Matt Katzen
mattkatzen.bsky.social
Matt Katzen
@mattkatzen.bsky.social
Rants about safe streets, housing, and occasionally energy
I love shade from awnings and tall buildings
January 11, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Nothing better than routing your brakes to the wrong levers 😭
January 7, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
📰YarraBUG Jan 2025 Newsletter, hey it's a new year let's go

📌Announcing: Critical Mass Yarra Fri 31 Jan
📌Petition: Yarra Council: Don't risk our safety - tell council not to remove safe cycling lanes
📌Call out for support & volunteers

➡️ mailchi.mp/346b141bfdca...
➡️ form.jotform.com/yarrabike/ya...
January 2, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Surrounding parks with highways and unnavigable stroads is a huge L. A great way to limit a cities green space usage.
December 29, 2024 at 7:28 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
I find the "cars=freedom" thing so funny because the history is actually very clear that the advent of mass motorism substantially weakened privacy rights and empowered the police.

Contemporary policing relies on roadside stops for a reason, the threshold for warrantless searches is much lower!
no surprise seeing NRO take a stand against property rights because they have no real ideology other than reflexive opposition to anything coded as liberal. the image says everything. if libs want to make it easier to build homes then obviously it must be opposed. a child’s worldviews.
Trump Must End the War on Cars | National Review
He should lead the resistance to EV mandates and strike a blow for liberty.
www.nationalreview.com
December 27, 2024 at 11:58 PM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
Announcing ... Critical Mass Yarra
5.30pm, Fri 31 Jan 2025, State Library, CBD

Riding through our traditional home grounds of Fitzroy, Collingwood & Richmond

Our safe, well-used protected bike lanes are at risk
criticalmass.melbourne
December 18, 2024 at 4:48 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
This genuinely scares me, as an Australian Jew

The refusal to accept legitimate criticism, and the awful accusation that legitimate criticism is antisemitic, is, imho, among the leading drivers of antisemitism, and paints our community in a very negative light.

It’s what I feared from the envoy
Antisemitism envoy criticised over 'dangerous' call to ban pro-Palestinian city protests
Jillian Segal's comments have been described by one Palestinian advocate as "a thinly veiled attempt" to "silence critics of the Israeli government".
www.sbs.com.au
December 13, 2024 at 5:43 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
Council can do a lot to reduce carbon emissions from transport – and doing so would improve freedom and access for everyone, both those who can’t drive and those who can.
December 22, 2024 at 12:38 AM
Density unlocks competition. Sleepy South Caulfield with the glow up.

Set backs still suck though
#apartmentwithasupermarket
December 21, 2024 at 6:21 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
New! #3CR podcast: What's stopping women riding in Melbourne, Val & @postcardsfromnorth.bsky.social on PETAL project, #StreetsPeopleLove, Yarra for safe streets, The Everyday Lives of Delivery Workers’ exhibition @ Gig Workers Hub
www.3cr.org.au/yarrabug/epi...
Whats stopping women from riding in Melbourne?
Val and Faith share their bike moments before taking a look at some of the news and happenings coming up in Melbourne lately. The Streets People Love website has been updated with those candidates who...
www.3cr.org.au
December 10, 2024 at 3:15 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
There's something very frustrating about heritage listing apartments that are illegal to build elsewhere in the same suburb because of heritage policy.
December 12, 2024 at 12:00 AM
Have Yarra council considered Coppin St modal filter? I rode past it today and clearly cars don't use it
December 11, 2024 at 9:27 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
Great to see Transport Victoria’s new safety campaign for road workers. Now make one for people walking and cycling.
December 9, 2024 at 8:56 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
For over two decades, Yarra has been one of Melbourne's best areas to walk & ride. A newly elected conservative Yarra council is eyeing up removing vital infrastructure

Get involved to keep our streets safe & support your right to move safely > www.yarrabug.org/yarra-for-sa...
December 9, 2024 at 2:32 AM
I park my bike up against a poll and get angry that there should be proper bike parking. Then I turn around and see these three lines 😍
December 9, 2024 at 7:28 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
Somehow, Melbourne seems to be heading in the wrong trajectory at the moment.

If you’re interested in improving transport choices for folks of all ages and genders, shoot me a message and I’ll tell you how you can help. 💪👗🚴🏽‍♀️
December 6, 2024 at 2:30 AM
Councils will do anything except use green asphalt
December 6, 2024 at 8:32 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
Decided I should capture my thoughts on last weeks “omnibus” motion, given 3 minutes wasn’t long to voice them.

TLDR; wrapping 36 disperate items into one giant motion and making decisions without proper process = ethically dicey and undemocratic 😬

shorturl.at/wXSR7
Omnibus notes - Sophie Wade
The ‘Omnibus’ motion ICYMI: One week ago today Yarra Councillors voted on a massive notice of motion that covered 36 completely different points. One of the things I know our residents really value ...
shorturl.at
December 3, 2024 at 11:13 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
Make all new federal funding for passenger transit capital projects contingent on upzoning, streamlining, and removing parking requirements near stations.
Now that we’ve launched the YIMBY caucus in Congress, what are some of the best ideas you have for us to work on? And pls also include intersection of housing/transit/climate work.
December 2, 2024 at 9:35 PM
My main housing, economic, and environmental policy is just "apartment with an Aldi". The absolute peak of urbanism. Any policy that gets us to having these all over Australia is good.
December 2, 2024 at 1:00 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
There are many versions of this image out there. The good ones illustrate why “better cars” will never be more than part of the answer, and actually help “lock in” the #CarDependency that’s the REAL problem. They also do a good job showing why status-quo interests want to focus on the vehicles.
December 1, 2024 at 4:47 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
Need a cargo bike occasionally?

In Denmark 🇩🇰, a supermarket offers free cargo bike rentals, showing how short-term access can empower more people to choose sustainable transport.
Et pour les personnes n'ayant besoin d'un vélo cargo qu'occasionnellement, il faut des services de location courte durée

Au 🇩🇰, une chaîne de supermarchés propose le prêt gratuit de vélos cargos par exemple !
November 28, 2024 at 1:10 PM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
Quick update: we strongly suggest browsing Yarra Council 26 Nov livestream/draft minutes when available with several potentially teachable moments for showing what doublespeak looks like in 2024

And yes people are organising 🚴🚶‍♀️
New! #3CR #podcast: Do residents want to wind back active transport in #Yarra? Talking to Liz Honey about 26 Nov omnibus motion at council meeting. News incl VLGA podcast, NY congestion tax, Climate Action Chronicles call out, Streets People Love + more. Listen back: www.3cr.org.au/yarrabug/epi...
Do residents want to wind back active transport in Yarra?
Faith and Val are joined in the studio by Yarra resident Liz Honey. After sharing our bike moments we take a look at some news including; New York city's plans to impose a congestion tax is approved a...
www.3cr.org.au
November 27, 2024 at 12:45 AM
Reposted by Matt Katzen
most people don’t realize that having a readily available, even kinda-accurate answer to “how many Asian women under 40 with a college degree live in Pomona” is a world-historic achievement that requires an industrial scale, heaven & earth moving effort. it is on par with CERN. not hyperbole.
nothing will make you appreciate FRED more than trying to use non-US public stats databases
November 28, 2024 at 6:59 AM
I rarely drive, and today I was reminded why. Three seperate crashes passed on my 30 minute drive. Road violence is so normalised it's terrifying.
November 28, 2024 at 9:13 AM