Randolph Ruiz
@aaaarchitecture.bsky.social
Architect, educator(SEIU 1021), casual cyclist in San Francisco & Santa Monica. Need a building? I can help http://aaaarch.com Auto-free since ‘04
Reposted by Randolph Ruiz
Built a bench of out reclaimed eucalyptus wood milled by bayarearedwood.com - hard and heavy as hell (weighs more than an 8ft fir bench). Wet with no finish. Eucalyptus lumber gets a lot of hate - maybe undeserved? We will see how this bench ages
February 19, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Built a bench of out reclaimed eucalyptus wood milled by bayarearedwood.com - hard and heavy as hell (weighs more than an 8ft fir bench). Wet with no finish. Eucalyptus lumber gets a lot of hate - maybe undeserved? We will see how this bench ages
Reposted by Randolph Ruiz
Santa Monica is upgrading Broadway bike lanes - concrete curb protection on the way. Construction now from 4th to 9th. (Will extend to 26th)
February 16, 2026 at 2:00 AM
Santa Monica is upgrading Broadway bike lanes - concrete curb protection on the way. Construction now from 4th to 9th. (Will extend to 26th)
Reposted by Randolph Ruiz
We need to be much more thoughtful about which judges we elect in SF.
The woman prosecutors said killed a family of four after ramming into a bus stop with her car in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood will avoid jail time after changing her plea in court.
S.F. driver accused of killing family of 4 in West Portal crash likely to avoid prison time
The woman prosecutors said killed a family of four after ramming into a bus stop with her car in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood will avoid jail time after changing her plea in court.
bit.ly
February 14, 2026 at 4:03 AM
We need to be much more thoughtful about which judges we elect in SF.
Reposted by Randolph Ruiz
When they say "millions" here, they mean over $100M!
Together these awards totaled to:
Wilmington Safe Streets: $32M
Skid Row Connectivity Project: $39M
Boyle Heights Connectivity Project: $32M
(it's notable that the motion omits the embarrassing total)
Together these awards totaled to:
Wilmington Safe Streets: $32M
Skid Row Connectivity Project: $39M
Boyle Heights Connectivity Project: $32M
(it's notable that the motion omits the embarrassing total)
The City of LA is about to give back millions of dollars of previously won money for active transportation projects because it can’t build things in any reasonable amount of time.
February 14, 2026 at 7:03 PM
When they say "millions" here, they mean over $100M!
Together these awards totaled to:
Wilmington Safe Streets: $32M
Skid Row Connectivity Project: $39M
Boyle Heights Connectivity Project: $32M
(it's notable that the motion omits the embarrassing total)
Together these awards totaled to:
Wilmington Safe Streets: $32M
Skid Row Connectivity Project: $39M
Boyle Heights Connectivity Project: $32M
(it's notable that the motion omits the embarrassing total)
Never before noticed this airfield at Nacimiento, across the Salinas River from Camp Roberts. Whose Atlas is this?
February 14, 2026 at 5:02 AM
Never before noticed this airfield at Nacimiento, across the Salinas River from Camp Roberts. Whose Atlas is this?
Never Again in My Back Yard
February 13, 2026 at 8:43 PM
Never Again in My Back Yard
Innovations in hostile architecture. Rip rap area denial in Brookfield Village as seen from Amtrak
February 13, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Innovations in hostile architecture. Rip rap area denial in Brookfield Village as seen from Amtrak
In Hayes Valley. Just saw a heavily weathered 1984 StarCraft van with a custom LA Olympics logo tastefully incorporated into the tan and brown striping. I’d Like to think it was Mary Lou Retton at the wheel
February 13, 2026 at 3:13 AM
In Hayes Valley. Just saw a heavily weathered 1984 StarCraft van with a custom LA Olympics logo tastefully incorporated into the tan and brown striping. I’d Like to think it was Mary Lou Retton at the wheel
Meanwhile, in San Francisco
February 9, 2026 at 3:12 AM
Meanwhile, in San Francisco
Reposted by Randolph Ruiz
Behind almost every university "financial crisis" is some sort of insider benefitting real estate deal, sometimes not just corrupt but clearly criminal
“California College of the Arts gambled on a major campus expansion. Here’s what went wrong” archive.ph/KnydJ
February 8, 2026 at 5:32 PM
Behind almost every university "financial crisis" is some sort of insider benefitting real estate deal, sometimes not just corrupt but clearly criminal
Accidentally stumbled upon the March for Billionaires. I’ve not seen this many people at a rally here since Andrew Yang was running for president
February 7, 2026 at 11:35 PM
Accidentally stumbled upon the March for Billionaires. I’ve not seen this many people at a rally here since Andrew Yang was running for president
Reposted by Randolph Ruiz
Sacramento has had 3 major freeway widenings within the decade, I-5, I-80, US-50 (which is extra over budget and delayed and lane splitting that killed a lot of people).
