Peter Norton
@norton.bsky.social
Historian; author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City, and of Autonorama: The Illusory Promise of High-Tech Driving.
“It’s moving people, not vehicles, that counts. … The transit system of this city helps everybody – those of you who travel with Capital Transit, and those who use their own cars.”
In 1945 Capital Transit operated 700 streetcars on 163 miles of track in metro DC; 820 buses served another 250 miles.
In 1945 Capital Transit operated 700 streetcars on 163 miles of track in metro DC; 820 buses served another 250 miles.
January 25, 2026 at 4:26 PM
“It’s moving people, not vehicles, that counts. … The transit system of this city helps everybody – those of you who travel with Capital Transit, and those who use their own cars.”
In 1945 Capital Transit operated 700 streetcars on 163 miles of track in metro DC; 820 buses served another 250 miles.
In 1945 Capital Transit operated 700 streetcars on 163 miles of track in metro DC; 820 buses served another 250 miles.
Support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
January 25, 2026 at 2:29 PM
Support and defend the Constitution of the United States.
NATO has kept the peace for 77 years.
He who betrays NATO gets no Peace Prize.
He who betrays NATO gets no Peace Prize.
January 25, 2026 at 1:00 PM
NATO has kept the peace for 77 years.
He who betrays NATO gets no Peace Prize.
He who betrays NATO gets no Peace Prize.
Just stating the obvious.
The light is still green.
The light is still green.
January 25, 2026 at 12:45 PM
Just stating the obvious.
The light is still green.
The light is still green.
Streetcars need priority.
January 24, 2026 at 4:21 PM
Streetcars need priority.
Your morning DJ here.
This a first for this station:
A request phoned in by conference call – from listeners from Nuuk, Copenhagen and Brussels.
The callers send it out to the White House, together with most of the words that the FCC won’t let me use.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7nc...
This a first for this station:
A request phoned in by conference call – from listeners from Nuuk, Copenhagen and Brussels.
The callers send it out to the White House, together with most of the words that the FCC won’t let me use.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7nc...
O'Jays - Back Stabbers (HD/Lyrics)
YouTube video by Michaels Hit Music
www.youtube.com
January 24, 2026 at 2:44 PM
Your morning DJ here.
This a first for this station:
A request phoned in by conference call – from listeners from Nuuk, Copenhagen and Brussels.
The callers send it out to the White House, together with most of the words that the FCC won’t let me use.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7nc...
This a first for this station:
A request phoned in by conference call – from listeners from Nuuk, Copenhagen and Brussels.
The callers send it out to the White House, together with most of the words that the FCC won’t let me use.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7nc...
NATO has kept the peace for 77 years.
He who betrays NATO gets no Peace Prize.
He who betrays NATO gets no Peace Prize.
January 24, 2026 at 2:15 PM
NATO has kept the peace for 77 years.
He who betrays NATO gets no Peace Prize.
He who betrays NATO gets no Peace Prize.
Betrayal is not a good look.
January 23, 2026 at 3:01 PM
Betrayal is not a good look.
Streetcars need priority.
January 23, 2026 at 2:01 PM
Streetcars need priority.
“Versions of history constructed for us to legitimize car domination stand in our way. But history is full of surprises. Before car domination, there was a carlash that the car promoters had to overcome. Their success in overcoming it has lessons for us today.”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkBl...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkBl...
Velo-city 2025 Gdańsk | The Social Power of Cycling — Dealing with Bikelash
YouTube video by European Cyclists' Federation
www.youtube.com
January 22, 2026 at 8:29 PM
“Versions of history constructed for us to legitimize car domination stand in our way. But history is full of surprises. Before car domination, there was a carlash that the car promoters had to overcome. Their success in overcoming it has lessons for us today.”
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkBl...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkBl...
Transportation equity is not a new idea.
“Let the street car through — there may be fifty people on the car, and at most you have only four or five.”
“Let the street car through — there may be fifty people on the car, and at most you have only four or five.”
January 22, 2026 at 2:47 PM
Transportation equity is not a new idea.
“Let the street car through — there may be fifty people on the car, and at most you have only four or five.”
“Let the street car through — there may be fifty people on the car, and at most you have only four or five.”
