Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

“The immature extremists are inexplicably ungrateful for the bold and ambitious commitments made by city leaders. By the time these kids have kids their age they may be able to use over 10% of streets in their city.”

Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 16h

"Annoying 8 year olds keep wanting to walk and bike to school despite city's best efforts to make it too dangerous."

creativebyrovelo.com/therovelorecord

kid in painted bike lane wearing a backpack
Annoying 8 year olds keep wanting to walk and bike to school despite city's best efforts to make it too dangerous, while drivers "have had it" with all the catering to this powerful lobby group of school children.

December 28, 2025 at 2:14 PM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

The roads “will cater for much of the traffic now filtering through residential streets”.

If only there were another way to prevent traffic going through residential streets? Maybe something to do with filtering?

LCC municipal @lccmunicipal.bsky.social · 2d

The opening ceremony brochure for Westway and the West Cross Route from July 1970. “Guests will be invited to […] proceed with a police escort to Westway where the Minister will be invited by the Leader of the Council to cut a ribbon on the westbound carriageway and to declare the new roadways open”

The cover is an uncredited black and white sketch of Westway looking westwards from the Paddington end.

Opening of Westway and West Cross Route.

Order of
Proceedings

Guests will assemble in the Ballroom of Lord's Tavern.

10.15 am
The Leader of the Greater London Council,
Mr Desmond Plummer, TD, DL, JP., will welcome the guests, and will invite the Minister of Transport, the Right Honourable John Peyton, MP, to speak.
The Chairman of the Environmental Planning Committee, Mr Robert Vigars, will speak in thanks to the Minister.

10.40 am approx.
Guests will be invited to board cars and coaches and proceed with a police escort to Westway where the Minister will be invited by the Leader of the Council to cut a ribbon on the westbound carriageway and to declare the new roadways open.
After touring the new roadways guests will return to Lord's Tavern where light refreshments will be served until 12.30 pm.
Guests are asked to assist by entering and leaving the vehicles as speedily as possible.

Taken from: Westway and West Cross Route opening day proceedings
Published by: Greater London Council
Date: July 1970

This new section of Westway and the first part of the West Cross Route were designed for the Council by Messrs.
G. Maunsell and Partners, consulting engineers, in association with Mr P.F. Stott, Joint Director of the Council's Department of Planning and Transportation, Mr D. Dennington, the Council's Traffic Commissioner and Director of Development, and Mr C.A. Belcher, the Council's Director of Mechanical and Electrical Services. The consultant architects, who also prepared the landscaping proposals, were Messrs.
William Holford and Partners in association with the Council's Architect, Sir Hubert Bennett. Mr K.H. Blessley, the Council's Valuer and Estates Surveyor, carried out the acquisition of the necessary property.
The main contractor was John Laing
Construction Limited.

Westway consists of two and a half miles of elevated road, the longest of its kind in Europe. It provides a direct link from the

A40 at Wood Lane to Marylebone. where the Council has also implemented extensive improvements in recent years—
Marylebone Flyover and Euston Road Underpass have been constructed, and Marylebone Road has been widened into a dual-carriageway. The first section of the West Cross Route runs from the elevated roundabout east of the White City as far as Holland Park Avenue. In all, the two roads cost some £33 million.
The roads are part of the GLC's
developing road pattern in West London, and will cater for much of the traffic now filtering through residential streets. Plans are in hand for another section of the West Cross Route as far as the river, and for links from there with Battersea Bridge and Wandsworth Bridge, and this will assist further in the GLC's aim to improve the environment of this area of London.
The eventual extension of the West Cross Route south via a new river crossing together with the extension north to Willesden, where it will connect with the link to the M1., forms part of the GLC's primary road programme for the future.

An outline map of the West Cross Route and Westway. The map shows the proposed (but unbuilt) extension of the West Cross Route southwards.

December 26, 2025 at 10:55 AM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

At Christmas we celebrate the story of a family hunted by a violent regime. This nativity scene seems very appropriate.

www.instagram.com/reel/DSDCh0V...

