Ben Ross
@benakl.bsky.social
Spatial and Policy Planner
Resident of South Auckland
Cities Skylines Player and Snob
Resident of South Auckland
Cities Skylines Player and Snob
Pinned
Ben Ross
@benakl.bsky.social
· Dec 25
A very busy 2024 on LinkedIn
2025 will be even busier as the fight for evidence based policy continues against fact free reckons
2025 will be even busier as the fight for evidence based policy continues against fact free reckons
Little proving to be as piss weak as a mayor as he was as a Minister
Goff had more stones as Auckland Mayor in dealing with Port of Auckland and Watercare
Why does Central Labour keep fronting up yesterdays men in place of our capable Wahine
Goff had more stones as Auckland Mayor in dealing with Port of Auckland and Watercare
Why does Central Labour keep fronting up yesterdays men in place of our capable Wahine
Andrew Little has done nothing but demonstrate piss poor judgement since he's been sworn in.
I sincerely hope any of you who voted for him are feeling deeply fucking embarrassed.
I sincerely hope any of you who voted for him are feeling deeply fucking embarrassed.
November 18, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Little proving to be as piss weak as a mayor as he was as a Minister
Goff had more stones as Auckland Mayor in dealing with Port of Auckland and Watercare
Why does Central Labour keep fronting up yesterdays men in place of our capable Wahine
Goff had more stones as Auckland Mayor in dealing with Port of Auckland and Watercare
Why does Central Labour keep fronting up yesterdays men in place of our capable Wahine
Reposted by Ben Ross
Chooonky tim tams going in on Canada Street.
Project should be done by end of the year!
Lessons here for these sections on how quickly you can actually roll out cycleways
Project should be done by end of the year!
Lessons here for these sections on how quickly you can actually roll out cycleways
November 18, 2025 at 5:06 AM
Chooonky tim tams going in on Canada Street.
Project should be done by end of the year!
Lessons here for these sections on how quickly you can actually roll out cycleways
Project should be done by end of the year!
Lessons here for these sections on how quickly you can actually roll out cycleways
Cities Divorced? Seems so as Colossal Order and Paradox err part ways with #CitiesSkylines2
That said before the official splitsville we do get
BIKES
BIKE LANES
And the Asset Editor finally!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKP5...
That said before the official splitsville we do get
BIKES
BIKE LANES
And the Asset Editor finally!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKP5...
Cities Divorced? | State of Play | #citiesskylines2
YouTube video by Palpatine001
www.youtube.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Cities Divorced? Seems so as Colossal Order and Paradox err part ways with #CitiesSkylines2
That said before the official splitsville we do get
BIKES
BIKE LANES
And the Asset Editor finally!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKP5...
That said before the official splitsville we do get
BIKES
BIKE LANES
And the Asset Editor finally!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKP5...
Reposted by Ben Ross
we always have these handy. Language matters and it is disappointing that a choice was made to ignore well over 15+ years of convention.
November 17, 2025 at 8:16 PM
we always have these handy. Language matters and it is disappointing that a choice was made to ignore well over 15+ years of convention.
Reposted by Ben Ross
A fellow planner has brought up the topic of carrots and sticks in transport planning. When I was a trainer with the UITP one of the training sessions was on the Public Transport "offer."
November 16, 2025 at 6:55 PM
A fellow planner has brought up the topic of carrots and sticks in transport planning. When I was a trainer with the UITP one of the training sessions was on the Public Transport "offer."
In Australia, Bishop would have automatically landed a date with the ICAC or equivalent and be answering publicly some very awkward questions from a situation his predecessor made
ICAC being Independent Commission Against Corruption which is famous for taking down State Premiers
ICAC being Independent Commission Against Corruption which is famous for taking down State Premiers
Dear Santa: All I want for Christmas is a new government where this kind of naked pork barrel corruption is unthinkable, because Ministers know it will not only be a sacking offence but a chance to become intimately acquainted with the most disagreeable class of auditor.
NEW: Chris Bishop used housing money to fund a bridge in his electorate his own Govt had killed off.
Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
November 17, 2025 at 7:54 PM
In Australia, Bishop would have automatically landed a date with the ICAC or equivalent and be answering publicly some very awkward questions from a situation his predecessor made
ICAC being Independent Commission Against Corruption which is famous for taking down State Premiers
ICAC being Independent Commission Against Corruption which is famous for taking down State Premiers
Reposted by Ben Ross
This is grimly amusing. Bishop couldn't fulfil a campaign promise because of Simeon Brown's footpath fatwa, so he had to raid a Kāinga Ora fund. Maybe running transport policy as a culture war was a stupid and destructive thing to do in the first place, eh.
NEW: Chris Bishop used housing money to fund a bridge in his electorate his own Govt had killed off.
Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Chris Bishop diverts Kāinga Ora money to fund a bridge in his electorate
Officials warned against the use of housing funds for bridge building but Bishop says it was a “pragmatic choice”.
www.thepost.co.nz
November 17, 2025 at 7:36 PM
This is grimly amusing. Bishop couldn't fulfil a campaign promise because of Simeon Brown's footpath fatwa, so he had to raid a Kāinga Ora fund. Maybe running transport policy as a culture war was a stupid and destructive thing to do in the first place, eh.
Bishop having to do a serious ARSE ABOUT FACE to save an active mode infrastructure investment because his predecessor (who was unfit to be Minister let alone an MP) decided ROADS FIRST AND BUGGER THE REST OF YOU!
Fix the GPS Bishop and restore it to what it was under Labour you silly twit!
Fix the GPS Bishop and restore it to what it was under Labour you silly twit!
NEW: Chris Bishop used housing money to fund a bridge in his electorate his own Govt had killed off.
Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Officials were against the move and Labour say he shouldn’t have been anywhere near the decision.
www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Chris Bishop diverts Kāinga Ora money to fund a bridge in his electorate
Officials warned against the use of housing funds for bridge building but Bishop says it was a “pragmatic choice”.
www.thepost.co.nz
November 17, 2025 at 7:12 PM
Bishop having to do a serious ARSE ABOUT FACE to save an active mode infrastructure investment because his predecessor (who was unfit to be Minister let alone an MP) decided ROADS FIRST AND BUGGER THE REST OF YOU!
Fix the GPS Bishop and restore it to what it was under Labour you silly twit!
Fix the GPS Bishop and restore it to what it was under Labour you silly twit!
If you are calling Auckland and Manukau City Centres CBDs you are actually part of the problem.
City Centres are that, Centres of Cities that should be operating 24/7 in mixed use environments
CBDs implies you only support a 9-5 office environment that is not central either given how cities are
City Centres are that, Centres of Cities that should be operating 24/7 in mixed use environments
CBDs implies you only support a 9-5 office environment that is not central either given how cities are
To save the CBD, stop calling it the CBD
To save the CBD, stop calling it the CBD
To succeed in a post-Covid world, city centres need to be more than 'central business districts'....
thespinoff.co.nz
November 17, 2025 at 5:55 PM
If you are calling Auckland and Manukau City Centres CBDs you are actually part of the problem.
City Centres are that, Centres of Cities that should be operating 24/7 in mixed use environments
CBDs implies you only support a 9-5 office environment that is not central either given how cities are
City Centres are that, Centres of Cities that should be operating 24/7 in mixed use environments
CBDs implies you only support a 9-5 office environment that is not central either given how cities are
Oh, we will have bikes and bike lanes for #CitiesSkylines2 on Thursday
Fun
I get to do an Auckland in Manukau Ranges retrofitting a big city with bike infrastructure
My new city Marsden Point will be a case of new city with the infrastructure at same time
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILoq...
Fun
I get to do an Auckland in Manukau Ranges retrofitting a big city with bike infrastructure
My new city Marsden Point will be a case of new city with the infrastructure at same time
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILoq...
What has been added with BIKE PATCH? | Tutorial | Cities: Skylines II
YouTube video by Cities: Skylines
www.youtube.com
November 17, 2025 at 5:52 PM
Oh, we will have bikes and bike lanes for #CitiesSkylines2 on Thursday
Fun
I get to do an Auckland in Manukau Ranges retrofitting a big city with bike infrastructure
My new city Marsden Point will be a case of new city with the infrastructure at same time
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILoq...