Betrayal is not a good look.
January 22, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Betrayal is not a good look.
Is learning possible?
January 22, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Is learning possible?
Transportation equity is not a new idea.
January 21, 2026 at 2:46 PM
Transportation equity is not a new idea.
Betrayal is not a good look.
January 21, 2026 at 2:05 PM
Betrayal is not a good look.
In this protracted emergency, the 25th Amendment cannot help us.
The president is clearly “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” Worse, he has been using the powers of his office to indulge his personal whims at irreparable cost to the national interest. ...
The president is clearly “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” Worse, he has been using the powers of his office to indulge his personal whims at irreparable cost to the national interest. ...
January 21, 2026 at 1:55 PM
In this protracted emergency, the 25th Amendment cannot help us.
The president is clearly “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” Worse, he has been using the powers of his office to indulge his personal whims at irreparable cost to the national interest. ...
The president is clearly “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office.” Worse, he has been using the powers of his office to indulge his personal whims at irreparable cost to the national interest. ...
Betrayal is not a good look.
January 20, 2026 at 3:50 PM
Betrayal is not a good look.
Any cabinet secretary who does not resign now
assumes full responsibility for this.
assumes full responsibility for this.
January 20, 2026 at 2:14 AM
Any cabinet secretary who does not resign now
assumes full responsibility for this.
assumes full responsibility for this.
Four basic principles protecting peace and international cooperation since 1949.
Rash politicians in the US have foolishly put them all in grave danger.
Washington, April 4, 1949: At the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, President Truman addressed the foreign ministers of twelve nations:
Rash politicians in the US have foolishly put them all in grave danger.
Washington, April 4, 1949: At the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, President Truman addressed the foreign ministers of twelve nations:
January 19, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Four basic principles protecting peace and international cooperation since 1949.
Rash politicians in the US have foolishly put them all in grave danger.
Washington, April 4, 1949: At the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, President Truman addressed the foreign ministers of twelve nations:
Rash politicians in the US have foolishly put them all in grave danger.
Washington, April 4, 1949: At the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty, President Truman addressed the foreign ministers of twelve nations:
Transportation equity is not a new idea.
In 1925 the Tampa Electric Company’s streetcars carried 80,000 riders a day along 53 miles of track, serving a city of of about 80,000 people.
In 1925 the Tampa Electric Company’s streetcars carried 80,000 riders a day along 53 miles of track, serving a city of of about 80,000 people.
January 19, 2026 at 12:36 PM
Transportation equity is not a new idea.
In 1925 the Tampa Electric Company’s streetcars carried 80,000 riders a day along 53 miles of track, serving a city of of about 80,000 people.
In 1925 the Tampa Electric Company’s streetcars carried 80,000 riders a day along 53 miles of track, serving a city of of about 80,000 people.
“Before robotaxis are welcomed at all, public transportation services must be so good that robotaxis will not delay them or divert passengers from them. By this standard, Toronto ... should not be welcoming large deployments of robotaxis any time soon.”
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Opinion: A warning to Canada: Self-driving taxis won’t be a traffic cure-all, and they ignore the real disease
Companies like Waymo lower fares to inflate demand, making it harder to address the actual problem: low-quality public transit
www.theglobeandmail.com
January 18, 2026 at 1:30 PM
“Before robotaxis are welcomed at all, public transportation services must be so good that robotaxis will not delay them or divert passengers from them. By this standard, Toronto ... should not be welcoming large deployments of robotaxis any time soon.”
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...
Transportation equity is not a new idea.
In 1920 the El Paso Electric Company operated 103 streetcars on 64 miles of track, carrying 19 million passengers a year in a city of 78,000 people.
In 1920 the El Paso Electric Company operated 103 streetcars on 64 miles of track, carrying 19 million passengers a year in a city of 78,000 people.
January 18, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Transportation equity is not a new idea.
In 1920 the El Paso Electric Company operated 103 streetcars on 64 miles of track, carrying 19 million passengers a year in a city of 78,000 people.
In 1920 the El Paso Electric Company operated 103 streetcars on 64 miles of track, carrying 19 million passengers a year in a city of 78,000 people.
