Ariel Méndez
@amendez.bsky.social
City of Bend Councilor building walkable, bikeable, kid-friendly communities. Associated Faculty, Poli Sci @ OSU-Cascades.
Thank you Sarah and Annie for courageously sharing your stories of losing your adult children to traffic crashes. I am so sorry.
Local action can buck national trends. Together, we can save lives! #wdor
www.centraloregondaily.com/news/local/b...
Local action can buck national trends. Together, we can save lives! #wdor
www.centraloregondaily.com/news/local/b...
November 16, 2025 at 11:10 PM
Thank you Sarah and Annie for courageously sharing your stories of losing your adult children to traffic crashes. I am so sorry.
Local action can buck national trends. Together, we can save lives! #wdor
www.centraloregondaily.com/news/local/b...
Local action can buck national trends. Together, we can save lives! #wdor
www.centraloregondaily.com/news/local/b...
Melissa Steele is City of Bend’s new Deputy Fire Marshall for Wildfire Preparedness, a result of council’s wildfire prevention goals.
The Flat Fire at the end of summer threatened 800 homes but only destroyed 5 thanks to home hardening.
“Own your zone!”
www.bendoregon.gov/government/d...
The Flat Fire at the end of summer threatened 800 homes but only destroyed 5 thanks to home hardening.
“Own your zone!”
www.bendoregon.gov/government/d...
November 14, 2025 at 5:01 AM
Melissa Steele is City of Bend’s new Deputy Fire Marshall for Wildfire Preparedness, a result of council’s wildfire prevention goals.
The Flat Fire at the end of summer threatened 800 homes but only destroyed 5 thanks to home hardening.
“Own your zone!”
www.bendoregon.gov/government/d...
The Flat Fire at the end of summer threatened 800 homes but only destroyed 5 thanks to home hardening.
“Own your zone!”
www.bendoregon.gov/government/d...
Happy Veterans Day! Thank you for your service and for defending the constitution.
November 11, 2025 at 8:39 PM
Happy Veterans Day! Thank you for your service and for defending the constitution.
For contrast, here is Bend’s (pop 106k) council chambers.
November 7, 2025 at 3:33 AM
For contrast, here is Bend’s (pop 106k) council chambers.
"two-tenths of 1 percent or .002."
This would get us 15-minute headways on a couple @cascadeseasttransit.com routes. Be aware that enough signatures supporting a referendum would mean a funding pause until the Nov 2026 election.
Better transit is too important to wait.
This would get us 15-minute headways on a couple @cascadeseasttransit.com routes. Be aware that enough signatures supporting a referendum would mean a funding pause until the Nov 2026 election.
Better transit is too important to wait.
November 6, 2025 at 4:38 PM
"two-tenths of 1 percent or .002."
This would get us 15-minute headways on a couple @cascadeseasttransit.com routes. Be aware that enough signatures supporting a referendum would mean a funding pause until the Nov 2026 election.
Better transit is too important to wait.
This would get us 15-minute headways on a couple @cascadeseasttransit.com routes. Be aware that enough signatures supporting a referendum would mean a funding pause until the Nov 2026 election.
Better transit is too important to wait.
From the inbox: Why did the city allow the owner of a private parking lot to start charging for parking? Businesses validate customer parking, but could the city require free parking?
The mayor generously replied and attached an article summarizing Donald Shoup's The High Cost of Free Parking.
The mayor generously replied and attached an article summarizing Donald Shoup's The High Cost of Free Parking.
November 1, 2025 at 6:33 PM
From the inbox: Why did the city allow the owner of a private parking lot to start charging for parking? Businesses validate customer parking, but could the city require free parking?
The mayor generously replied and attached an article summarizing Donald Shoup's The High Cost of Free Parking.
The mayor generously replied and attached an article summarizing Donald Shoup's The High Cost of Free Parking.
I'm 2 episodes in to "Down Cemetery Road" and the main character rides her bike everywhere. I don't know if anyone else notices but I think it's great!
November 1, 2025 at 6:14 PM
I'm 2 episodes in to "Down Cemetery Road" and the main character rides her bike everywhere. I don't know if anyone else notices but I think it's great!
Crowded at the Old Mill! I always wonder if they are good for business or not
October 31, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Crowded at the Old Mill! I always wonder if they are good for business or not
The NL also apparently has it. Methodologies aside, it seems very similar to property tax. www.dutchnews.nl/dictionary/e...
October 31, 2025 at 3:29 PM
The NL also apparently has it. Methodologies aside, it seems very similar to property tax. www.dutchnews.nl/dictionary/e...
In the inbox: Complaint about delineators scraping vehicles b/c they are placed "perfectly in a driver's blind spot, especially for trucks whose back wheels naturally cut the corner."
Continual replacement of battered delineators isn't a long-term solution. However...
Continual replacement of battered delineators isn't a long-term solution. However...
October 27, 2025 at 4:06 PM
In the inbox: Complaint about delineators scraping vehicles b/c they are placed "perfectly in a driver's blind spot, especially for trucks whose back wheels naturally cut the corner."
Continual replacement of battered delineators isn't a long-term solution. However...
Continual replacement of battered delineators isn't a long-term solution. However...
Is any of this significantly off?
October 25, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Is any of this significantly off?
This is why it's called Mirror Pond! From last night's bike ride home after soccer coaching.
October 24, 2025 at 9:24 PM
This is why it's called Mirror Pond! From last night's bike ride home after soccer coaching.