I have to run the numbers but it’s over $1B on more freeway lanes. Glad we declared a climate emergency
I have to run the numbers but it’s over $1B on more freeway lanes. Glad we declared a climate emergency
Sacramento deserves a regional rail system. What would it take to build it?
February 6, 2026 at 10:13 PM
Sacramento has had 3 major freeway widenings within the decade, I-5, I-80, US-50 (which is extra over budget and delayed and lane splitting that killed a lot of people).
I have to run the numbers but it’s over $1B on more freeway lanes. Glad we declared a climate emergency
I have to run the numbers but it’s over $1B on more freeway lanes. Glad we declared a climate emergency
15 or 20 years ago it felt like some of the billionaires cared a smidge about making the world better.
What happened?
What happened?
February 5, 2026 at 6:52 AM
15 or 20 years ago it felt like some of the billionaires cared a smidge about making the world better.
What happened?
What happened?
Reposted by Randolph Ruiz
Amazing news! Thanks so much to all of the advocates, Senators @scottwiener.bsky.social and @jessearreguin.bsky.social, and our transit agencies for making this happen!
This bridge loan helps immensely AND we still need to pass the Connect Bay Area funding measure to keep transit service strong.
This bridge loan helps immensely AND we still need to pass the Connect Bay Area funding measure to keep transit service strong.
VICTORY! The emergency funding deal we fought so hard for in 2025 has finally been made! The state will issue a $590 million emergency loan to hold off disastrous cuts to BART, Caltrain, AC Transit, and Muni that would have started this July.
(1/x)
(1/x)
January 31, 2026 at 4:15 AM
Amazing news! Thanks so much to all of the advocates, Senators @scottwiener.bsky.social and @jessearreguin.bsky.social, and our transit agencies for making this happen!
This bridge loan helps immensely AND we still need to pass the Connect Bay Area funding measure to keep transit service strong.
This bridge loan helps immensely AND we still need to pass the Connect Bay Area funding measure to keep transit service strong.
Reposted by Randolph Ruiz
Reminder that until 1945 you could take a train to Yosemite!
From sleepy Merced, the Yosemite Valley RR swept passengers on a winding route through the scenic foothills, delivering tourists straight to El Portal!
No doubt, such a train would be well used, given Yosemite's typical grueling traffic.
From sleepy Merced, the Yosemite Valley RR swept passengers on a winding route through the scenic foothills, delivering tourists straight to El Portal!
No doubt, such a train would be well used, given Yosemite's typical grueling traffic.
January 30, 2026 at 8:51 PM
Reminder that until 1945 you could take a train to Yosemite!
From sleepy Merced, the Yosemite Valley RR swept passengers on a winding route through the scenic foothills, delivering tourists straight to El Portal!
No doubt, such a train would be well used, given Yosemite's typical grueling traffic.
From sleepy Merced, the Yosemite Valley RR swept passengers on a winding route through the scenic foothills, delivering tourists straight to El Portal!
No doubt, such a train would be well used, given Yosemite's typical grueling traffic.
Up to my usual. My banh mi was ready to go after the train pulled into Jack London square, but I made it on
January 30, 2026 at 5:41 PM
Up to my usual. My banh mi was ready to go after the train pulled into Jack London square, but I made it on
I feel my gen should have been demanding that the auto/fossil fuel industries be dismantled and their wealth redistributed to the victims.
But we don’t because we have lead poisoning
But we don’t because we have lead poisoning
January 30, 2026 at 3:53 AM
I feel my gen should have been demanding that the auto/fossil fuel industries be dismantled and their wealth redistributed to the victims.
