Josh Putnam
@jputnam.bsky.social
Corporate marketing manager by day. Husband, Dad. Geeky cyclist, photographer, tinkerer, foodie for fun. Personal account, doesn't reflect employer or city views - please use company or council email addresses for any of that.
Here in Washington, postmark date has been settled law since 1933, with bipartisan support through decades of updates to election laws. It's absurd that a postmark date would be valid for legal acts, paying taxes, etc., but not for the date a voter casts his ballot into government hands.
November 10, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Here in Washington, postmark date has been settled law since 1933, with bipartisan support through decades of updates to election laws. It's absurd that a postmark date would be valid for legal acts, paying taxes, etc., but not for the date a voter casts his ballot into government hands.
Here in Washington State, postmark date has been the law for nearly a century, since 1933. It's baked into the process, with a predefined schedule for validating ballots cast on time, postmarked on time, and received after Election Day — an extraordinarily transparent system with detailed tracking.
November 10, 2025 at 10:23 PM
Here in Washington State, postmark date has been the law for nearly a century, since 1933. It's baked into the process, with a predefined schedule for validating ballots cast on time, postmarked on time, and received after Election Day — an extraordinarily transparent system with detailed tracking.
The claim that using the postmark date is "recent" is absurd. Here in Washington State, that's been the rule since 1933 — nearly a century of settled law — ballots must be mailed by Election Day, or received by election day if sent by any method other than the Post Office.
November 10, 2025 at 10:03 PM
The claim that using the postmark date is "recent" is absurd. Here in Washington State, that's been the rule since 1933 — nearly a century of settled law — ballots must be mailed by Election Day, or received by election day if sent by any method other than the Post Office.
We're a pre-WWI plat that had been in walking distance of the Interurban Railroad when streets were laid out. Arterials had sidewalks before WWII, but side streets were never designed for everyone to be driving everywhere at 25+ mph.
August 29, 2025 at 9:53 PM
We're a pre-WWI plat that had been in walking distance of the Interurban Railroad when streets were laid out. Arterials had sidewalks before WWII, but side streets were never designed for everyone to be driving everywhere at 25+ mph.
Reading over the law itself, I'm wondering how it might apply to a very different context than dense urban areas.
Many older towns have narrow residential streets with no sidewalks. The cost to install accessible sidewalks would be prohibitive for current residents.
Many older towns have narrow residential streets with no sidewalks. The cost to install accessible sidewalks would be prohibitive for current residents.
August 29, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Reading over the law itself, I'm wondering how it might apply to a very different context than dense urban areas.
Many older towns have narrow residential streets with no sidewalks. The cost to install accessible sidewalks would be prohibitive for current residents.
Many older towns have narrow residential streets with no sidewalks. The cost to install accessible sidewalks would be prohibitive for current residents.
Net new legislation can be referenced by bill number and/or session law, as long as it's unambiguous.
August 21, 2025 at 4:49 AM
Net new legislation can be referenced by bill number and/or session law, as long as it's unambiguous.
Evidence-based standards exist so that people shouldn't be forced to rehash all the research on every single project. Substandard widths, inadequate shy distance, insufficient capacity for anticipated volumes.
January 25, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Evidence-based standards exist so that people shouldn't be forced to rehash all the research on every single project. Substandard widths, inadequate shy distance, insufficient capacity for anticipated volumes.
Don't tell drivers, but most of the urban trail bridges I'm familiar with are actually engineered to support at least an ambulance.
Trails need safe design elements to exclude cars. Not bollards, they injure too many users. But braiding trails around islands can be safe and effective.
Trails need safe design elements to exclude cars. Not bollards, they injure too many users. But braiding trails around islands can be safe and effective.
January 20, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Don't tell drivers, but most of the urban trail bridges I'm familiar with are actually engineered to support at least an ambulance.
Trails need safe design elements to exclude cars. Not bollards, they injure too many users. But braiding trails around islands can be safe and effective.
