Micheál Podgers
@michealpodgers.bsky.social
Yassssssifying infrastructure. 📍Chicago 👨🏻💻Urban Planner 🗣️ EN DE FR NL GA Professional account. All opinions my own.
It’s amazing what you can do on a 66’ wide street when you remove parking. Almost all Chicago streets are 66’ wide with few exceptions. This segment of Lincoln shows what’s possible. But we won’t be able to do this most places until we kill the parking meter deals and buy back our spots.
It’s trust wild how disgusting Western Ave is with the amount of truck traffic (and general traffic). There is an intense diesel haze just permeating the area.
An 11% bump in Amtrak ridership compared to last year and more than 700k street car passengers equals a big win for public transportation in Kansas City during the World Cup.
www.kshb.com
Union Station reports 400,000+ visitors during Kansas City World Cup 2026
twp.ai
Incredible news from BBC: “The world is on an "unstoppable" shift towards renewable energy but the phase down of fossil fuels is not happening quickly enough, a new report says.” The bad news is investments in fossil fuels are twice as high as they should be.
For the commuting 9-to-5ers who may have missed it over the weekend: there’s a new CrossTowner trip planner feature, courtesy of @stevevance.net. Quantify what #BuildTheTunnel could do for the trips you’re already making. stevevance.github.io/buildthetunn...
CrossTowner Trip Planner — Build the Tunnel
Plan any Chicago-area rail trip and compare it today versus with the proposed CrossTowner regional-rail tunnel.
stevevance.github.io
Star:Line Chicago@starlinechicago.bsky.social · 3w agoThe #BuildTheTunnel movement is growing: check out @stevevance.net’s new CrossTowner trip planner to see how CrossTowner regional rail could potentially make your life easier. stevevance.github.io/buildthetunn...
@wgntv.com reported on polling that shows @mayorofchicago.bsky.social Brandon Johnson has only the slimmest path to victory. And his low polling and fundraising indicates it would take a miracle for him to pull it off. But here’s the deal: he may be progressive, but he’s failing. He needs to drop.
Reminder: It's been a very long fight versus very awful people, but New York celebrates the community win on 31st Street this weekend:
The forecast versus the haze. I’m so glad regions that previously didn’t experience forest fires are now being forced inside in the middle of the summer because oil barons want their money. Meanwhile, politicians kill transit projects and green energy projects and sustainable housing practices.
Just going to put this out there: but @mayorofchicago.bsky.social told transit advocates yesterday they need to compromise. Today Chicago is covered in wildfire smoke, a direct result of climate change warming. Transportation is the single largest source of GHG emissions in Illinois. SMDH
Micheál Podgers@michealpodgers.bsky.social · 3w agoOverall, just a really disappointing display from @mayorofchicago.bsky.social. He’s taking way too much credit for wins he didn’t achieve. He struggled to answer questions off-the-cuff. He seems to have no clear vision for the city.
I know a lot of the focus here has been on the Dems who voted not to cut aid to Israel but I think “the majority of the caucus voted to cut aid” is a monumental sea change in Dem politics and the movement here is only going in one direction this is the most Dem support Israel will ever see again
Prem Thakker ツ@premthakker.bsky.social · 3w agoBREAKING: A majority of Democrats in the House have just voted to cut the $3.3 billion/year in U.S. military aid to Israel. Rep. Thomas Massie – the leader of the amendment – was the only Republican in support.
For better or worse it appears that there are about 300 daily runs that aren't going out across the rest of the system. We need to seriously look at automating the Blue Line and reallocating operators from Rosemont and Forest Park to other terminals to boost service reliability systemwide.
Overall, just a really disappointing display from @mayorofchicago.bsky.social. He’s taking way too much credit for wins he didn’t achieve. He struggled to answer questions off-the-cuff. He seems to have no clear vision for the city.
Micheál Podgers@michealpodgers.bsky.social · 3w ago@mayorofchicago.bsky.social continues to say the right things on the stump. Honestly, he’s not half bad on the stump. But his rhetoric while campaigning and his actions in office just don’t match up. He’s dropped the ball so many times in office and i just dont have confidence in him to deliver.
Did @mayorofchicago.bsky.social just say he’s fighting for the legalization of sex work? I’d love to see that, but boy I haven’t seen him talk about that. He needs to really start matching his rhetoric with his actions, because they’re fundamentally not matching.
