Ben Keith
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benlk.com
Ben Keith
@benlk.com
510 followers 130 following 2.2K posts
Bike advocate and urbanist, North Linden Area Commissioner + Zoning Cmte Chair. He. Trains pls. Senior Web Engineer at Fueled.
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benlk.com
Could you increase the height of the embed so that the map is approximately square, matching the aspect ratio of Columbus?
(I don't know if this is possible in Flourish, or your CMS)
A phone screenshot of the article shows the Fluorish map embed: it's about maybe 100px tall, but the full width of the column, giving it a very horizontal aspect ratio. It's very hard to see any detail on.
November 21, 2025 at 3:48 PM
benlk.com
Columbus' 2023 SUP design memo www.columbus.gov/files/shared... merely says that "[d]esigners should have a firm understanding of mutual yielding behavior" rather than take specific steps to prevent conflict.
Any shared use path intersection design should consider the variable speed between motorists and path users, the available intersection sight distance, and the traffic volumes. Designers should have a firm understanding of mutual yielding behavior as discussed in ODOT Multimodal Guide Section 3.4. There are three primary design objectives to shared use path intersection design: • Alert the motorists and path users to the crossing • Communicate who has the obligation to yield to whom • Enable the motorists and/or path users to fulfill their obligations
November 20, 2025 at 4:23 PM
benlk.com
Tonight's Neighborhood Leaders Dinner hosted by Mayor Ginther is located at the Fran Ryan Center, which has a sizeable model railroad layout in progress.

(Class list QR code is for anc.apm.activecommunities.com/columbusrecp...)
Corner shot of a oval layout with yard, donated to the Fran Ryan Center by Leslie and Terry Bacus. In the foreground is a small wood yard with siding, off of a four-tracknyard, which branches off the head of an oval loop around a small town. The track runs through a mountain. Wide shot of a room with a substantial multi-lobed layout on three levels, with plenty of bridges, but no decorations yet. It's just tracks and risers. Welcome to the Janis Junction Railway Company, operated by the Columbus Metro Railway Society. Model Rail Studio, room 159 in the Fran Ryan Center. Classes listed at https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/columbusrecparks/activity/search?onlineSiteId=0&locale=en-US&center_ids=244&viewMode=list
November 12, 2025 at 10:54 PM
benlk.com
Today's Calvin and Hobbes rerun is appropriate for the season's first snowfall. www.gocomics.com/calvinandhob...
November 10, 2025 at 12:47 PM
benlk.com
In the style of Zohran Mamdani's campaign poster: PASSENGER RAIL for Columbus Ohio
November 9, 2025 at 12:28 AM
benlk.com
It's no wonder that drivers on Tompkins at Summit Street think they can go straight. Drivers at this intersection look right, not left, because of the flow of traffic on Summit. They might see the STOP sign. The LEFT TURN ONLY sign isn't in their line of sight, and is twisted away from the road.
The intersection of Summit and Tompkins in Columbus, Ohio, seen from Tompkins. A flash has been used. On the right side of the stop bar, clearly visible, is a post with a STOP sign and a ONE WAY EXCEPT BIKE LANE sign, pointing left. On the left side of the stop bar is a LEFT TURN ONLY sign which has been twisted away from the road. It's small, hard to see, and not in drivers' eyeline as they look right for approaching traffic.
November 8, 2025 at 4:48 PM
benlk.com
Look at the undervote here on Columbus' uncontested City Council races. With these partial results, still 10k more votes in the contested race vs. the uncontested race. liveresults.franklincountyohio.gov/ENR/franklin...
29.4k votes for Emmanuel Remy, running unopposed for reelection in District 4. 40.1k votes between Tiara Ross and Jesse Vogel, contesting District 7.
November 5, 2025 at 2:25 AM
benlk.com
We need a good bit more, too. An inch or so so far today, but we were behind by 2-3" www.weather.gov/iln/climate_...
Weather data for calendar year 2025, from NOAA and NWS, showing temperature ranges, inches of precipitation, and inches of snow. In the last month, our temperatures have been high, and apart from one rainfall event about two weeks ago, we haven't had much rain since the end of July. The chart says that 30.84 inches have fallen, against an average of 33-34 inches of rain. 14.10 inches of snow, against an average of 22 inches.
October 7, 2025 at 3:14 PM
benlk.com
Anyways, here's the video of me on a bike, getting hit by a driver who didn't check for cross traffic before pulling out of a driveway.
October 4, 2025 at 1:33 PM
benlk.com
The post-hospital bus and walk home nabs me four bingos in @transitcolumbus.org's game. #WeekWithoutDriving
Newly checked boxes: Read a book or do a craft on the bus Thanked you bus driver Noticed an area that would be difficult to traverse in a wheelchair or with a stroller
October 4, 2025 at 1:00 PM
benlk.com
I expect I'll finish the #WeekWithoutDriving with several more boxes checked, as I'll have to take the bus home after a driver t-boned my bike and fractured my elbow.
(I'm fine, seriously)
(Bike needs a new wheel)
Five more boxes checked, but still no bingo.
October 4, 2025 at 12:48 AM
benlk.com
It's the national #WeekWithoutDriving, so grab a bingo card from @transitcolumbus.org, load up your @transit.app account, and play along!

Rules: transitcolumbus.org/wwd-bingo
Printable card: static1.squarespace.com/static/614ff...
And here's a card randomizer: bingobaker.com/view/9495502
2025 Week Without Driving bingo card: No bingos yet, but 11/25 squares are filled. I'll need to actually ride the bus some to really flesh this out.
September 30, 2025 at 1:40 PM
benlk.com
There is a higher density of bollards in this car-free historical reenactment park than in non-park areas of the City of Columbus where cars are allowed. Why.