Trails need safe design elements to exclude cars. Not bollards, they injure too many users. But braiding trails around islands can be safe and effective.
A traditional American attic - insulation is above the flat ceilings of the living space below. The attic is open to the outdoors at the outer edges and the ridge vent and end vents. Gets hot in summer, cold in winter.
January 12, 2025 at 7:28 AM
A traditional American attic - insulation is above the flat ceilings of the living space below. The attic is open to the outdoors at the outer edges and the ridge vent and end vents. Gets hot in summer, cold in winter.
Hearing a section of the Interurban Trail in Auburn, WA has collapsed where it's been flooding all winter. It's been gradually deteriorating here for more than a year. Busy commuter route after dark, hope people are used to taking the flooded section carefully!
January 7, 2025 at 10:06 PM
Hearing a section of the Interurban Trail in Auburn, WA has collapsed where it's been flooding all winter. It's been gradually deteriorating here for more than a year. Busy commuter route after dark, hope people are used to taking the flooded section carefully!
It's not like they're flouting published engineering guidelines for shy distance to vertical obstruction or anything like the county did with that bollard...
December 17, 2024 at 2:35 PM
It's not like they're flouting published engineering guidelines for shy distance to vertical obstruction or anything like the county did with that bollard...
A bit lower, mostly, so their heads will build up some momentum on the way down.
December 17, 2024 at 3:38 AM
A bit lower, mostly, so their heads will build up some momentum on the way down.
What an amazing way to start December!
December 2, 2024 at 2:57 AM
What an amazing way to start December!
That's further south, in Pacific, from a few years ago - someone misunderstood the ramp markings for raised crosswalks, used inverted yield triangles instead of big ramp markings.
Yield lines aren't compliant for crosswalks in Washington anyway, we're a "stop" state.
Yield lines aren't compliant for crosswalks in Washington anyway, we're a "stop" state.
November 19, 2024 at 2:16 PM
That's further south, in Pacific, from a few years ago - someone misunderstood the ramp markings for raised crosswalks, used inverted yield triangles instead of big ramp markings.
Yield lines aren't compliant for crosswalks in Washington anyway, we're a "stop" state.
Yield lines aren't compliant for crosswalks in Washington anyway, we're a "stop" state.
On the odd half-concrete section, simple pavement markings can really add clarity on who belongs where. This is from recent King County work on the Interurban in Algona - solid yellow center line, bike and pedestrian markings, plus directional arrows on each side. No ambiguity.
November 19, 2024 at 6:04 AM
On the odd half-concrete section, simple pavement markings can really add clarity on who belongs where. This is from recent King County work on the Interurban in Algona - solid yellow center line, bike and pedestrian markings, plus directional arrows on each side. No ambiguity.
RIP graceful weeping willow whose shady canopy was large enough to show up on aerial heat maps of the city, whose branches were a place for our kids to play and birds to nest. Last night's gusty east winds met branches still full of leaves, and roots weakened by months of winter flooding had enough.
November 14, 2024 at 7:05 AM
RIP graceful weeping willow whose shady canopy was large enough to show up on aerial heat maps of the city, whose branches were a place for our kids to play and birds to nest. Last night's gusty east winds met branches still full of leaves, and roots weakened by months of winter flooding had enough.
At least the path has very forgiving edging if you veer off.
November 11, 2024 at 3:10 AM
At least the path has very forgiving edging if you veer off.
Having learned from 7-figure settlements that bollards generally don't belong at street/trail intersections, King County is upping their game on visual cues that this isn't a motor vehicle facility.
How does your city or county handle these intersections?
How does your city or county handle these intersections?
November 10, 2024 at 8:56 PM
Having learned from 7-figure settlements that bollards generally don't belong at street/trail intersections, King County is upping their game on visual cues that this isn't a motor vehicle facility.
How does your city or county handle these intersections?
How does your city or county handle these intersections?