iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

I support this project to be clear. We can’t wait until critical infrastructure fails to start fixing it. But man, we should not be in a situation like this

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 3h

Kinda wild that Amtrak’s national network is so dependent on DC Union that local trackwork in the DMV means you can’t get to Cincinnati or Philly from Michigan/Illinois. Just zero redundancy www.amtrak.com/about-amtrak...

Detour map for all affected Amtrak routes from October 16th to 26th. Cincinnati loses all rail access. The Floridian stops short in Pittsburgh.

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 5h

‘til next time, lakeshore east ⛵️

Navy Pier and the river at sunrise from the window of a high-rise hotel

“Welcome to Lakeshore East” word art mural with a sailboat silhouette inside the Pedway

A brutalist outdoor spiral staircase at the easternmost entrance to the pedway with greenery growing through the center column

The narrow tree-lined intersection of Park and South Water

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 5h

My next trip here I’m going to focus more on exploring Chicagoland’s outlying towns. Pace’s 800 system seems like something Metro Detroit transit ops could learn a thing or two from

A Pace bus on Route 850 travels north into the Loop around noon on a weekday

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 15h

To those of you headed home from APTA on a flight, I wish you the best of luck tetris-ing the endless piles of vendor trinkets into your luggage 😅 as for me I am about to test the limits of what Amtrak considers a “personal item”

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

So Open House Chicago, the big behind-the-scenes architecture tour, is the weekend after next and has been on my wishlist for the longest time. At this point I’m like

“Why shouldn’t I keep it?” Lord of the Rings meme but instead of the ring Bilbo is holding a mini Amtrak train captioned “why shouldn’t I book it?”

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

the “how the heck do I get to my hotel’s concourse from down here” to “helping someone else navigate the Pedway” pipeline (24 hours)

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I will say: The fact you can get a two egg special with hashbrowns, meat, and toast from any walkable coney in downtown Detroit for like $9 is not to be taken for granted. Hello from Lakeshore East where that same combo runs you over $20 after gratuity 😭

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

APTA conference attendees, make sure you pick up the special edition Ventra card at registration! Bonus points if anyone knows where this photo was taken 🚈 #aptaEXPO

A special edition Ventra card for APTA 2026 at the center of a round table with a blue and white tile mosaic pattern, next to my conference badge and a Metra-branded notebook

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I was wondering why the loop was so quiet today then turned the corner and ran into the entire world outside millennium park

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

They say Frequency is Freedom, I would also add Frequency is Forgiveness for when you make rookie mistakes like getting on the 125 instead of the 146 (last trip) or when you don’t realize the Green Line is on a wild detour and traveling counterclockwise around the loop (just now)

Planned weekend work rerouting the Orange and Green Lines in the Loop

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

We’re through Porter! No delays! Actually on track to reach CUS 20 minutes early?! When it works it works, phew

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

fun fact of the day: the amtrak wolverine seats 280 passengers per trip

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

This is the most challenging personal conference itinerary I’ve ever had to build because I legitimately want to sit in on every single talk and tour. Schedule matrix is down to 15-minute blocks 😅

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

My last two journeys into Chicago on the Wolverine were… Eventful™ so here’s to a boring ride tomorrow morning 🤞 please let this be a normal amtrak trip

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Reposted by Corey

Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Reminder to all public transit professionals, advocates, and enthusiasts that the triennial APTA EXPO is free and open to the public! This is its first return to Chicago since the 80s and the entire industry will be there. See you on the showfloor the week of October 4th 🚌 aptaexpo.com

Graphic with the Chicago skyline and a CTA bus reads “APTA EXPO returns to Chicago for the first time since 1981!”

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I have biked from Ferndale to Pontiac exactly one time and I do NOT recommend it. Take the bus or the train. The Bloomfield Hills… hill will literally kill you

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Everyone on Slow Roll (typically a crowd from Detroit proper) was saying “Dang, Pontiac’s got HILLS” and I was like, first time? lol six years of living Auburn Hills/Rochester with amazing bike paths but massive inclines and (at the time) no useful transit access was my e-bike origin story

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

slow roll pontiac edition, brought to you by amtrak midwest 🚉🚲

A group of people riding bikes along Saginaw Street in downtown Pontiac as a bus passes by

Old flier in the rain station promotes the connection to Michigan trails

My bike in front of the Cafè Car with its door open

me in a plaid red button-down fleece and a blue helmet

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

the poor AV counting board

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Ferndale friends, make sure you fill out the front, back, and *second sheet* (😭) of your ballot that has just the school millage on it

Ballot labeled as “Page 3 of 3” with one proposal printed on its own sheet with nothing on the back

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Reposted by Corey

The Whimsical Muse @whimsicalmuse.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I don't know who needs to hear this, but yes, you do deserve to treat yourself to a day of exploring bookstores, greenhouses, libraries, museums, cafés, and bakeries.

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

(don’t look for me over there, I never post I just scroll from time to time)

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

taking a full two weeks of PTO for the first time since i started in my current position, nobody break transit while i'm gone

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Well, the fact I can make it all the way home and legitimately forget about my car for a minute speaks to the efficiency and convenience of the Woodward corridor

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

vacation readiness level: drove partway to work instead of taking the bus all the way like usual, 9 hours of chaos later went on autopilot and now i’ve gotta go on a fetch quest back to the park & ride lot 🥲

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

have a key planning contact at work named Al and sans-serif vs serif fonts suddenly become very important when I say I’m going to ask him about something

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

“I’m landing in Grand Rapids and then I’m driving to Big Rapids, I don’t know if that’s a lateral step or not” – Dan Povenmire

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Reposted by Corey

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission @cpsc.gov · 21/09/2026

It's beautiful that so many people will choose to express themselves through the medium of pumpkin. If only there was less stabbing involved.

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

This isn’t a surprise to many but from a planning standpoint, the early rider adoption curve for this route is wild. We’re already at 1,000+ on weekdays alone. Michigan’s most dense, walkable city has strong latent demand, who knew

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Spent the day in Mount Clemens and while it’s not “out of town” strictly speaking it feels like it when you take the bus there and back

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

getting to lansing from detroit takes too long. train please

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

So, Amtrak Midwest is kinda goin' through it right now. The Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers recently hosted Nate Hatton, a local conductor on the Blue Water, who gave riders the inside scoop on recent delays and cancellations. coreyrowe.me/2026/08/29/marp-membership-meeting

coreyrowe.me

MARP Membership Meeting: The State of Amtrak Midwest | The Café Car

Michigan rail service is suffering from crew shortages and trainsets in disrepair. Local Amtrak personnel dive into what's happening.

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

you know what if this really is the maiden voyage of their brand new stadium then okay fine. you can have it… this time

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

bonus cat pic (pov you sat on her couch cushion)

A smear frame of my parents’ cat (Precious, aka Kitkat) leaping onto my lap

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Reposted by Corey

Scorigami @nflscorigami.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

🏈 CHI 59 - 37 CAR FINAL ✅ That's Scorigami!! It's the 1096th unique final score in NFL history.

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

go lions, and welcome back regularly scheduled chores and errands time while the world outside sports bars is empty lol

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

inset map is not strong enough, breaking out the letter labels

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

me: hey i know! i’ll make a map of the restaurants along the new routing in hamtramck open past 10pm :) me 10 minutes later: oh no

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

“I need to budget 60 miles to get to Flint, should be easy as… what do you mean a weekend run to IKEA is a 50-mile round trip”

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Nothing will make you appreciate the sheer size of Metro Detroit faster than budgeting travel by distance instead of time

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Corey @coreyjrowe.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

the air itself was pink for a minute there

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