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Sam Kovnar

@srkovnar.bsky.social

Engineer, urbanist, gardener. Chicago.

384 Posts203 Follower215 Folgt
Sam Kovnar@srkovnar.bsky.social · last wk.

Canal Street's protected bike lane is also chronically blocked by post office vehicles, would be good to see those enforced as well. I have never biked there and not seen at least 3 USPS trucks blocking the southbound bike lane.

Streetsblog Chicago@chi.streetsblog.org · last wk.

Block Club: "Drivers Have Blocked A Bike Lane By The Main Post Office For Years — Despite Free Parking Nearby. blockclubchicago.org/2026/10/26/d... As we discussed last week, the bikeway is slated to get protection. chi.streetsblog.org/2026/10/22/s...

Sam Kovnar@srkovnar.bsky.social · 2w ago

I think the bigger pattern here is that the issues that motivate many of DSA's members simply dont apply on the local level. This doesnt apply to all chapters, and the chapters which have the most coherent ideology at the local level (@mkedsa.bsky.social comes to mind) have been pretty successful.

kyle tear down that highway lucas 🏳️‍🌈@itskylelucas.com · 2w ago

So let me get this straight, DSA is is likely to revoke their endorsement of Nithya Raman — who openly calls what Israel is doing to Gaza a genocide — because the LA chapter didn’t ask her if she’s anti-Zionist. Just days before an election. Meanwhile Karen Bass openly denies genocide.

Kalen Luciano@kalenfor44.bsky.social · 2w ago

✅ Submit petitions to get on the ballot 🗳️ Next stop the ballot box on Feb 23 Thanks to nearly 100 volunteers, my campaign collected 1400 signatures to get me on the ballot. The message is clear: Lakeview is ready for bold new leadership! I’m excited to champion those ideas as your next Alderman

Alderman La Spata@aldermanlaspata.bsky.social · 3w ago

Yes! We're currently working on an ordinance creating a dedicated revenue fund for speed camera (automated speed enforcement or ASE) revenue to be able to use that money for infrastructure improvements.

Emily@allweeksend.com · 3w ago

I’m glad we’re getting non-police enforcement, but is there any way we might earmark funds from violations for traffic calming and protected bike/walk/bus infrastructure? I’d love if the enforcement mechanisms were the tools to phase themselves out over time.

Sam Kovnar@srkovnar.bsky.social · 3w ago

Honestly it's kind of astounding that the source of this Blue Wave boils down to: 1) Republicans won, 2) They did exactly what we all said they were going to do, 3) The exact repercussions happened that we always said would happen if they did the things they have always wanted to do.

It was the fuckaroundiest of times, it was the findoutiest of times
Blue Virginia@bluevirginia.bsky.social · 3w ago

VERY right-wing-Republican Christian Heiens: "I truly wish the data said otherwise, but all signs in Virginia point to an electoral wipeout of historic proportions...Gun to my head, Dems win statewide by over 12 and flip the 2nd and 1st districts..." bluevirginia.us/2026/10/wedn...

VERY right-wing-Republican Christian Heiens: "I truly wish the data said otherwise, but all signs in Virginia point to an electoral wipeout of historic proportions, nearly on par with the 2025 debacle. Our best hope is that this is a unique thing contained to VA because the state has shifted so far to the Left so rapidly, but it’s honestly quite hard to imagine Virginia going Blue by double digits and Rs potentially losing both 1st District and possibly even the 5th, and a wave of that magnitude NOT showing up anywhere else in the country. As far as Virginia is concerned, this is most likely going to be the ugliest midterm election of my lifetime. The silver lining is that we’re seeing mixed messages elsewhere in the country which *may* (emphasis on may) suggest that this will be an uneven Blue Wave."
Kalen Luciano@kalenfor44.bsky.social · 4w ago

We just won big! After I organized neighbors to oppose the Cub’s plan to expand parking, our Alder rejected it. But it shouldn’t have taken months to stop it. We could’ve spent this time actively improving pedestrian safety. If you want an Alder who prioritizes sustainable cities, join my campaign

Sam Kovnar@srkovnar.bsky.social · last mo.

They do not care if I am killed. It truly is that simple. They would rather not be bothered. I am an inconvenience, and I would be less of an inconvenience if I was a ghost bike on the side of Milwaukee Avenue instead of a person riding to work.

Chicago Tribune@chicagotribune.com · last mo.

Letter to the Editor: Bike lanes, while important to some, shouldn’t top our list of things to tackle in a city where it’s cold six months a year. It’s just not a priority.

Sam Kovnar@srkovnar.bsky.social · 2mo ago

You could make Humboldt Park 10x nicer and less noisy by closing this tiny stretch of Humboldt Blvd. Access to all of the existing parking lots is maintained, but you completely eliminate cut through traffic and redirect cars around the park, not straight through the center.

Map with a small stretch of Humboldt Blvd circled in black, just south of North Avenue.
Sam Kovnar@srkovnar.bsky.social · 2mo ago

How is it possible that every day, the YouTube app is broken in a new, unique, inconvenient way And not like obscure backend stuff, but the UI. The stuff that theoretically shouldn't be changing. Does Google even employ any developers anymore

Michael McLean@michaelmclean.me · 3mo ago

Crazy that we have a democratic committeeperson running for alder, on a platform of NIMBYism against public restrooms near transit Vote LaSpata if you like public bathrooms!

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Sam Kovnar@srkovnar.bsky.social · 3mo ago

"Lost control" might be generous considering how Villegas insists on using this meeting format, which encourages grandstanding and shouting matches. (CDOT does not normally use this format for exactly that reason.)

SideStreets@sidestreets.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Last night's community meeting was yet another time that Ald. Villegas lost control of his own meeting to vocal critics of change™️. Thankfully, CDOT's holding steady, and we'll get some pedestrian safety improvements along the busiest single bus route in the city.

Alderman Villegas at a lectern listens to a member of the public debate a street safety project, with a sign language interpreter to his left and a CDOT staffer to his right.
Kalen Luciano@kalenfor44.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Dine Out on Broadway is coming to Lakeview this weekend! We used to have it every other weekend, but now it’s only once a month. When I’m alderman, I’ll make it more frequent and expand open streets to other places in the ward.