The Transportation Historian
@transporthistorian.bsky.social
Here I talk about the history and future of transportation (mostly in the US). I also delve into urbanism, biking, or technology occasionally. Also, I have a bad tendency to post late at night.
I like trains
I like trains
Pinned
Every day that passes, the urge to buy a paint can from the local paint store and start painting crosswalks and bike lanes everywhere grows.
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
We have such a stupid transportation system in this goofy country that affects every corner of our life.
Higher costs, worse air, more deaths and injuries, no places you can go and let your kid run around.
These are all things we've given up so people can drive a car at 40 mph in a city.
Higher costs, worse air, more deaths and injuries, no places you can go and let your kid run around.
These are all things we've given up so people can drive a car at 40 mph in a city.
November 15, 2025 at 10:11 AM
We have such a stupid transportation system in this goofy country that affects every corner of our life.
Higher costs, worse air, more deaths and injuries, no places you can go and let your kid run around.
These are all things we've given up so people can drive a car at 40 mph in a city.
Higher costs, worse air, more deaths and injuries, no places you can go and let your kid run around.
These are all things we've given up so people can drive a car at 40 mph in a city.
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
A great way to take pressure off our beleaguered air transportation system is to fix our passenger rail system
America Is Taking the Train
Airport chaos is leading people to ride the Amtrak. Will they stick with it?
www.theatlantic.com
November 15, 2025 at 1:14 PM
A great way to take pressure off our beleaguered air transportation system is to fix our passenger rail system
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
![4-panel vertical comic. (1) 100 Years Ago [two people standing next to bicycle with small car nearby] PERSON 1: It’s too dangerous riding a bike with these cars around. I should get a car, too. (2) 50 Years Ago [two people between smaller car and bigger car] PERSON 2 with short hair: Small cars are less safe in collisions with larger vehicles, so I should get a bigger one. (3) Today [two people between big car and even bigger car] PERSON 1: Everyone has huge SUVs now. If I don’t get the biggest one, I’m putting my family at risk. (4) Soon [two people next to large armored car with spiked clubs attached] PERSON 2: If I don’t install more whirling spike clubs, I’ll be destroyed by all the other drivers who...](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiby6can6k76yzfmv2czxs4pu2l7zie7bqbrpswi7h3ifmiadkuqvu@jpeg)
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
Someone: "You can't haul that on your bike"
Cargo bike people:
Cargo bike people:
November 9, 2025 at 4:01 AM
Someone: "You can't haul that on your bike"
Cargo bike people:
Cargo bike people:
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#OnThisDay Nov 7, 1938: Majorettes distribute flowers and release pigeons to celebrate new equipment on the Milwaukee Road's "Twin Cities Hiawatha." The streamlined passenger cars with unique "Beaver Tail" end design were pulled by the new F7 steam locomotives, among the fastest in the world.
November 7, 2025 at 8:24 PM
#OnThisDay Nov 7, 1938: Majorettes distribute flowers and release pigeons to celebrate new equipment on the Milwaukee Road's "Twin Cities Hiawatha." The streamlined passenger cars with unique "Beaver Tail" end design were pulled by the new F7 steam locomotives, among the fastest in the world.
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
The most successful cities will be the ones that give people safe, affordable, efficient, enjoyable freedom of choice in transportation.
November 6, 2025 at 9:28 PM
The most successful cities will be the ones that give people safe, affordable, efficient, enjoyable freedom of choice in transportation.
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
Here's a public transit model a lot more cities need to know about.
It's the #Karlsruhe Stadtbahn. It runs tram-trains, in this metro region in #Germany of 310,000.
Outside town, they run as standard commuter trains. Inside town, they operate as trams (streetcars)—no need to change mode.
🧵
It's the #Karlsruhe Stadtbahn. It runs tram-trains, in this metro region in #Germany of 310,000.
Outside town, they run as standard commuter trains. Inside town, they operate as trams (streetcars)—no need to change mode.
🧵
November 5, 2025 at 2:07 PM
Here's a public transit model a lot more cities need to know about.
It's the #Karlsruhe Stadtbahn. It runs tram-trains, in this metro region in #Germany of 310,000.
Outside town, they run as standard commuter trains. Inside town, they operate as trams (streetcars)—no need to change mode.
🧵
It's the #Karlsruhe Stadtbahn. It runs tram-trains, in this metro region in #Germany of 310,000.
Outside town, they run as standard commuter trains. Inside town, they operate as trams (streetcars)—no need to change mode.
🧵
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
A bicycle built just for you and a place to safely ride them. It’s not that much to ask.
October 2, 2025 at 10:44 PM
A bicycle built just for you and a place to safely ride them. It’s not that much to ask.
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
I don’t hate cars. Like most North American males I was raised to think cars are cool, and as a design nerd, few objects are more eye-catching.
I hate surrendering our streets, our cities and our lives to them.
Car dependence isn’t freedom.
Great cartoon by @robcowan.bsky.social #CarDependency
I hate surrendering our streets, our cities and our lives to them.
Car dependence isn’t freedom.
Great cartoon by @robcowan.bsky.social #CarDependency
October 2, 2025 at 1:50 AM
I don’t hate cars. Like most North American males I was raised to think cars are cool, and as a design nerd, few objects are more eye-catching.
I hate surrendering our streets, our cities and our lives to them.