Boston 25 News on Instagram: "An anti-ICE nativity scene will remain outside a Dedham Catholic Church for now, despite a call from the Archdiocese of Boston to remove the display #boston25 #boston25...

A Dedham Catholic Church's decision to keep an anti-ICE nativity scene has sparked outrage from the Archdiocese. The display, meant to highlight the plight of immigrants, has been defended by the pari...

www.instagram.com

December 24, 2025 at 10:05 AM

Reposted by Sam Wakeling

Zohran Kwame Mamdani

@zohrankmamdani.bsky.social

It was such a joy to celebrate Hanukkah with Mandy, Kathryn and their son, Gideon. As Jewish New Yorkers across our city prepare to light candles and mark the seventh night today, I wish you and your families a Hanukkah full of light and love.

youtu.be/KIxAKyioXng

Happy Hanukkah

YouTube video by Zohran Mamdani for NYC

youtu.be

December 20, 2025 at 1:58 PM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

Truly the highest glory and virtue of society is preventing hours of disruption to traffic.

Priceless.

New Civil Engineer @social.newcivilengineer.com · 8d

Engineers working on the HS2 project have slid a 4,600t viaduct section across the M6 without a full carriageway closure, in what contractors say is a UK first that will reduce disruption for drivers

Full story:

HS2 completes final slide of 4,600t viaduct across M6 without closing motorway | New Civil Engineer

The 17‑hour operation carried out over the weekend of 13-14 December completed the three‑stage assembly and installation of the 315m long East deck of the

buff.ly

December 20, 2025 at 1:10 PM

Reposted by Sam Wakeling

Shane Anderson 🏳️‍🌈

@shaneanderson.bsky.social

"This promise of an AI future, is really just a collective anxiety that wealthy people have about how well they're gonna be able to control us in the future."

- @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit.

Incredible words.
Listen to all of it!

December 19, 2025 at 12:24 PM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

Now do it in a representative assembly with all the trade-offs included?

Self-selecting consultations may be the least valid or useful way to measure public approval.

If BBC wants to be impartial they need to reflect this.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

'Overwhelming support' for Doncaster Sheffield Airport reopening

A council poll suggests 93% of respondents want Doncaster Sheffield Airport to reopen, officials say.

www.bbc.co.uk

December 19, 2025 at 2:07 PM

Reposted by Sam Wakeling

Tom Flood

@tomflood.bsky.social

Kids who got new bikes for Christmas, "super excited" to walk them around the city that's too dangerous to ride in.

www.creativebyrovelo.com/therovelorec...

Kids who got new bikes for Christmas, “super excited” to walk them around the city that’s too dangerous to ride in.
HAMILTON, ON - The 8 and 10 year old children were ecstatic with their new bikes and “Cannot wait to walk them to school” They are hoping that on weekends their parents might drive them to the park to pedal around slowly on the multiuse path - “it would be nice to sit on the bike and ride it too, but I don’t wanna get my hopes up”

December 19, 2025 at 1:45 PM

Reposted by Sam Wakeling

Dave Walker

@davewalker.bsky.social

News! A new book. Household Problems: Domestic Incompetence in Diagrams. It’s a collection of more than 44 cartoons, as seen in my Diagram Club newsletter. A bit late in the year? Sure, but still available for Christmas delivery. Amazon UK link: amzn.to/4pSA2ym
(available internationally too)

Book with title Household Problems - Domestic Incompetence in Diagrams. By Dave Walker. Colours are purple and teal. Black and white pictures - someone sweeping stuff under a rug, a printer with a sad face, some trays that don’t stack, a spilled drink, and someone tripping over something.

December 19, 2025 at 1:40 PM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

👋🏻 Give way as a driver at a zebra crossing (where you are legally required to): expect cheerful waves. Rude not to.

😑 Give way as a pedestrian at a sideroad junction for streams of drivers to turn across ahead of you (which they legally must not): no acknowledgement. Amazed if it ever happens.

Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 10d

The Wave.

