Sarah Jo Peterson
@sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
130 followers 260 following 13 posts
Transportation and history, sometimes both at once.
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
karl-jacoby.bsky.social
Only an administration intent on committing war crimes in the present and future would stoop to calling Wounded Knee a "battle" rather than what it truly was: a massacre of over 250 Lakotas, mainly women, children, and the elderly. 1/
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
nytpitchbot.bsky.social
Breaking character: Ken White has a fantastic post about how "free speech culture" undermines free speech. It's something I've thought about a lot before, but Ken knows way more about it than I do and explains it really well.

www.popehat.com/p/how-free-s...
How "Free Speech Culture" Is Killing Free Speech: Part One
Blurring The Lines Between Official Censorship And Individual Criticism Built The Intellectual Foundation For Trump's Assault On Free Expression
www.popehat.com
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
Belated congratulations to Anna Zivarts @nondriver.bsky.social on her book When Driving is Not an Option from @islandpress.bsky.social !

Her book sparked some thoughts about building a transportation system that works for everyone.

islandpress.org/books/when-d...
When Driving Is Not an Option
islandpress.org
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
As a needs assessment, her list benefits all. Most drivers don’t drive all the time, and most drivers will experience times when they or family members are nondrivers. Hurdles abound these days to inclusive transport, but there is little to stop transport insiders from adopting her outline of needs.
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
Under “bike, ride, and roll,” she challenges as arbitrary our distinction between transport and mobility devices. For example, we obsess about “range anxiety” for EVs; she points out that battery life and charging stations also equal freedom for those using electrified wheelchairs or scooters.
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
In others, she challenges transportation planning conventions. She insists that “intercity buses and trains” be included on a list of otherwise “local” transportation and that “remote access and delivery” be included on a list of “passenger” transport modes.
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
Zivarts has a lot of great insights under each heading. In some she speaks sad truths: she is too much of a realist about the U.S. to use a heading that describes robust transit service. Instead, she emphasizes the difficulty of using what little service there is.
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
What Nondrivers Need (con’t):
Nondrivers ask or pay for rides
Nondrivers move to access services (when we can afford to)
Nondrivers stay home
Nondrivers rely on remote access and delivery services
Nondrivers need local connections
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
What Nondrivers Need:
Nondrivers rely on sidewalks
Nondrivers need safe and accessible street crossings
Nondrivers use whatever transit is available
Nondrivers rely on intercity buses and trains
Nondrivers bike, ride, and roll
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
However, if you make a list of the section headings in her Chapter 2, you end up with something that resembles the outline of a standard planning tool: a needs assessment. Moreover, it reflects her direct experience as a nondriver and an outsider to typical transportation bureaucracy.
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
Chapter 2 is organized around section headings that identify the specific transportation needs of nondrivers. Zivarts does this as a storytelling device. She wants her readers to get an in-depth understanding of what daily life is like for nondrivers in the United States.
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
Zivarts also has a lot to say to those who play the inside game, such as writing reports or scoping the planning studies that inform government decision-making. While her Chapters 3 and 4 build to her solutions, I keep finding myself revisiting Chapter 2 on “What Nondrivers Need.”
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
As an activist, her strategy is an outside game. She advocates for her community—non-drivers by circumstance or choice—by bringing their perspectives and expertise directly to transportation decision-makers. One tool is the Week without Driving (Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2025).

weekwithoutdriving.org
Week Without Driving
Sep 29th – Oct 5th, 2025 - An experience created for everyone to learn firsthand about barriers and challenges for nondrivers. Join, support, or become a host.
weekwithoutdriving.org
sarahjopeterson.bsky.social
Belated congratulations to Anna Zivarts @nondriver.bsky.social on her book When Driving is Not an Option from @islandpress.bsky.social !

Her book sparked some thoughts about building a transportation system that works for everyone.

islandpress.org/books/when-d...
When Driving Is Not an Option
islandpress.org
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
beethechanger.bsky.social
I want to highlight every line in this excellent piece. Logic alone says fund public transit and we all win.
@savesepta.com
@savesepta.com
@severedlimb.bsky.social

“Unlike most other wealthy countries, the US has chosen to keep transit going without ever letting it thrive”
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
itsamia.bsky.social
who's gonna start the dumb appliances and small electronics company and make a killing? i do not want screens, bluetooth, internet, wifi, NOTHING.
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
frontiertony.bsky.social
Residents of 14 states drove fewer miles per capita in 2023 than they did in 1996, according to our newly updated explainer and data visualization, "Less Driving is Possible," authored by my colleague @frontiereliz.bsky.social.

Lots of good data to explore.
frontiergroup.org/resources/wh...
Updated: Less driving is possible
Residents of several states and cities have driven fewer miles on average in recent years than they did two decades ago. This decline suggests that Americans’ high levels of driving are not inevitable...
frontiergroup.org
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
gregshill.com
✨ Abundance and Transportation ✨

If you've sent me feedback on the "Transportation for the Abundant Society" manuscript (w/ Jonathan Levine)—thank you! We are turning to revisions soon.

If you're interested in reading—feedback most welcome! Here it is: papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Thank you!
Transportation for the Abundant Society
<p><span>The abundance movement has rapidly gained traction as voices across the political spectrum seek to overcome artificial scarcity in housing, energy, and
papers.ssrn.com
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
drtcombs.bsky.social
Ask: I'm hoping to find someone to talk to a graduate-level planning class on traffic signal plans, with an emphasis on #pedestrian and #bicycle mobility and #safety*

*actual safety, not traffic-flow-but-lets-call-it-safety

Grateful for suggestions!

@bikesky.social #BikeSky #WalkSky #VisionZero
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
katharinehayhoe.com
"We used to consume fossil fuels
to make ourselves power
But now we just look to the sun
for each kilowatt hour"

This is the cutest and most encouraging video I've seen all week. Give it a watch - and share if you agree!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MgK...
Running on Sunshine - Rockway Mennonite Collegiate 2025
YouTube video by Rockway Mennonite Collegiate
www.youtube.com
Reposted by Sarah Jo Peterson
jay.hightman.org
My daughter Robyn is one of these pins.

I encourage those who have lost someone or were injured due to traffic violence to share their story on the Families for Safe Streets Community Story Map.

This is a link to my daughter's story arcg.is/055LfP0

Please re-skeet!

@fam4safestreets.bsky.social
https://www.familiesforsafestreets.org/stories