Alex Beckmann
@abecks14.bsky.social
Current: Teamsters Rail Conference. Formerly: ttdaflcio, Rep Chuy Garcia, Rep Josh Gottheimer, Rep Dan Lipinski, T4america, Davidson College. Political and Transportation Policy Junkie. Views = my own.
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
okay sure so it worked in Denver
and in Austin
and it worked for downtown Oakland and for Sacramento
and yes, it’s worked for decades in Tokyo
but how can we be *sure* that building a lot more homes will make California a more affordable place to live??
and in Austin
and it worked for downtown Oakland and for Sacramento
and yes, it’s worked for decades in Tokyo
but how can we be *sure* that building a lot more homes will make California a more affordable place to live??
Denver is building so many new apartments that vacancy rates reached a 16-year high and the average rent has fallen below levels seen two years ago, according to the Apartment Association of Metro Denver.
The average apartment rent in metro Denver fell to $1,819 in the first quarter.
The average apartment rent in metro Denver fell to $1,819 in the first quarter.
Metro Denver apartment market erases two years of rent increases
Developers continue to deliver so many new apartments that vacancy rates have reached a 16-year high.
www.denverpost.com
April 26, 2025 at 3:01 AM
okay sure so it worked in Denver
and in Austin
and it worked for downtown Oakland and for Sacramento
and yes, it’s worked for decades in Tokyo
but how can we be *sure* that building a lot more homes will make California a more affordable place to live??
and in Austin
and it worked for downtown Oakland and for Sacramento
and yes, it’s worked for decades in Tokyo
but how can we be *sure* that building a lot more homes will make California a more affordable place to live??
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
Last week, Montana voted to:
- legalize 6-story apartments on most commercial land
- sharply cut multifamily parking mandates
- limit excess impact fees
- cut condo defect liability
- require equal treatment for manufactured homes
- legalize single-stair buildings up to 6 stories statewide
- legalize 6-story apartments on most commercial land
- sharply cut multifamily parking mandates
- limit excess impact fees
- cut condo defect liability
- require equal treatment for manufactured homes
- legalize single-stair buildings up to 6 stories statewide
Montana is leading the nation on pro-housing policy — but not by accident.
Montana's Housing Miracle Strikes Twice | Sightline Institute
Bipartisan efforts won a string of bills for more homes, lower costs, and less red tape for Montanans—with lessons for other states.
www.sightline.org
April 25, 2025 at 9:49 PM
Last week, Montana voted to:
- legalize 6-story apartments on most commercial land
- sharply cut multifamily parking mandates
- limit excess impact fees
- cut condo defect liability
- require equal treatment for manufactured homes
- legalize single-stair buildings up to 6 stories statewide
- legalize 6-story apartments on most commercial land
- sharply cut multifamily parking mandates
- limit excess impact fees
- cut condo defect liability
- require equal treatment for manufactured homes
- legalize single-stair buildings up to 6 stories statewide
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
WA's Year of Housing Redux?
Passed both chambers as of yesterday's cutoff:
SB 5184 - parking
HB 1491 - TOD w/funded IZ
HB 1096 - lot splitting
HB 1576 - landmarking
SB 5148 - accountability
HB 1403 - condo liability
HB 1183 - setbacks/facade mod.
HB 1757 - conversions
HB 1135 - GMA compliance
Passed both chambers as of yesterday's cutoff:
SB 5184 - parking
HB 1491 - TOD w/funded IZ
HB 1096 - lot splitting
HB 1576 - landmarking
SB 5148 - accountability
HB 1403 - condo liability
HB 1183 - setbacks/facade mod.
HB 1757 - conversions
HB 1135 - GMA compliance
April 17, 2025 at 3:40 PM
WA's Year of Housing Redux?
Passed both chambers as of yesterday's cutoff:
SB 5184 - parking
HB 1491 - TOD w/funded IZ
HB 1096 - lot splitting
HB 1576 - landmarking
SB 5148 - accountability
HB 1403 - condo liability
HB 1183 - setbacks/facade mod.
HB 1757 - conversions
HB 1135 - GMA compliance
Passed both chambers as of yesterday's cutoff:
SB 5184 - parking
HB 1491 - TOD w/funded IZ
HB 1096 - lot splitting
HB 1576 - landmarking
SB 5148 - accountability
HB 1403 - condo liability
HB 1183 - setbacks/facade mod.
HB 1757 - conversions
HB 1135 - GMA compliance
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
The Washington Senate just approved HB 1596, which will require drivers convicted of reckless driving or excessive speeding to install an automatic speed governor as part of their probationary driver's license. The vote was 40-8.
www.theurbanist.org/2025/04/14/o...
www.theurbanist.org/2025/04/14/o...
Op-Ed: Anti-Speeding Technology Could Have Saved My Son - The Urbanist
# Lori Markovitz shares how State Bill 1596 could have saved her son by requiring anti-speeding technology for motorists with records of reckless driving. The bill needs to pass the state Senate by We...
www.theurbanist.org
April 15, 2025 at 5:35 PM
The Washington Senate just approved HB 1596, which will require drivers convicted of reckless driving or excessive speeding to install an automatic speed governor as part of their probationary driver's license. The vote was 40-8.
www.theurbanist.org/2025/04/14/o...
www.theurbanist.org/2025/04/14/o...
