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rantyhighwayman.bsky.social
The Ranty Highwayman
@rantyhighwayman.bsky.social
5.9K followers 950 following 8.6K posts
A highway engineer's adventures in time & space. The street is not too narrow your imagination is too narrow | Independent sustainable mobility design specialist | Better streets & places | Runs @cityinfinity.bsky.social | https://linktr.ee/rantyhighwayman
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rantyhighwayman.bsky.social
The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · Oct 18
#HelloBluesky, I'm Mark, a civil & highway engineer with nearly 30 years experience, with the last decade as a specialist in sustainable mobility design. I'm a freelancer at @cityinfinity.bsky.social.

I post about highways & transport, often with Opinions.

Also homebrewing, silly films and snark.
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
hackneycyclist.bsky.social
Protected cycle tracks alongside main roads, with priority over motor vehicles at junctions, are needed so large groups of young female friends feel safe choosing to ride and don’t have to take risks just to get around. RIding together like this should be normal, not brave.
January 4, 2026 at 6:52 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
scriblit.bsky.social
The Jason Momoa sneaking up on Henry Cavill meme. Cavill is captioned 'everyone in mid december declaring work issues 'a January problem', is unaware that Momoa, is creeping behind him with an impish expression. Momoa is captioned 'January'
January 4, 2026 at 5:45 PM
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alistaircoleman.bsky.social
Today in Shoddy AI In Facebook Nostalgia Groups, an entire class of kids doing typing wrong.

(More in ALT. Remember to ALT your images, kids)
Facebook nostalgia post: IS THERE ANYONE HERE OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN TYPING WAS A CLASS IN HIGH SCHOOL? Pic shows AI generated classroom of white middle-class kids where the number of arms and fingers could possibly average out correctly, but all of the typewriters are the wrong way round. They are also facing away from the AI teacher which is fair enough because he strongly resembles Dr Zaius out off of Planet of the Apes. (I am prepared to admit that they may be learning how to trombone their typewriters because the teacher is a wrong’un).
January 4, 2026 at 5:46 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
alistaircford.bsky.social
We've been building an agent-based transport model to try and quantify exactly these things, to explore change to transport mode and distance driven due to interventions like LTNs. Paper will hopefully be out this year! Headline: "it's not as simple as that" is a good summary.
rantyhighwayman.bsky.social The Ranty Highwayman @rantyhighwayman.bsky.social · 8h
*** New blog post ***

An LTN in Islington will generate 1.4 million extra driven miles each year. Except that it's a non-story. Plus, I get to dig out an old thread because it's not the first time people have tried this "analysis".

therantyhighwayman.blogspot.com/2026/01/its-...
It's Not As Simple As That
Back in August 2020, there was a report claiming that a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) in Ealing showed an increase in driven trip miles ov...
therantyhighwayman.blogspot.com
January 4, 2026 at 5:07 PM
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chriscjackson.bsky.social
I am tired of Earth. These people.
January 3, 2026 at 11:10 PM
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domcycling.com
Same the country over, if you’re not in a car, your safety doesn’t matter
A56 this morning, main carriageway clear, but not footway and cycle lane
January 4, 2026 at 12:40 PM
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jenmsft.bsky.social
Oh, you like cloning? That makes two of us
January 4, 2026 at 1:52 PM
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tomflood.bsky.social
Local man looks to move to The Netherlands after heartwarming encouragement from the internet "if you love bikes so much just move to Holland"
city canal in Amsterdam Local man looks to move to The Netherlands after heartwarming encouragement from the internet "if you love bikes so much just move to Holland" HAMILTON, ON - The parent of 2 who only casually bikes and just thought kids should be able to bike to school never considered the very easy task of upending the entire family's life, moving to a new country where they didn't know anyone and finding jobs and housing. "I always just assumed maybe making change where we lived was an option.....Just want to thank those helpful social media accounts with no pictures and lots of random letters and american flags in their handle for the push our family needed."
January 4, 2026 at 2:37 PM
rantyhighwayman.bsky.social
Swapped over to a new phone today (Android, nothing flash).

Pretty much faff-free, apart from having to log back into a couple of things.

