Benjamin Schneider
benschneider.bsky.social
Benjamin Schneider
@benschneider.bsky.social
Journalist covering housing, transit and rail. Writing in CityLab, Fast Company and on Substack.

"The Unfinished Metropolis" out now: https://shorturl.at/PInVb
Hard to beat that location. Right next to the Main Post and the Marina District.
October 30, 2025 at 6:39 PM
I've previously written about how the Presidio could be an interesting place to experiment with new models of public development.

Now it's actually happening.

benjaminschneider.substack.com/p/build-hous...
Build housing in S.F.'s Presidio? It's not as crazy as it sounds.
A Trump-branded 'Freedom City' in the heart of San Francisco would be a disaster. But social housing in the Presidio just might work.
benjaminschneider.substack.com
October 30, 2025 at 6:37 PM
The obvious solution is to grade separate as much of the line as possible, but that's a multi-billion dollar proposition.

Absent that, Brightline and the state could improve safety by closing some intersections, increasing fencing, and improving crossing gates.
October 23, 2025 at 1:40 PM
There's a tragic irony here:

Brightline was able to initiate an excellent rail service quickly and cheaply by reusing the old tracks through the heart of South Florida.

But those tracks are not designed to handle fast, frequent passenger service.
October 23, 2025 at 1:39 PM
never!
October 22, 2025 at 3:31 PM