@mayorofchicago.bsky.social continues to say the right things on the stump. Honestly, he’s not half bad on the stump. But his rhetoric while campaigning and his actions in office just don’t match up. He’s dropped the ball so many times in office and i just dont have confidence in him to deliver.
Chicago Mayor's Press Office (@chicagompo.bsky.social)
The official press office account for Mayor Brandon Johnson. https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/mayor/press_room/press_releases.html
chicagompo.bsky.social
With PJM prices at approximately eleventy bajillion dollars per electron, now is great time for more affordability solutions in Pennsylvania:
Pennsylvania Solar and Affordability - Climate Cabinet Education
District-by-district briefs on how a Pennsylvania community solar program could lower energy bills for families across the Commonwealth.
climatecabineteducation.org
There is a lot of energy around pausing/slowing/banning data center growth. That energy arises from mismatches between the business model and the regulatory systems we have. Our report addresses those root causes so that if/when those pauses end, we don't get the same bad outcomes.
David Weiskopf believes in you@dave.bzky.team · 3w agoLawmakers across the country are finally starting to recognize some of the risks data centers pose to their constituents. But what should lawmakers require of hyperscalers? What does a good data center policy look like? @climatecabineteducation.org has solutions.
2/3: Wednesday 7/22 @ 5pm: Join lawmakers and @climatecabinet.org for a panel on climate solutions as affordability solutions, including IL House Leader Robyn Gabel and Rep. Eva-Dina Delgado. RSVP: luma.com/mcni7220
Climate Solutions Are Affordability Solutions: An Illinois Case Study · Luma
For the first time more Americans say they are struggling than thriving. Families’ day-to-day costs keep rising with little relief on the horizon. Higher bills…
luma.com
I’ve somehow found myself going to cities that host two orchestras I’d love to see live this fall, and during both trips they, of course, won’t be performing the one week I’m in town. Catching the most random gaps in the schedule. smdh
I think it’s important for the public to know that this is the entirety of who was in the room to approve the NITA board appointments.
SideStreets@sidestreets.bsky.social · 3w agoAlvarez passes. Barclay passes (Vasquez as only no). Mondero passes. Jenkins passes. Atkins passes. They will go to the full city council.
Block Club: "Wicker Park’s Car-Free ‘Meet Me On Milwaukee’ Events Return In August." blockclubchicago.org/2026/07/14/w... Take a virtual bike ride with us at last September's MMOM. chi.streetsblog.org/2025/09/04/v... @aldermanlaspata.bsky.social
Wicker Park's Car-Free 'Meet Me On Milwaukee' Events Return In August
Milwaukee Avenue between Ashland and Damen avenues will once again be closed to car and bus traffic on the last Sundays in August, September and October.
blockclubchicago.org
I love the the @chicagocta.bsky.social is investing in better wayfinding, but having a sign like this at Argyle suggests the stop is served by buses and trains, which it’s not. People unfamiliar with the system will use this to understand where they’re going. This is just confusing false information
Milwaukee Mayor Johnson is making a huge mistake. A boulevard could handle the traffic currently on I-794 while unliking tens of millions in fevenhe for the city annually. This is a shame considering he just talked a big vision at @hsrail.bsky.social WI rail meeting. www.wpr.org/news/milwauk...
Milwaukee mayor does not support removing I-794 Lake Interchange
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said he would like see the state make improvements to the city’s I-794 Lake Interchange corridor rather than tearing it down.
wpr.org
The horrid traffic choking Edgewater north of Bryn Mawr, east of Clark is absolutely egregious. It is entirely people from outside the neighborhood or suburbs getting on DLSD. It’s been huge blow to my quality of life since moving here. I hate it. I didn’t know I could hate DLSD in new ways.
Better Streets Chicago Executive Director Kyle Lucas provided a statement about Mayor Johnson nominating current CTA Board President Lest Barclay, who previously expressed skepticism about NITA, for the new CTA and NITA boards. We've added it to our post. chi.streetsblog.org/2026/07/07/c...
Hey #bikechi, do you ride the north branch trail? Do you hate having to cross 6 lanes plus a high-speed slip lane at Devon? Come join me tonight to call for better/safer! At Edgebrook elementary from 5:30-7:30pm, there’s a CDOT meeting on improving this monstrosity!
Ok, so fuck Waymo. A child should never be delivered to the cops. Nothing they could be doing in that car could warrant that. And they’re children.
Chicago Tribune@chicagotribune.com · 4w agoWaymo car delivers misbehaving teen passengers to San Mateo police