Person wearing a t shirt

The word Thanks stacked on top of each other in multiple colours with a graphic of a person standing at a crosswalk waving to a car

December 19, 2025 at 10:48 AM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

Is it common for people to find it much easier to imagine that car travel can always be improved (parking provided, congestion reduced, cheaper fuel) while seeing problems with any other transport as inherent and unchangeable (delayed/costly buses, streets being unsafe to cycle or walk/wheel)?

December 18, 2025 at 2:40 PM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

Maybe Starmer and Lammy think they will look strong to refuse to even meet about those on hunger strike?

Maybe they think not many of us are horrified at their attempt to ignore this.

This link makes it easy to show them otherwise:

Good Law Project @goodlawproject.bsky.social · 10d

Eight Palestine Action activists are being left to die in prison – all without even facing trial.

We must force the government to act, before it’s too late ⬇️
https://goodlaw.social/3e3320

December 18, 2025 at 11:08 AM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

Terrifying how ordinary this was.

Not a monster, Paul Doyle is an ordinary man, driving an ordinary car, on an ordinary street.

With an ordinary view that people in a street were “fucking pricks” who must “get out the fucking way”.

The unusual part is he acted on it.

metro.co.uk/2025/12/15/l...

Liverpool parade attacker drove at crowd screaming 'get out of the f****** way'

Paul Doyle cried during his sentencing at Liverpool Crown Court today.

metro.co.uk

December 16, 2025 at 6:58 PM

Reposted by Sam Wakeling

Sheffield Green Party

@sheffgreenparty.bsky.social

Disabled people across the world are on the frontline of climate breakdown, facing higher rates of injury, illness and death in climate disasters.

The climate crisis is a disability justice issue. ⬇️
#disabilityrights #disabilityjustice #climatejustice

sheffieldgreenparty.org.uk/2025/12/16/c...

Climate justice is disability justice | Sheffield Green Party

a short blog by Joe Buckley To mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities and UK Disability History month, Sheffield Green Party makes clear that the climate crisis is a disability justice is...

sheffieldgreenparty.org.uk

December 16, 2025 at 11:31 AM

Reposted by Sam Wakeling

Jason Hickel

@jasonhickel.bsky.social

"When future emissions commitments are considered alongside historical emissions, global net climate change impacts increase from US$43.7 trillion to US$49.0 trillion, with the USA and the EU remaining the largest contributors."

Link to paper: assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-394...

assets-eu.researchsquare.com

December 16, 2025 at 10:59 AM

Reposted by Sam Wakeling

Jason Hickel

@jasonhickel.bsky.social

Striking new preprint study here on responsibility for climate damages.

The authors have calculated the total damages caused by emissions from 1950-2022, with damages cumulated to 2100.

December 16, 2025 at 10:59 AM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

“Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire.” 🔥

Well said Robin Ince.

Robin Ince @robinince.bsky.social · 16d

Very sad that I felt I had no choice but to resign from The Infinite Monkey Cage - a victory for the transphobes and other bigots - I did it because so much of the media has chosen to believe the kind and empathetic people are a fiction - they are real and so often unrepresented.

This is the saddest day of my professional life.
Today is not only the final recording of the latest series of The Infinite Monkey Cage, it is my last ever Monkey Cage.
I never thought that I would have to leave the show. I always imagined going on until | dropped dead under the studio lights due to a brain aneurysm caused by my final attempt to understand notions of quantum gravity or the shock of being told about fly maggot infestations in the sacks of macaque monkeys.
I resigned in September, after sixteen years of dedication to the show,
A show that I named and helped develop over all those years.
Unfortunately, my opinions outside the BBC have been considered problematic for sometime, whether it has been voicing support for the trans community, criticism of Donald Trump, numerous other outlandish opinions, including once gently criticising Stephen Fry.
These things were considered to conflict with being a freelance BBC science presenter

In a recent meeting where BBC Studio executives again voiced problems with me, I realised my choices.
Obedience and being quieter to remain making Monkey Cage, or 'Resign and have the freedom to speak out against what I believe are injustices'.
•
I chose the latter.
It broke my heart.
I love this show and I love the audience, and it is because of the audience in particular, that this decision was so difficult to make.
I kept thinking about all the extremist voices promoting hate and division. They are being given so many platforms, while voices that represent kindness, open mindedness, empathy seem to be scarcer and scarcer.
I felt I couldn't pamper myself with the luxury of silence.
One of my many privileges is that I am able to resign and I can speak out even if it is to the detriment of my career.