Fun
I get to do an Auckland in Manukau Ranges retrofitting a big city with bike infrastructure
My new city Marsden Point will be a case of new city with the infrastructure at same time
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILoq...
A driver will also whinge they cannot get a car park right outside their favourite Main Street store, but will walk 800m from the mall carpark to the mall entrance, then probably about 1.6km walking through the mall, then 800m back out to their car again
Matter of perspective
@tomflood.bsky.social
Matter of perspective
@tomflood.bsky.social
November 17, 2025 at 5:39 PM
A driver will also whinge they cannot get a car park right outside their favourite Main Street store, but will walk 800m from the mall carpark to the mall entrance, then probably about 1.6km walking through the mall, then 800m back out to their car again
Matter of perspective
@tomflood.bsky.social
Matter of perspective
@tomflood.bsky.social
Reposted by Ben Ross
Another reminder that a 13-year study found that protected bike-lanes led to a drastic decline in fatalities for all road users.
ALL ROAD USERS.
And painted bike-lanes? No safety improvement at all.
For sharrows, it’s actually safer to NOT have them.
Via @usa.streetsblog.org @nyc.streetsblog.org
ALL ROAD USERS.
And painted bike-lanes? No safety improvement at all.
For sharrows, it’s actually safer to NOT have them.
Via @usa.streetsblog.org @nyc.streetsblog.org
Separated Bike Lanes Means Safer Streets, Study Says — Streetsblog USA
Cities that build protected lanes for cyclists end up with safer roads for people on bikes and people in cars and on foot, a new study of 12 large metropolises revealed Wednesday.
usa.streetsblog.org
November 17, 2025 at 5:19 AM
Another reminder that a 13-year study found that protected bike-lanes led to a drastic decline in fatalities for all road users.
ALL ROAD USERS.
And painted bike-lanes? No safety improvement at all.
For sharrows, it’s actually safer to NOT have them.
Via @usa.streetsblog.org @nyc.streetsblog.org
ALL ROAD USERS.
And painted bike-lanes? No safety improvement at all.
For sharrows, it’s actually safer to NOT have them.
Via @usa.streetsblog.org @nyc.streetsblog.org
Reposted by Ben Ross
Americans need to normalize using ground floor mixed-use walkable district infrastructure first. Also, America has vastly more retail space than other countries, and a lot of it is car dependent and spread out. Ground floor commercial needs to be concentrated, walk/bikeable, and not oversupplied.
Normalize using the below and next-to public infrastructure urban spaces, Ueno, Tokyo edition. #japan #urbanlandscape
November 17, 2025 at 5:15 PM
Americans need to normalize using ground floor mixed-use walkable district infrastructure first. Also, America has vastly more retail space than other countries, and a lot of it is car dependent and spread out. Ground floor commercial needs to be concentrated, walk/bikeable, and not oversupplied.
Reposted by Ben Ross
November 17, 2025 at 1:59 AM
Have your say on our inter regional rail service in the Upper North Island
#TrainNews: Te Huia have launched a survey on the future of Te Huia.
Te Huia says this information will help to shape what Te Huia might look like in the future.
MORE: yourvoicematters.waikatoregion.govt.nz/future-of-te...
Te Huia says this information will help to shape what Te Huia might look like in the future.
MORE: yourvoicematters.waikatoregion.govt.nz/future-of-te...
Future of Te Huia | Your Voice Matters Waikato
This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete and is open until Sunday, 30 November.
yourvoicematters.waikatoregion.govt.nz
November 16, 2025 at 11:56 PM
Have your say on our inter regional rail service in the Upper North Island
Reposted by Ben Ross
#TrainNews: Te Huia have launched a survey on the future of Te Huia.
Te Huia says this information will help to shape what Te Huia might look like in the future.
MORE: yourvoicematters.waikatoregion.govt.nz/future-of-te...
Te Huia says this information will help to shape what Te Huia might look like in the future.
MORE: yourvoicematters.waikatoregion.govt.nz/future-of-te...
