle as well
Off the top of my head this conversation is extremely relevant in Arlington, VA right now
Relative to peer jurisdictions, I think Arlington County, VA is quite well-governed. However, the county has an advisory panel going to consider big changes to our governance, including a ❗ move from at-large to district-based representation❗
December 1, 2025 at 5:41 AM
Off the top of my head this conversation is extremely relevant in Arlington, VA right now
Cambridge is a testbed for a third option: a proportional at-large council. It doesn't bake in supremacy for local interests over the citywide good. And it ensures representation of minorities. @burhanazeem.bsky.social shows how this system can allow a pro-housing coalition to grow and make change
December 1, 2025 at 5:34 AM
Cambridge is a testbed for a third option: a proportional at-large council. It doesn't bake in supremacy for local interests over the citywide good. And it ensures representation of minorities. @burhanazeem.bsky.social shows how this system can allow a pro-housing coalition to grow and make change
But districts have their own problems. They have a smaller geographic scale, making them more susceptible to NIMBY interests over citywide interests. They also naturally encourage "councilmanic privilege" as district reps argue that only they have democratic legitimacy for district issues
December 1, 2025 at 5:18 AM
But districts have their own problems. They have a smaller geographic scale, making them more susceptible to NIMBY interests over citywide interests. They also naturally encourage "councilmanic privilege" as district reps argue that only they have democratic legitimacy for district issues
At large systems with FPTP do have a problem with representing any minority interests in the council—there's nothing stopping a stable majority coalition from winning all the seats. This is most stark when those coalitions are racially correlated and can run afoul of the VRA:
December 1, 2025 at 5:14 AM
At large systems with FPTP do have a problem with representing any minority interests in the council—there's nothing stopping a stable majority coalition from winning all the seats. This is most stark when those coalitions are racially correlated and can run afoul of the VRA:
Reposted by rohan aras
For better or for worse, REM pulled off a very successful bit of cultural/regulatory arbitrage. They've essentially created a regional rail network at reasonable capital/operating costs by...making it "transit-y" rather than "RER-y." Contrast with GO's efforts is striking.
November 30, 2025 at 9:23 PM
For better or for worse, REM pulled off a very successful bit of cultural/regulatory arbitrage. They've essentially created a regional rail network at reasonable capital/operating costs by...making it "transit-y" rather than "RER-y." Contrast with GO's efforts is striking.
Reposted by rohan aras
The design is hurting my eyes a bit but you can always do that better
Hardware looks like a 46" LCD display which runs about $6-10k depending on the vendor and support/warranty
The bigger cost is getting utility power to the shelter (~$20k/stop). Curious if this was a specific capital program
Hardware looks like a 46" LCD display which runs about $6-10k depending on the vendor and support/warranty
The bigger cost is getting utility power to the shelter (~$20k/stop). Curious if this was a specific capital program
November 30, 2025 at 1:19 AM
The design is hurting my eyes a bit but you can always do that better
Hardware looks like a 46" LCD display which runs about $6-10k depending on the vendor and support/warranty
The bigger cost is getting utility power to the shelter (~$20k/stop). Curious if this was a specific capital program
Hardware looks like a 46" LCD display which runs about $6-10k depending on the vendor and support/warranty
The bigger cost is getting utility power to the shelter (~$20k/stop). Curious if this was a specific capital program
Reposted by rohan aras
I really wish lay people understood that there is nothing intrinsically faster in at-grade, on-street rail compared to buses. If anything, it has a number of constraints that can make it potentially slower. It's the quality of priority that determines its performance, not the rail.
November 29, 2025 at 3:16 AM
I really wish lay people understood that there is nothing intrinsically faster in at-grade, on-street rail compared to buses. If anything, it has a number of constraints that can make it potentially slower. It's the quality of priority that determines its performance, not the rail.
Yeah it was interesting because it only worked on the e-bikes iirc
November 22, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Yeah it was interesting because it only worked on the e-bikes iirc
The e-bikes genuinely might be? I had a friend who was able to use his Citi bike key to unlock a CaBi e-bike
November 22, 2025 at 7:24 AM
The e-bikes genuinely might be? I had a friend who was able to use his Citi bike key to unlock a CaBi e-bike