But we don’t because we have lead poisoning
But we don’t because we have lead poisoning
With the greyhound bus maintenance building in the background that will one day be home of the failed California College of Art and Crafts
17th & Wisconsin, 1980s
Much talk of the demise of Thee Parkside (spent many afternoons there after Sunday softball at Jackson Playground) Not sure of the date, but here's a shot from photographer Jo Babcock when it was Frank's Place. The Ferrerro family owned Frank's place for 42 years. #sfhistory
Much talk of the demise of Thee Parkside (spent many afternoons there after Sunday softball at Jackson Playground) Not sure of the date, but here's a shot from photographer Jo Babcock when it was Frank's Place. The Ferrerro family owned Frank's place for 42 years. #sfhistory
January 29, 2026 at 8:07 PM
With the greyhound bus maintenance building in the background that will one day be home of the failed California College of Art and Crafts
Finally saw Antonioni's Zabriskie Point. It's better than I'd heard. Beautiful & lurid scenes of desert & city. While its images of unrest resonate, the film's boomer radicals wanted the world remade by both love & violence, whereas today's resistance is trying to protect a preferable (flawed) order
January 28, 2026 at 9:35 AM
Finally saw Antonioni's Zabriskie Point. It's better than I'd heard. Beautiful & lurid scenes of desert & city. While its images of unrest resonate, the film's boomer radicals wanted the world remade by both love & violence, whereas today's resistance is trying to protect a preferable (flawed) order
Reposted by Randolph Ruiz
America is blessed with a world class megacity that has a perfect year-round climate and is mostly in a flat basin. And this is the best we can do for bicycles.
This is exactly the problem with 99% of bike infrastructure implementation in the US.
It is done opportunistically or paired with repaving on a piece-by-piece basis, rather than implemented *as a network first*.
This is how you get a bike network in Los Angeles like this.
It is done opportunistically or paired with repaving on a piece-by-piece basis, rather than implemented *as a network first*.
This is how you get a bike network in Los Angeles like this.
January 27, 2026 at 10:06 PM
America is blessed with a world class megacity that has a perfect year-round climate and is mostly in a flat basin. And this is the best we can do for bicycles.
Back into the architecture education mines today for what is likely the beginning of the end. Everyone was sad, angry, and hopeful
January 21, 2026 at 5:43 AM
Back into the architecture education mines today for what is likely the beginning of the end. Everyone was sad, angry, and hopeful
Reposted by Randolph Ruiz
"Our politics obsess over money, but seldom over time. Eye-watering numbers for some such project will plaster a newspaper broadsheet, but never costs that are counted in years. A billion dollars is an outrage: A decade is just the government running its due course."
The Tyranny of Tomorrow
Why Government Needs to Stop Wasting Our Time.
everyoneiswelcome.substack.com
January 19, 2026 at 7:13 PM
"Our politics obsess over money, but seldom over time. Eye-watering numbers for some such project will plaster a newspaper broadsheet, but never costs that are counted in years. A billion dollars is an outrage: A decade is just the government running its due course."
So happy for this tall boi in Berkeley. It’s not hurting anyone
January 19, 2026 at 10:45 PM
So happy for this tall boi in Berkeley. It’s not hurting anyone
What kind of society do we want to be without having any place for young people to pursue art and design?
This is a serious blow to the culture of San Francisco and the Bay Area. With the previous loss of SF Art Institute, there are no longer any serious art colleges in SF or Oakland
This is a serious blow to the culture of San Francisco and the Bay Area. With the previous loss of SF Art Institute, there are no longer any serious art colleges in SF or Oakland
California College of the Arts is over. news.vanderbilt.edu/2026/01/13/v...
Vanderbilt University to establish full-time academic campus in San Francisco
Vanderbilt University today announced plans to establish an academic campus in San Francisco beginning in 2027, subject to necessary regulatory approvals. This is a significant expansion of the univer...
news.vanderbilt.edu
January 14, 2026 at 12:44 AM
What kind of society do we want to be without having any place for young people to pursue art and design?
This is a serious blow to the culture of San Francisco and the Bay Area. With the previous loss of SF Art Institute, there are no longer any serious art colleges in SF or Oakland
This is a serious blow to the culture of San Francisco and the Bay Area. With the previous loss of SF Art Institute, there are no longer any serious art colleges in SF or Oakland
California College of the Arts is over. news.vanderbilt.edu/2026/01/13/v...
Vanderbilt University to establish full-time academic campus in San Francisco
Vanderbilt University today announced plans to establish an academic campus in San Francisco beginning in 2027, subject to necessary regulatory approvals. This is a significant expansion of the univer...
news.vanderbilt.edu
January 13, 2026 at 6:24 PM
California College of the Arts is over. news.vanderbilt.edu/2026/01/13/v...