Emily Gates | Active Modes
@activemodes.bsky.social
philly | car-free since 2013 | service delivery at Transit app | walk/bike/bus/train | proud tern owner | bikes toddler in cities
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
A wealthy safe streets advocate could do the most good by paying a team of maybe a half dozen journalists to aggressively and comprehensively report every single traffic death in every major city. Depicting the horrifying human cost, FOIing PDs and DOTS, contextualizing it in policy choices, etc.
November 9, 2025 at 5:55 PM
A wealthy safe streets advocate could do the most good by paying a team of maybe a half dozen journalists to aggressively and comprehensively report every single traffic death in every major city. Depicting the horrifying human cost, FOIing PDs and DOTS, contextualizing it in policy choices, etc.
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Doubling down on forced car dependency is *not* the path to addressing climate change.
Any city or state that isn’t investing in ebike subsidies and separated bike infrastructure is missing out on more affordable climate, health and livability wins via bikes.
Any city or state that isn’t investing in ebike subsidies and separated bike infrastructure is missing out on more affordable climate, health and livability wins via bikes.
After 4 years and 2 failed attempts, California is giving up on the idea of ebike subsidies and dumping the money back into electric car subsidies.
November 2, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Doubling down on forced car dependency is *not* the path to addressing climate change.
Any city or state that isn’t investing in ebike subsidies and separated bike infrastructure is missing out on more affordable climate, health and livability wins via bikes.
Any city or state that isn’t investing in ebike subsidies and separated bike infrastructure is missing out on more affordable climate, health and livability wins via bikes.
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Hoboken has had zero traffic deaths since the beginning of 2017. By contrast, Philadelphia had 134 traffic deaths last year, 59 of which involved pedestrians hit by vehicles.
What can the city learn? Advocates say a “culture of accountability” is paramount.
🔗 www.inquirer.com/transportati...
What can the city learn? Advocates say a “culture of accountability” is paramount.
🔗 www.inquirer.com/transportati...
October 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Hoboken has had zero traffic deaths since the beginning of 2017. By contrast, Philadelphia had 134 traffic deaths last year, 59 of which involved pedestrians hit by vehicles.
What can the city learn? Advocates say a “culture of accountability” is paramount.
🔗 www.inquirer.com/transportati...
What can the city learn? Advocates say a “culture of accountability” is paramount.
🔗 www.inquirer.com/transportati...
Philly ended their current fiscal year with $1.2B surplus and my neighborhood fb group and preschool are desperately posting all the community fridge locations prepping for the end of SNAP benefits. Let's rebalance that immediately. And buy a street paving machine or two.
October 30, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Philly ended their current fiscal year with $1.2B surplus and my neighborhood fb group and preschool are desperately posting all the community fridge locations prepping for the end of SNAP benefits. Let's rebalance that immediately. And buy a street paving machine or two.
Was picking up trash near our house last night with my kid and somebody asked if we were accepting donations. I expected him to give me a candy wrapper. He gave me a $20 bill and said thanks for cleaning up the street! 🎊🤑🗑️ I shoulda given him a link to build a network of public trash cans instead
October 28, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Was picking up trash near our house last night with my kid and somebody asked if we were accepting donations. I expected him to give me a candy wrapper. He gave me a $20 bill and said thanks for cleaning up the street! 🎊🤑🗑️ I shoulda given him a link to build a network of public trash cans instead
'To sum it all up: “A good part of each day’s work goes to pay for the travel necessary to get to work.” (Ivan Illich).' - I went to grad school for transportation thanks to I 66 in Arlington Va commuting to Tysons Corner from Southeast DC
"Unlike the vacuum cleaner, the radio, or the bicycle, which retain their use value when everyone has one, the car... is only desirable and useful insofar as the masses don’t have one."
I reread this every so often and I'm struck every time by how great it is unevenearth.org/2018/08/the-...
October 21, 2025 at 5:50 PM
'To sum it all up: “A good part of each day’s work goes to pay for the travel necessary to get to work.” (Ivan Illich).' - I went to grad school for transportation thanks to I 66 in Arlington Va commuting to Tysons Corner from Southeast DC
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
On-street cyclehangars (secure, covered bike parking), but the cover is in the shape of a Range Rover. More of this please!!
movepeople.substack.com/p/bread-bin-...
movepeople.substack.com/p/bread-bin-...
October 20, 2025 at 4:41 PM
On-street cyclehangars (secure, covered bike parking), but the cover is in the shape of a Range Rover. More of this please!!
movepeople.substack.com/p/bread-bin-...
movepeople.substack.com/p/bread-bin-...