It's nice when stuff just works.
January 4, 2026 at 4:17 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
bicycledutch.bsky.social
I went for a ride today after it had been snowing for days. Wasn’t sure if the cycleways would be clear.
Guess I forgot I live in the Netherlands…
Man cycling with a cargo bike on a cycleway that has been cleared of snow and ice while all the rest of the picture is covered in snow. Rural cycleway cleared of snow and ice. City intersection with traffic lights. A cycleway crosses a side street. Both are cleared of snow. A woman crosses the street on her bicycle. Rural cycleway. Cleared of snow while the surrounding fields are covered in snow.
January 4, 2026 at 3:43 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
budgetcycling.bsky.social
A cartoon: Cycling on a budget. Summarising just a small amount of the info you'll find on budgetcycling.uk.
(Image from the book 'From A to B', by Dave Walker, published by Bloomsbury.)
Cartoon: Cycling on a budget Some ideas for getting going without spending too much money. Lots of people have bikes they don't use in their garages and sheds. Lots of bikes are bought with good intentions, but hardly used. A 'hybrid' is a good choice. See whether any of your friends or family have a bike they don't need. You can get a really good bike by buying secondhand Don't buy a really cheap new bike from the internet or non-specialist shop (Heavy; Cheap full-suspension worse than no suspension; Has it been properly set up?; Will probably break down) Advantage of a budget bike: Far less risk of it being stolen This year's model is often last year's, painted differently You don't need all the bells and whistles to enjoy cycling* *You need one bell Cartoon from 'From A to B', by Dave Walker
January 4, 2026 at 3:05 PM
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hoxtonrich.bsky.social
Other points: Drivers do not drive right to point of closure then around so diversion distance often much shorter than stated. Longer journeys may divert completely (which could mean ⬆️ or ⬇️ miles). Some ratrunners using it for fast circuitous routes may divert to shorter (but slower main road) route
January 4, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
sdvr.bsky.social
I’m reminded of this piece from more than 2 years ago on Oulu’s winter cycling - a key aspect being that footpaths and cycle paths are cleared first: www.bbc.com/future/artic...
How Oulu became the winter cycling capital of the world
Through a series of simple changes, the city of Oulu encourages its residents to cycle through the snowy winter. What can other cities learn from the pioneer of winter cycling?
www.bbc.com
January 4, 2026 at 2:56 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
spokes.org.uk
#Edinburgh #Cycling developments 2026 (?)

Our thoughts--> www.spokes.org.uk/2026/01/2025...

🤔 #MainRoad protected lanes
🤔 #Tram
🤔 #PrincesStreet
🤔 #BraidEstate
🤔 Plans: #CCWEL extension, #LothianRoad
🤔 #DemandManagement: #TrafficFilters #charging
🤔 #BusLanes
🤔 Use of officer time
... and much more
Start of Spokes article... 2025–>2026 : What for Edinburgh Cycling Policy & Action? Will 2026 see Edinburgh City‘s new ‘Primary Cycle Network’ definition start to turn from policy into reality? And what of the City’s hugely ambitious 30% by 2030 traffic-reduction aims? What other decisions or actions may we see in the coming year? Picture of a bollarded route due to be upgraded in 2026 as part of the main-road 'Primary Cycle Network' Picture of Foot of Walk to Dock Street under construction - opening in 2026 Huge amounts of precious time having to be spent by officers in reassuring & re-reassuring worried councillors on issues where evidence is already pretty solid... In conclusion, a random thought Looking back on the stories above, one has to be struck by the huge amount of precious officer time that is devoted to handling the concerns of councillors worried by objections which in the end often prove either irrelevant or largely unfounded. Time which could be spent far more productively. Here are some examples… There is no better example than the saga of the Travelling Safely experimental Orders and the role of the TRO subcommittee (see ‘2025’ near the start of this article), resulting in additional meetings and literally hundreds of pages of reports [e.g. this 682-page download for their third meeting covering much of the same ground] The Braid Estate story (see above) is another – huge amounts of time in meetings, massive reports, preparation of traffic orders, finding contractors, abortive costs – all in aid of a messy compromise experiment, unwanted by many, and which may now not happen Most recently, the decision of TRO Sub to postpone a decision on whether to allow east-bound cycling in Rose Street, where westbound has been legal for decades. Officers now have to prepare a report on issues such as whether bikes may collide with cafe tables or get through any roadworks that might happen, even though the existing west-bound cycling works perfectly well. Is there a solution to this tragic time-wasting, delaying projects which are far more safety and environmentally significant? Certainly, objections must be heard, and councillors must interrogate officers. Some objections do have real substance. But when evidence is clear, and plainly laid out by officers when questioned at Committee (as, largely, in the above examples) surely there must be a mechanism for making councillors think twice. Is yet another investigation, more reports, more meetings, mor…
January 3, 2026 at 6:03 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
budgetcycling.bsky.social
Hello world. Thought I’d start this up again, and on Bluesky. Summary: Tips for cycling on a budget.
January 4, 2026 at 12:35 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
tomflood.bsky.social
"Man who waited 23 minutes for drive thru order outraged that pedestrian doesn't jog faster across the exit lane of the fast food chain - had to wait 4 more seconds."
person paying from car at drive thru Man who waited 23 minutes for drive thru order outraged that pedestrian doesn't jog faster across the exit lane of the fast food chain - had to wait 4 more seconds.
January 4, 2026 at 2:02 PM
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ariaa.bsky.social
My friends in Austria sent this and I can't stop watching...wait for the end. 🤗💜
January 3, 2026 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
datesinmovies.bsky.social
Jan 4th 1969 - Former CIA Special Activities Division Agent and a former Force Recon Marine Mark J. Sheridan was born.