I have thought a lot about my heroes, Sinead O Connor, James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and so many more.
I think of Sinead's words, "the job of an artist is to be themselves at any cost".
James Baldwin said prejudice was really just a word for cowardice.
Audre Lorde, viewing her life, wrote that her only regrets were her silences.
I think of my father as I resign, he brought me up to believe in fairness , justice and kindness.
Though my heart is broken, it is also full of fire.
I apologise to our incredible listeners for my departure, your love of the show means a great deal.
I am so sorry to let you down.
I hope that you can understand my reasoning.
I have to accept that I am not what the current
BBC expects of their freelance presenters.

Despite this I should add that I have always worked far more than my contracted hours to try and ensure the show was always the best it could be, as well as making myself accessible and responsive to the audience wherever and whenever I met them. Every night, we have recorded, I have been filled with determination to make the best show possible. This was not
"just a job"
I hope that with my departure I can be a better ally to the LGBTQ community, to the neurodivergent community, to activists fighting against those who aim to brutalise society, to those currently in prison on hunger strike, and to all those who fight for a more inclusive world.
From many conversations, I know there are many Monkey Cage listeners who support these communities and activists too.
The strawberry is dead.
Long live the strawberry. B

December 13, 2025 at 2:24 PM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

If your city leaders say clean air it’s important, even a human right… they’ll want to support congestion pricing.

Transportation Alternatives @transalt.org · 17d

New York City's air quality has been improving over time, but now it's improving much faster, thanks to congestion pricing.

What previously took nine years — the 22% drop in air pollution between 2015 and 2024 — was reached in just *six months* of congestion pricing.

New Yorkers Are Literally Breathing Easier After Congestion Pricing

And other links to start your hump day.

hellgatenyc.com

December 11, 2025 at 8:10 PM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

Good to see. As we’ve heard from @amywestervelt.bsky.social over and over: accountability is the first climate solution

drilled.media/news/account...

December 11, 2025 at 6:43 PM

Reposted by Sam Wakeling

Dr. Sandra Duffy Golden

@sandraduffy.bsky.social

It's like being in a particularly ableist playground, honestly.

Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 17d

Farage thinks I'm a maniac?

Starmer thinks the Greens are nuts?

Badenoch thinks I'm weird?

Join.greenparty.org.uk

Zack Polanski the new green party leader he pronounces a maniac

December 11, 2025 at 9:18 AM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

Sense said they wanted to “be seen to hold a neutral position”.

Tutu once said something about injustice, elephants, mice and tails.

Hope Sense quickly see how badly this goes for them and apologise.

Defend Our Juries @defendourjuries.bsky.social · 19d

Disability Charity Sacks Employee for Palestine Protest, Citing ‘Brand Reputation’

The Independent Workers Union of Great Britain, of which Chloe is a member, believes she is the first person to speak publicly after being fired for participating in these actions.

novaramedia.com/2025/12/04/d...

Disability Charity Sacks Employee for Palestine Protest, Citing ‘Brand Reputation’ | Novara Media

Exclusive: Sense sacked an employee after she was arrested at a peaceful protest against Palestine Action’s proscription. In a letter, the charity told her it needed to think of its ‘brand reputation’...

novaramedia.com

December 9, 2025 at 10:15 PM

Sam Wakeling

@samwake.bsky.social

“I’m stuck in the traffic hell you created” raged the Facebook post of a man who later killed a pedestrian in that road after the safety changes were reversed.

A devastating piece of journalism

www.washingtonpost.com/business/int...