Happy to lend out my cargo ebike in my neighborhood for a week or two for someone to try out and I'm sure I'm sure I'm not alone in that!
“Over half of the e-cargo bike mileage ridden during trials substituted for car use.”
Cities with mode-shift and climate goals should be funding bike share and bike libraries that include electric cargo bikes.
Cities with mode-shift and climate goals should be funding bike share and bike libraries that include electric cargo bikes.
E-cargo bikes as a personal transport mode in the UK: Insights from surveys and suburban trials
This paper explores the potential of e-cargo bikes as a personal transport mode in the UK, reporting on a series of surveys and trials. Hypothesising …
www.sciencedirect.com
October 21, 2025 at 3:24 AM
Happy to lend out my cargo ebike in my neighborhood for a week or two for someone to try out and I'm sure I'm sure I'm not alone in that!
What does a 'class 3' ebike look like? I pedal up a sweat to briefly hit 16 mph between stop signs to fetch a forgotten pre-k item. It can go to 28 maybe downhill with a tailwind? I've seen a lot this week about the menacing unregistered beasts lurking... hide yer kids from the class 3s!
October 9, 2025 at 3:31 AM
What does a 'class 3' ebike look like? I pedal up a sweat to briefly hit 16 mph between stop signs to fetch a forgotten pre-k item. It can go to 28 maybe downhill with a tailwind? I've seen a lot this week about the menacing unregistered beasts lurking... hide yer kids from the class 3s!
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Kelly Drive in Fairmount Park has been engineered to remove most pedestrian crossings and amenities, to speed up traffic.
A thread with 8 examples of things that have been lost, with historical images. South to north.
1. A staircase from the river trail to the Girard Ave Bridge, and Brewerytown:
A thread with 8 examples of things that have been lost, with historical images. South to north.
1. A staircase from the river trail to the Girard Ave Bridge, and Brewerytown:
October 6, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Kelly Drive in Fairmount Park has been engineered to remove most pedestrian crossings and amenities, to speed up traffic.
A thread with 8 examples of things that have been lost, with historical images. South to north.
1. A staircase from the river trail to the Girard Ave Bridge, and Brewerytown:
A thread with 8 examples of things that have been lost, with historical images. South to north.
1. A staircase from the river trail to the Girard Ave Bridge, and Brewerytown:
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Urbanists should start an annual celebration of public transit.
Call it Dia de los Metros.
Call it Dia de los Metros.
October 5, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Urbanists should start an annual celebration of public transit.
Call it Dia de los Metros.
Call it Dia de los Metros.
It's pumpkins on bikes season everyone! How are you celebrating?
October 5, 2025 at 12:03 AM
It's pumpkins on bikes season everyone! How are you celebrating?
First time in 6 years the Transit logo on my clothes has been recognized in the wild. TSA agent loading bags onto the belt: "you work for Transit?! That's my APP!!" Buses and trains and bikes yall
September 17, 2025 at 12:58 PM
First time in 6 years the Transit logo on my clothes has been recognized in the wild. TSA agent loading bags onto the belt: "you work for Transit?! That's my APP!!" Buses and trains and bikes yall
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
Preparing myself for this recurring conversation.
September 3, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Preparing myself for this recurring conversation.
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
BEFORE / AFTER.
Here's what the school pick-up was like BEFORE at our children's elementary school.
A real rodeo. Lots of near misses. Cars parked in the crosswalks. Distracted drivers pulling up just when hundreds of kids are trying to arrive on foot or by bike.
This June we changed things...
🧵
Here's what the school pick-up was like BEFORE at our children's elementary school.
A real rodeo. Lots of near misses. Cars parked in the crosswalks. Distracted drivers pulling up just when hundreds of kids are trying to arrive on foot or by bike.
This June we changed things...
🧵
August 27, 2025 at 8:11 PM
BEFORE / AFTER.
Here's what the school pick-up was like BEFORE at our children's elementary school.
A real rodeo. Lots of near misses. Cars parked in the crosswalks. Distracted drivers pulling up just when hundreds of kids are trying to arrive on foot or by bike.
This June we changed things...
🧵
Here's what the school pick-up was like BEFORE at our children's elementary school.
A real rodeo. Lots of near misses. Cars parked in the crosswalks. Distracted drivers pulling up just when hundreds of kids are trying to arrive on foot or by bike.
This June we changed things...
