Mary
marybeet.bsky.social
Mary
@marybeet.bsky.social
Here to like your urban planning takes, pop culture references, and wholesome content.
Reposted by Mary
Today I spoke with a Philly resident whose entire life has been upended. Today's service cuts mean they have an entirely new work schedule – and this is only with half the proposed cuts enacted.

This is the reality that Illinois Democrats like @jbpritzker.bsky.social are speedruning us towards.
August 25, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Reposted by Mary
Transit getting scraps even in states where the Democrats control both chambers and the governorships is a shanda. Hard to think of a government function that directly touches more lives and is more of a marker on the question of 'can government deliver' and ... yet.
Rep Moylan is signaling that we might not get the transit bill over the finish line this year. Not good.
August 14, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Reposted by Mary
There is a way out of the transit fiscal cliff! States & cities must commit the funds to supporting their transit systems, and preventing them from cutting service—or the result will be less ridership, more pollution, more traffic.
July 24, 2025 at 5:14 PM
Reposted by Mary
This is hands down the best explainer of what just transpired for Chicago transit. Austin is so great at this.

chi.streetsblog.org/2025/06/02/n...
Next stop, fiscal cliff: Advocates respond to Illinois legislators' failure to fund transit before the deadline - Streetsblog Chicago
After more than a year of negotiations and debate, transit revenue and reform failed to pass the state legislature by the budget deadline on Saturday, May 31. There are still options to avert the tran...
chi.streetsblog.org
June 3, 2025 at 3:44 AM
CTA is the US's 3rd biggest transit agency, why oh why are we not looking at the most experienced transit leaders in the US :/

CTA's leader must have transit agency experience, know how to secure govt $$, and ride transit regularly. @mayorofchicago.bsky.social hasn't shown his pick does any of this
Transit advocates are pushing the mayor and the board for a nationwide search for the next CTA boss: buff.ly/XlwMsjg
May 14, 2025 at 8:30 PM
Reposted by Mary
A gutting of the public service is the path toward increased project costs & longer project timelines. I suspect that the short-term labor savings will translate into long-term capital costs.
"Among the areas affected by this week’s layoffs are an expanded unit within the railroad that was intended to shepherd some of its largest capital investment projects, including new multi-billion-dollar rail tunnels in New York City and Baltimore," www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Amtrak to Cut 20% of Top-Level Employees Amid Trump Uncertainty
Amtrak is cutting roughly 20% of its top-level management staff in an effort to reduce costs amid uncertainty about President Donald Trump’s plans to invest in infrastructure, according to people fami...
www.bloomberg.com
May 7, 2025 at 4:48 PM
yikes @durbin.senate.gov terrible ratios here.

Your decision to sell us out hasn't been received well!!!
March 14, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Reposted by Mary
This happening despite a big post-Covid increase in working from home makes it all the more remarkable
US drivers log 3.28 trillion miles in 2024, setting new record
Travel on U.S. roads in 2024 rose 1% to 3.28 trillion miles setting a new yearly record and topping pre-COVID 19 levels for the first time, the Transportation Department said Wednesday.
www.reuters.com
March 9, 2025 at 2:59 PM
TransitCenter will spend down its $$ over the next decade, then close, to make sure that ppl doing essential work NOW to keep public transit moving through Covid, budget deficits, political attacks, and climate crisis have the $$ to do that work well, and now.

Proud of you, TC :)
Today, we are announcing TransitCenter's sunsetting plans. To meet the challenging moment we’re in, we will deploy our $69 million endowment over the next 12 years to support transit advocacy and work with philanthropic partners to secure more money for the movement. www.linkedin.com/pulse/philan...
February 19, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Reposted by Mary
Buried in the flurry of Executive Orders last night is one that halts all funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Yes, the law that Republicans and Democrats came together to pass that fixes our roads, modernizes old bridges and makes drinking water safer.
January 21, 2025 at 9:12 PM
This article argues that street designs aren't effective at making traffic safer yet fails to mention Hoboken NJ once.

Hoboken has had 7 years w/o a traffic death & since has made 100s of design changes to its street network.

www.hobokennj.gov/news/city-of...
January 13, 2025 at 6:00 PM
“If your governor says they don't have money for transit…they’re either lying, or they don't know [about flex funding]. Because every state has some money to improve transit right now.”

usa.streetsblog.org/2024/11/27/p...
Pennsylvania Shifted Cash From Highways to Transit – But Other States Could Go Even Further — Streetsblog USA
"If your governor says they don't have money for transit, they are lying," said one advocate.
usa.streetsblog.org
November 27, 2024 at 7:34 PM