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
This was an inevitability, not an accident.
Hey New York Times and Mayor Adams: in what world is a speeding driver with a suspended license killing three people an ACCIDENT? It's not an "accident," it's a result of terrible choices made by her and the political system that allows her to keep driving: www.nytimes.com/2025/03/29/n...
Woman and 2 of Her Children Are Killed in Brooklyn Car Accident
The victims were walking Saturday on the border of the Gravesend and Midwood neighborhoods when two cars collided and one veered into their path, the police said.
www.nytimes.com
March 30, 2025 at 3:56 PM
This was an inevitability, not an accident.
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
First arch of the new Portal Bridge has been lifted into place!
November 27, 2024 at 7:07 PM
First arch of the new Portal Bridge has been lifted into place!
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
Robust public transit is a key part of reducing the cost of living.
Good transit allows people to get around at lower cost. Cutting transit service imposes immediate increased costs on people.
We must shore up our transit systems & increase, not decrease, service. That’s a huge priority for me.
Good transit allows people to get around at lower cost. Cutting transit service imposes immediate increased costs on people.
We must shore up our transit systems & increase, not decrease, service. That’s a huge priority for me.
November 25, 2024 at 11:02 PM
Robust public transit is a key part of reducing the cost of living.
Good transit allows people to get around at lower cost. Cutting transit service imposes immediate increased costs on people.
We must shore up our transit systems & increase, not decrease, service. That’s a huge priority for me.
Good transit allows people to get around at lower cost. Cutting transit service imposes immediate increased costs on people.
We must shore up our transit systems & increase, not decrease, service. That’s a huge priority for me.
Seems like a BFD given how bad PFAS is
scitechdaily.com/breakthrough...
Brought to you by the University of Illinois, a single electrochemical process for capturing and destroying PFAS in wastewater.
Brought to you by the University of Illinois, a single electrochemical process for capturing and destroying PFAS in wastewater.
Breakthrough Tech Captures and Destroys “Forever Chemicals” in a Single Process – a Game-Changer for Clean Water
Researchers created a single-step device using redox electrodialysis and electrosorption to capture and destroy diverse PFAS chemicals, aiming to address contamination in water and industrial wastewat...
scitechdaily.com
November 23, 2024 at 12:46 AM
Seems like a BFD given how bad PFAS is
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
Getting 75% of a citywide housing plan through the Council in the first big citywide housing fight is not nothing — bsky.app/profile/nick...
STORY on the deal, still being hammered out: City of Yes will now create about 80,000 homes, down from previous maximum of 109,000, two sources say.
City Council committee votes, now hours delayed, expected sometime this afternoon:
City Council committee votes, now hours delayed, expected sometime this afternoon:
November 22, 2024 at 1:20 AM
Getting 75% of a citywide housing plan through the Council in the first big citywide housing fight is not nothing — bsky.app/profile/nick...
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
It has snowed in Chicago and YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS! Time to remind everyone that we light our train tracks on fire to prevent the switches from freezing.
November 21, 2024 at 10:54 AM
It has snowed in Chicago and YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS! Time to remind everyone that we light our train tracks on fire to prevent the switches from freezing.
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
We do understand the problem, we just need to implement solutions like:
- bringing design, procurement, planning in-house
- reducing permitting timeline and burdens
- better aligning planning and environmental review
- standardization and economies of scale
- bringing design, procurement, planning in-house
- reducing permitting timeline and burdens
- better aligning planning and environmental review
- standardization and economies of scale
November 15, 2024 at 8:07 PM
We do understand the problem, we just need to implement solutions like:
- bringing design, procurement, planning in-house
- reducing permitting timeline and burdens
- better aligning planning and environmental review
- standardization and economies of scale
- bringing design, procurement, planning in-house
- reducing permitting timeline and burdens
- better aligning planning and environmental review
- standardization and economies of scale
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
Rail workers deserve paid sick leave. USDOT and USDOL are right—it's time for CSX, Norfolk Southern and other Class I railroads to guarantee this basic benefit to ALL employees. Ohio's communities depend on healthy, focused workers to keep our railways safe. Let's finish the job!
September 26, 2024 at 10:02 PM
Rail workers deserve paid sick leave. USDOT and USDOL are right—it's time for CSX, Norfolk Southern and other Class I railroads to guarantee this basic benefit to ALL employees. Ohio's communities depend on healthy, focused workers to keep our railways safe. Let's finish the job!
Reposted by Alex Beckmann
just now realizing the @NFPA's single-stair article last month was the cover story for their quarterly NFPA Journal
the article is a must-read for anyone interested in the topic
www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-a...
the article is a must-read for anyone interested in the topic
www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-a...
September 21, 2024 at 4:54 PM
just now realizing the @NFPA's single-stair article last month was the cover story for their quarterly NFPA Journal
the article is a must-read for anyone interested in the topic
www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-a...
the article is a must-read for anyone interested in the topic
www.nfpa.org/news-blogs-a...