📽️📅 U.S. Marshals (1998)
1 Screenshot from the movie "U.S. Marshals" (1998): First, a close-up of a military personnel file, showing official enlistment documents, an identification card, and a clipped photo of a man in a Marine dress uniform with medals and insignia visible.
January 4, 2026 at 2:15 PM
rantyhighwayman.bsky.social
*** New blog post ***

An LTN in Islington will generate 1.4 million extra driven miles each year. Except that it's a non-story. Plus, I get to dig out an old thread because it's not the first time people have tried this "analysis".

therantyhighwayman.blogspot.com/2026/01/its-...
It's Not As Simple As That
Back in August 2020, there was a report claiming that a Low Traffic Neighbourhood (LTN) in Ealing showed an increase in driven trip miles ov...
therantyhighwayman.blogspot.com
January 4, 2026 at 2:12 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
kbfoodphotos.bsky.social
Upset annoying acquaintances by commenting "AI slop" under pictures they share of their children.
January 3, 2026 at 11:16 PM
rantyhighwayman.bsky.social
See a bridge, post a bridge.
A photo of the Clifton suspension bridge. The view is from the edge of the road right by the chain cables which rise up to meet one of the brickwork towers. The other tower is in the distance viewed through the arch of the first.
January 4, 2026 at 7:58 AM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
socialistboat.dad
It's a big day for those fluent in the good grammar of civility looking to deploy decorum to mask agendas of cruelty
January 3, 2026 at 12:19 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
gregorynorminton.bsky.social
Every effort you make to stop using fossil fuels not only addresses the climate emergency but cuts the legs out from under tyranny. There is no greater ecological or geopolitical mission for people who like their world inhabitable and democratic.
dteare.bsky.social Dave Teare @dteare.bsky.social · 1d
Outstanding piece from @billmckibben.bsky.social today that gives hope that we have the technology and the means to stop fighting over oil.

https://billmckibben.substack.com/p/just-possibly-its-the-oil
January 3, 2026 at 5:51 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
kashana.blacksky.app
Now that they’ve started a war I’ve completely forgotten that they’re pedophiles.
January 3, 2026 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by The Ranty Highwayman
adamchapman.bsky.social
The borough of Bromley’s active travel preferences (if not policies), succinctly stated.
A pair of cycle route signs, on the London Cycle Network. They are blue with white writing. The top, with an arrow pointing left reads Bromley’ with a bicycle graphic. The lower, In capital letters says ‘Cyclists Dismount’.
January 3, 2026 at 12:01 PM