October 19, 2025 at 12:58 AM
The developer commented, "we never want to under-park a project, ever."
Well, I never want to subsidize another giant parking lot, ever. We need the affordable housing, but we should be in the business of affordable neighborhoods, not affordable parking lots.
Well, I never want to subsidize another giant parking lot, ever. We need the affordable housing, but we should be in the business of affordable neighborhoods, not affordable parking lots.
October 17, 2025 at 4:35 PM
The developer commented, "we never want to under-park a project, ever."
Well, I never want to subsidize another giant parking lot, ever. We need the affordable housing, but we should be in the business of affordable neighborhoods, not affordable parking lots.
Well, I never want to subsidize another giant parking lot, ever. We need the affordable housing, but we should be in the business of affordable neighborhoods, not affordable parking lots.
While NW Coalition for Energy choice gets over $500,000 in funding to keep the gas flowing, Cascade Natural Gas is donating $9k of bikes to Jewell Elementary kindergarten today at 12:15p.
I obviously support educating kids on bikes, but I won't be attending.
I obviously support educating kids on bikes, but I won't be attending.
October 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM
While NW Coalition for Energy choice gets over $500,000 in funding to keep the gas flowing, Cascade Natural Gas is donating $9k of bikes to Jewell Elementary kindergarten today at 12:15p.
I obviously support educating kids on bikes, but I won't be attending.
I obviously support educating kids on bikes, but I won't be attending.
"NW Coalition for Energy Choice" is a dark money group funded in part by Cascade Natural Gas that appears to be organizing emails against electrification in Bend. The group gets over $500,000/yr.
Some of the people who testified last night against electrification are board members.
Some of the people who testified last night against electrification are board members.
October 16, 2025 at 5:22 PM
"NW Coalition for Energy Choice" is a dark money group funded in part by Cascade Natural Gas that appears to be organizing emails against electrification in Bend. The group gets over $500,000/yr.
Some of the people who testified last night against electrification are board members.
Some of the people who testified last night against electrification are board members.
Getting to zero fatal crashes is possible. Bend is 51 days away from a full twelve months with no fatal crashes on our public roadways. That's down from a high of 7 in 2023 and 5 in 2024.
This is great progress and we've got to keep it up.
This is great progress and we've got to keep it up.
October 14, 2025 at 7:43 PM
Getting to zero fatal crashes is possible. Bend is 51 days away from a full twelve months with no fatal crashes on our public roadways. That's down from a high of 7 in 2023 and 5 in 2024.
This is great progress and we've got to keep it up.
This is great progress and we've got to keep it up.
8) Invest in safer walking and biking. More short walking and biking trips means less traffic and more parking for everyone who drives. And safer walking and biking means safer driving!
Bend is starting its bike and pedestrian master plans, but they need funding to have an impact.
Bend is starting its bike and pedestrian master plans, but they need funding to have an impact.
October 10, 2025 at 6:42 PM
8) Invest in safer walking and biking. More short walking and biking trips means less traffic and more parking for everyone who drives. And safer walking and biking means safer driving!
Bend is starting its bike and pedestrian master plans, but they need funding to have an impact.
Bend is starting its bike and pedestrian master plans, but they need funding to have an impact.
7) Say no to projects that undermine progress. Adding lanes and widening roundabouts increases crashes and will be full of traffic in the long-run. What used to be Bend's widest roundabouts are now already being widened further. The cycle never ends!
October 10, 2025 at 6:42 PM
7) Say no to projects that undermine progress. Adding lanes and widening roundabouts increases crashes and will be full of traffic in the long-run. What used to be Bend's widest roundabouts are now already being widened further. The cycle never ends!
5) Stanford's success largely relied on:
A) Charge $ to park
B) Use the $ to improve alternatives to driving
C) Pay people $ to not drive alone
A city like Bend can give residents a parking discount while charging visitors a fair rate.
A) Charge $ to park
B) Use the $ to improve alternatives to driving
C) Pay people $ to not drive alone
A city like Bend can give residents a parking discount while charging visitors a fair rate.
October 10, 2025 at 6:42 PM
5) Stanford's success largely relied on:
A) Charge $ to park
B) Use the $ to improve alternatives to driving
C) Pay people $ to not drive alone
A city like Bend can give residents a parking discount while charging visitors a fair rate.
A) Charge $ to park
B) Use the $ to improve alternatives to driving
C) Pay people $ to not drive alone
A city like Bend can give residents a parking discount while charging visitors a fair rate.
4) Transportation Demand Management (TDM): This is often employer-based incentives to not drive alone. Stanford University grew over 30% without adding car traffic. The share of commuters driving alone fell from 67% in 2003 to under 36% in 2022 while the university saved millions.
October 10, 2025 at 6:42 PM
4) Transportation Demand Management (TDM): This is often employer-based incentives to not drive alone. Stanford University grew over 30% without adding car traffic. The share of commuters driving alone fell from 67% in 2003 to under 36% in 2022 while the university saved millions.
3) Better land use to put amenities close to where people live and vice-versa. Walkable neighborhoods with gentle density make commercial amenities viable. Grocery stores are the hardest, but there's a lot more we can do for convenience. Bend's Growth Plan will be essential to supporting this.
October 10, 2025 at 6:42 PM
3) Better land use to put amenities close to where people live and vice-versa. Walkable neighborhoods with gentle density make commercial amenities viable. Grocery stores are the hardest, but there's a lot more we can do for convenience. Bend's Growth Plan will be essential to supporting this.