Future of Te Huia | Your Voice Matters Waikato
This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete and is open until Sunday, 30 November.
yourvoicematters.waikatoregion.govt.nz
November 16, 2025 at 8:28 PM
#TrainNews: Te Huia have launched a survey on the future of Te Huia.
Te Huia says this information will help to shape what Te Huia might look like in the future.
MORE: yourvoicematters.waikatoregion.govt.nz/future-of-te...
Te Huia says this information will help to shape what Te Huia might look like in the future.
MORE: yourvoicematters.waikatoregion.govt.nz/future-of-te...
Reposted by Ben Ross
@bikeauckland.bsky.social sometimes it’s the little wins which make the difference 👍😀 adding green cycle-right-of-way markings to this vehicle crossing exit at BP Waterview helps driver awareness and keeps people- and dogs- on bikes safe 🐶🚲 #AklBikeLife
November 16, 2025 at 10:31 PM
@bikeauckland.bsky.social sometimes it’s the little wins which make the difference 👍😀 adding green cycle-right-of-way markings to this vehicle crossing exit at BP Waterview helps driver awareness and keeps people- and dogs- on bikes safe 🐶🚲 #AklBikeLife
Herald has closed all comments to all articles mentioning the IPSOS survey as people are just obliterating NACT1 and their brown nosers in the comments department today with a vengeance
mr. burns from the simpsons is making a funny face and says excellent .
Alt: mr. burns from the simpsons is making a funny face and says excellent .
media.tenor.com
November 16, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Herald has closed all comments to all articles mentioning the IPSOS survey as people are just obliterating NACT1 and their brown nosers in the comments department today with a vengeance
Reposted by Ben Ross
imagine how much better our city would be if more mayors and councilmembers and department heads actually rode transit and bikes.
New Post: Katie Wilson is Seattle’s Next Mayor seattletransitblog.com/2025/11/13/k...
November 13, 2025 at 11:08 PM
imagine how much better our city would be if more mayors and councilmembers and department heads actually rode transit and bikes.
That why I am still in Aotearoa and not abroad, part of Team Aotearoa rebuilding
Labour exceeds National in party most capable of handling the economy. Labour leads National on all issues but Defence and Law and Order
Record Migration to Australia Continues
People support CGT as well!
Government performance rating hits new low in survey newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/17/g...
Record Migration to Australia Continues
People support CGT as well!
Government performance rating hits new low in survey newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/17/g...
Government performance rating hits new low in survey
The Labour Party gets the public's nod for best at handling the economy, ahead of National, in the latest Ipsos survey of the country's concerns
newsroom.co.nz
November 16, 2025 at 8:38 PM
That why I am still in Aotearoa and not abroad, part of Team Aotearoa rebuilding
Reposted by Ben Ross
I am pretty excited for the Camden High Line, an elevated pedestrian route from Camden Town to King's Cross in London, designed by James Corner (the NYC High Line and Seattle Overlook Walk guy). It has planning permission and construction begins soon.
November 16, 2025 at 8:01 PM
I am pretty excited for the Camden High Line, an elevated pedestrian route from Camden Town to King's Cross in London, designed by James Corner (the NYC High Line and Seattle Overlook Walk guy). It has planning permission and construction begins soon.
A fellow planner has brought up the topic of carrots and sticks in transport planning. When I was a trainer with the UITP one of the training sessions was on the Public Transport "offer."
November 16, 2025 at 6:55 PM
A fellow planner has brought up the topic of carrots and sticks in transport planning. When I was a trainer with the UITP one of the training sessions was on the Public Transport "offer."
There is support for CGT except in Auckland (dont worry we will whi[ the JAFAs into line) and Labour exceeds National on all crucial stats including the economy per IPSOS survey
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/17/g...
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/17/g...
November 16, 2025 at 6:37 PM
There is support for CGT except in Auckland (dont worry we will whi[ the JAFAs into line) and Labour exceeds National on all crucial stats including the economy per IPSOS survey
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/17/g...
newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/17/g...
I'll just be a minute
Credit: Bike Lawyer
Credit: Bike Lawyer
November 16, 2025 at 6:26 PM
I'll just be a minute
Credit: Bike Lawyer
Credit: Bike Lawyer