Car dependence isn’t freedom.
Great cartoon by @robcowan.bsky.social #CarDependency
I hate surrendering our streets, our cities and our lives to them.
Car dependence isn’t freedom.
Great cartoon by @robcowan.bsky.social #CarDependency
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
Hi @npr.org! We worked late tonight putting together this handy pocket guide!
It doesn't address road design issues, but if we're going to educate road users, we should include drivers.
It's the size of a folded business card. Print it, fold it, put it in your wallet!
It doesn't address road design issues, but if we're going to educate road users, we should include drivers.
It's the size of a folded business card. Print it, fold it, put it in your wallet!
September 26, 2025 at 5:21 AM
Hi @npr.org! We worked late tonight putting together this handy pocket guide!
It doesn't address road design issues, but if we're going to educate road users, we should include drivers.
It's the size of a folded business card. Print it, fold it, put it in your wallet!
It doesn't address road design issues, but if we're going to educate road users, we should include drivers.
It's the size of a folded business card. Print it, fold it, put it in your wallet!
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
A trip to Utrecht isn't complete without a ride to Houten... A few bicycle scenes from there... More in the blog... www.rollinginthecity.ca/blog/trying-... #transportation #cycling #street #cities #urbanism #netherlands #houten #streetphotography #documentaryphotography #fujifilm
September 23, 2025 at 1:46 PM
A trip to Utrecht isn't complete without a ride to Houten... A few bicycle scenes from there... More in the blog... www.rollinginthecity.ca/blog/trying-... #transportation #cycling #street #cities #urbanism #netherlands #houten #streetphotography #documentaryphotography #fujifilm
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
Why your next car should be an electric cargo bike
Why your next car should be an electric cargo bike
Rewiring cities for more human-centric transportation
buff.ly
September 22, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Why your next car should be an electric cargo bike
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
I'm sure this was a handy car park a few decades ago but I prefer it like this
September 22, 2025 at 1:37 PM
I'm sure this was a handy car park a few decades ago but I prefer it like this
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
New road layout outside a primary school in Utrecht. Bike parking, greenery and cycle tracks to keep kids and parents safe. Compare this to the dangerous car orientated mess that is Downham Road in Hackney!
September 22, 2025 at 9:25 AM
New road layout outside a primary school in Utrecht. Bike parking, greenery and cycle tracks to keep kids and parents safe. Compare this to the dangerous car orientated mess that is Downham Road in Hackney!
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
A key to graceful aging is to always keep moving and human-scale infrastructure is pivotal for enabling people to age in place.
September 22, 2025 at 1:24 PM
A key to graceful aging is to always keep moving and human-scale infrastructure is pivotal for enabling people to age in place.
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
The best ad for e-bikes (and e-bike vouchers) are stories from people who get one and are blown away by how convenient and fun they are. (Screenshots below from a Reddit post).
September 12, 2025 at 1:26 AM
The best ad for e-bikes (and e-bike vouchers) are stories from people who get one and are blown away by how convenient and fun they are. (Screenshots below from a Reddit post).
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
If we cannot all be on the same page that the sitting president threatening to invade a US city is fascist dictator shit then truly I do not know what to do.
September 6, 2025 at 5:41 PM
If we cannot all be on the same page that the sitting president threatening to invade a US city is fascist dictator shit then truly I do not know what to do.
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
People walking and biking get shamed for wearing headphones. Meanwhile, drivers sit inside sealed metal cabins with 12-speaker sound systems, fully isolated from the world and no one questions it, even as they operate 2-ton machines through crowded cities.
August 22, 2025 at 2:56 AM
People walking and biking get shamed for wearing headphones. Meanwhile, drivers sit inside sealed metal cabins with 12-speaker sound systems, fully isolated from the world and no one questions it, even as they operate 2-ton machines through crowded cities.
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
When I tell you we HAD the greatest rail system in the world, I meant it.
(Omaha's Old & New Rail Station)
(Omaha's Old & New Rail Station)
July 28, 2025 at 8:45 PM
When I tell you we HAD the greatest rail system in the world, I meant it.
(Omaha's Old & New Rail Station)
(Omaha's Old & New Rail Station)
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
The new Amtrak Cascade train cars look nice!
July 23, 2025 at 3:00 AM
The new Amtrak Cascade train cars look nice!
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
I think people have yet to wake up to just how amazing e-bikes are. I commute about 20 miles a day, using about 10 cents of electricity. (Mostly on safe trails.)
Every time I ride my brain is ecstatic. I get a workout, but don’t need to shower when I get to work.
Every time I ride my brain is ecstatic. I get a workout, but don’t need to shower when I get to work.
July 12, 2025 at 12:00 PM
I think people have yet to wake up to just how amazing e-bikes are. I commute about 20 miles a day, using about 10 cents of electricity. (Mostly on safe trails.)
Every time I ride my brain is ecstatic. I get a workout, but don’t need to shower when I get to work.
Every time I ride my brain is ecstatic. I get a workout, but don’t need to shower when I get to work.
Reposted by The Transportation Historian
I still can't get over the fact that "panels you point at sky and make electricity from sunlight with no fuel is the cheapest source of energy" needed explanation.
July 13, 2025 at 7:40 PM
I still can't get over the fact that "panels you point at sky and make electricity from sunlight with no fuel is the cheapest source of energy" needed explanation.