🧵
Today in Carry Shit Olympics I present an 8 foot folding table on the back of my @ternbicycles.com HSD
August 22, 2025 at 11:57 PM
Today in Carry Shit Olympics I present an 8 foot folding table on the back of my @ternbicycles.com HSD
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
With SEPTA cuts Amtrak is saying it may be forced to cut Keystone Service between Harrisburg, Philly, and NYC: www.inquirer.com/politics/sep...
This would significantly impact tourism and business commuters. It would drive up Amtrak prices for anyone who travels between DC, Philly, NYC, and Boston.
This would significantly impact tourism and business commuters. It would drive up Amtrak prices for anyone who travels between DC, Philly, NYC, and Boston.
Amtrak’s Keystone line, connecting NYC, Philly, and Harrisburg, may get axed under SEPTA cuts
U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle said Amtrak's Keystone Service line is at risk because the railroad could lose $71.1 million in annual payments from SEPTA.
www.inquirer.com
August 18, 2025 at 9:15 PM
With SEPTA cuts Amtrak is saying it may be forced to cut Keystone Service between Harrisburg, Philly, and NYC: www.inquirer.com/politics/sep...
This would significantly impact tourism and business commuters. It would drive up Amtrak prices for anyone who travels between DC, Philly, NYC, and Boston.
This would significantly impact tourism and business commuters. It would drive up Amtrak prices for anyone who travels between DC, Philly, NYC, and Boston.
To the Navy Yard where there is a 1/5th mile track to learn proper balance bike technique!
August 18, 2025 at 10:05 PM
To the Navy Yard where there is a 1/5th mile track to learn proper balance bike technique!
Biked 2.6 miles to Rittenhouse from my house. Counted 17 cars with illegal license plate obsurers on my trip. That's 6.5 toll/speed camera violators per mile! Where's @realgershkuntzman.bsky.social to bring them to task? Can I use the Laser Vision app for this too?
August 15, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Biked 2.6 miles to Rittenhouse from my house. Counted 17 cars with illegal license plate obsurers on my trip. That's 6.5 toll/speed camera violators per mile! Where's @realgershkuntzman.bsky.social to bring them to task? Can I use the Laser Vision app for this too?
There's no bike rack anywhere near the front of my kids pediatrician and it's broad st so there's 30 ft of sidewalk and parking in 3 lanes and almost no greenery and it makes me irrationally livid to lock my bike to a sole parking rules sign outside of a car wash
August 12, 2025 at 2:20 PM
There's no bike rack anywhere near the front of my kids pediatrician and it's broad st so there's 30 ft of sidewalk and parking in 3 lanes and almost no greenery and it makes me irrationally livid to lock my bike to a sole parking rules sign outside of a car wash
This times a million. Just give me some skittles I'm good.
"If a cyclist makes a mistake, he dies. If a car makes a mistake, he also dies."
This Dan Donahue video is so good. I love his point that a lot of cyclist hate comes from drivers being mad they have to drive everywhere. I don't think that's the reason for *all* the hate, but it's a factor!
This Dan Donahue video is so good. I love his point that a lot of cyclist hate comes from drivers being mad they have to drive everywhere. I don't think that's the reason for *all* the hate, but it's a factor!
August 6, 2025 at 12:25 AM
This times a million. Just give me some skittles I'm good.
Perfect Sunday morning racing toys down the stream at Sister Cities. 9/10. Only thing better would be protecting this bike lane with concrete and making a bike lane on Arch in front of Trader Joe's!
July 21, 2025 at 12:10 AM
Perfect Sunday morning racing toys down the stream at Sister Cities. 9/10. Only thing better would be protecting this bike lane with concrete and making a bike lane on Arch in front of Trader Joe's!
Come home from two weeks away. A mouse has been eating snacks and pooping in the pantry, back yard is nothing but huge weeds between pavers, one of the led overhead lights in the kitchen is haunted/flickering, and trash day is still 2 days away with trash from before we left 🫠🫠🫠
July 14, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Come home from two weeks away. A mouse has been eating snacks and pooping in the pantry, back yard is nothing but huge weeds between pavers, one of the led overhead lights in the kitchen is haunted/flickering, and trash day is still 2 days away with trash from before we left 🫠🫠🫠
Reposted by Emily Gates | Active Modes
My vision for Broad Street. Imagine watching an Eagles or Phillies parade from under that tree canopy.
Street trees are one of the best long-term investments a city can make.
(TheFigen_)
(TheFigen_)
June 21, 2025 at 1:29 PM
My vision for Broad Street. Imagine watching an Eagles or Phillies parade from under that tree canopy.