Artistic renderings of the new street infrastructure in Ohio Village show wide concrete sidewalks, granite curbs, and brick-paved streets. Separating the sidewalks from the street are black wrought-iron fences and black bollards.
September 28, 2025 at 2:37 PM
benlk.com
Me: "Drivers are driving in the bike lane, please stop them"
@columbusdps.bsky.social: "As we know, the 3rd St bike lane is not currently an All Ages & Abilities bike lane."
Request for NEW or ENHANCED Bike Lane at 41 N 3RD ST, Columbus, OH, 43215: Please upgrade this bike lane section between Chestnut Street and Spring Street, because in the section which is an exclusive bike lane, drivers will use the bike lane to queue for the right turn from 3rd Street onto Spring Street. You will need to use physical protection such as bollards or K-rail, because drivers _will_ flatten the flex posts. Response: Hi Ben, Thank you for submitting this request. As we know, the 3rd St bike lane is not currently an All Ages & Abilities bike lane. We do have plans to make improvements in the future and appreciate this information.
September 24, 2025 at 3:58 PM
benlk.com
Just in time for #BackToSchool, watch this school bus disobey street signs on Tompkins Avenue at Summit Street last Friday. Not the first time this has happened.
August 25, 2025 at 7:14 PM
benlk.com
A postscript: This crash occurred at Summit and Warren, which is a 6-way intersection with three one-way legs, one of which is a highway ramp. It definitely needs to be redesigned to reduce risk to non-car road users.
Google Maps satellite image of the intersection of Summit and Warren. The legs of the intersection are visible: Summit Street one-way from the north with two one-way car lanes and one bike lane, Warren Street from the west with one car lane in each direction, Warren Street from the east with one car lane headed west, Warren Street from the east with one car lane in each direction, North Third Street headed south with two car lanes and one bike lane, and car traffic crossing the bike lane to get to the freeway ramp for 670.
August 25, 2025 at 4:11 PM
benlk.com
The kicker is: A group scooters rides through an intersection. David Hunegnaw hits the last scooter in the group; the rider ends up on his hood. Hunegnaw blames the scooter rider, not the driver who failed to wait for the intersection to clear.
Red lights? Suggestions. Then it got real for me. A group of kids on scooters ran a red light on Summit and Warren Streets, the slowest rider ending up on the hood of my car as I was driving through the intersection. Again, I had the green light. The kid on the scooter ran a red light.
August 25, 2025 at 1:56 PM
benlk.com
"If a scooter is abandoned in the public right-of-way, ticket it," writes David Hunegnaw.
Should the City of Columbus also ticket all these other vehicles abandoned on the public right-of-way?
Google Maps screenshot of 816 Hamlet Street, showing the same curb and building fronts seen in the Columbus Underground article. Notably, the curb drain is damaged in the same way. On either side of the curb drain, there are cars parked on the street.
August 25, 2025 at 1:56 PM
benlk.com
Once you're no longer speeding through a place at high speeds, you can take notice of the architecture. The thing which makes buildings look _good_ seems to be the depth of the façade, not differences in wall distance from the street but window depth from protrusions.
View of High Street from Broad Street looking north towards Gay Street, with the street full of pedestrians and bike riders. The sky is clear and the street trees are kinda green. The Atlas Building at High and Long, where the ground three floors are a nice red sandstone arch setup, six stories of an orange brick with square windows, and two stories of ornate blonde stone protruding beyond the windows. The windows are set back a foot from the wall.
August 24, 2025 at 7:29 PM
benlk.com
Update: I have ridden the train.
August 24, 2025 at 4:30 PM
benlk.com
Trackless train spotted in Downtown Columbus. We finally have a passenger train!
(must be 42" or shorter to ride)
A children's amusement park train is parked on Gay Street in front of a "Trackless Train Station"
August 24, 2025 at 4:17 PM
benlk.com
Oh hey same
Screenshot of a daily totals chart for steps, with most days in the last four weeks failing to reach 5000 steps, except for a weekly walk. Then there's a day at 7600 steps, a day at 22,000 steps, two back-to-back high-step days, a pair of low-step days, and a five-day streak of days above 11,000 steps, and low-step days afterwards.
August 21, 2025 at 2:32 PM
benlk.com
It feels like the tip of a discourse iceberg, where the newsroom tries to explain the discrepancy between the initially report and the charges. Maybe they previously received tons of angry emails about whether the thumb is a finger. www.dispatch.com/story/news/2...
August 7, 2025 at 4:31 PM
benlk.com
Guy who pulls through the parking lane to park his family car in the Summit Street bike lane while he picks up a carry-out order: "Can you stop shining your light in my kids' faces?"
A brown Mazda sedan is parked in the Summit Street bike lane, at an angle indicating that it pulled into the bike lane through a sizeable gap visible in the parking lane. The car's headlights are on. The driver of the car walks in front of it, wearing light-colored sweater and jeans, from the curb to the driver's side. The camera is mounted on a bike's handlebars and a headlight is visible in the frame; it illuminates the driver brilliantly at belt height, level with the eyes of the passengers in the car. In the car's front passenger seat is a woman not wearing a seatbelt; in the back sear are two small children not wearing seatbelts.
August 1, 2025 at 4:12 PM
benlk.com
The AI's ability to do the work is immaterial; people are already using the AI to do it. Tech bros' desires are irrelevant; this is a study of current user behavior.
Quote from article lined in the original post: "Based on the chatbot data, researchers could see what users were asking the AI to do and what the AI was performing in response. They could then compare these findings with the types of tasks that are most likely to overlap with an AI chatbot."
July 31, 2025 at 5:30 PM