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Curtis Ailes

@curtailes.bsky.social
254 followers 116 following 806 posts

📍 Seattle He/Him. Urbanist. Streetcar Safety Chief. Public Servant. Photographer. Nerd. MTG Legacy. Rummy and Euchre enjoyer

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by Curtis Ailes
Evan Simko-Bednarski @simko-bednarski.bsky.social · 5h
Trump’s “high and unpredictable tariff rates” on specialized components that have to be imported to the U.S. have driven up the cost of building a subway car by 27.9% since August 2025, according to Jesse Lazarus, head of the MTA’s rolling stock program.
nydailynews.com
Trump tariffs will add $1 billion to cost of new NYC subways, trains and buses: MTA
Trump’s “high and unpredictable tariff rates” on specialized components that have to be imported to the U.S. have driven up the cost of building a subway car by 27.9% since August 2025, according to J...
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 29/09/2026
Gas prices have risen dramatically this year. For the typical driver, that's $65 more spent on gas monthly. If you're a typical F-150 driver in states like Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi, or Missouri, you're spending >$350 a month on gas now. We've got to give people other options.
urban.org
Rising Gas Prices Are Punishing Household Finances. Policymakers Should Invest in Transit to Reduce Household Costs.
Amid months of rising gas prices, a typical driver now spends $65 more on fuel each month today than they did a year ago.
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Gordon Padelford @gordonofseattle.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Seattle's most beloved small business districts were built by transit, not street parking.
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Seattle Department of Transportation @transportation.seattle.gov · 27/09/2026
We’ve been working on projects near the new Pinehurst Station to make the light rail easier to get to by walking, biking, and rolling. Sound Transit's newest station opens September 30. Here's how to get there: sdotblog.seattle.gov/2026/09/25/get…
sdotblog.seattle.gov
How to get to the new Pinehurst light rail station in north Seattle - SDOT Blog
Walking, biking, or taking transit to the new Pinehurst Station? Find tips on parking, bus routes, and sidewalk connections in north Seattle.
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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Good morning from King Street Station where we're getting a preview of the first new trainsets on Amtrak Cascades in nearly three decades and the first phase of a national Airo train rollout.
Bob Ferguson giving a speech in front of a new Airo Amtrak train
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Michael Smith @mesmith35673.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Good morning from King Street Station! We will be getting a first look at the new Amtrak Airo trains in a few minutes.
King St StationAmtrak Airo train in Everett earlier this year.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
DoorDash spent $1.4M trying to stop Zohran Mamdani from becoming mayor. This week's historic $131.5M enforcement action against DoorDash for underpaying NYC delivery workers shows why. Yet another reminder that the only thing that can beat organized money is organized people.
theintercept.com
DoorDash Spent $1.4 Million Trying to Stop Mamdani From Becoming Mayor. Now We Know Why.
In a wage-theft settlement, DoorDash now has to pay its workers around 100 times what it spent trying to beat Zohran Mam
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Curtis Ailes @curtailes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Saw a red / yellow Rapid Ride coach servicing the Route 8 today and smiled. Whoever scheduled this bus today needs a pat on the back.
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Unofficial Washington State Wildfire Aware @wa-fire-watch.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Go to Paradise Mount Rainer if you want snow!! It's sticking to the pavement up there and all surfaces. ☃️ ❄️ #wawx
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The Needling @theneedling.com · 25/09/2026
Car-Free Pike Place Market Pilot Deemed Too Successful to Continue: tinyurl.com/uund6kej
People and flowers take up space on street of Pike Place in front of the Public Market Center sign
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Sound Transit @sound-transit.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Pinehurst Station opens Wednesday, Sept. 30. To stay up to date with station rider information, sign up for Alerts bit.ly/4d1YTva
Aerial view of an elevated train station next to Interstate 5. Pinehurst Station and Sound Transit Link light rail car.
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Jeffrey Tumlin 🏳️‍🌈 🌁 @jeffreytumlin.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Your bus operator knows the difference between real "partnership" and marketing ploy
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Curtis Ailes @curtailes.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Sometimes it would be nice to not understand how transit works so I could just appreciate when it shows up and not think critically about how to improve it.
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MTGGoldfish @mtggoldfish.com · 23/09/2026
This Week in Legacy: Five Decks to Consider for Eternal Weekend www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/this-w…
This Week in Legacy: Five Decks to Consider for Eternal Weekend
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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The Bloomington (Indiana) City Council has voted 5-3 to end parking mandates in the city, joining South Bend. The vote accompanied a slew of zoning changes intended to lower housing costs.
7 Line, BloomingtonBT transit center Kirkwood looking towards Sample Gates, Bloomington Indiana Theater, Bloomington
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Curtis Ailes @curtailes.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
This morning my thoughts are with the people of Indianapolis who had to stay up until nearly midnight to watch that spectacle of awful coaching by the Colts last night….
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Qagggy! @qagggy.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Why did Seattle's former City Traffic Engineer sigh with exasperation in this tweet from 2019? 🧵
Dongho Chang: "Sometimes we agree to disagree, the best we could do here (sigh)"
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Amtrak Cascades @amtrakcascades.wsdot.wa.gov · 17/09/2026
NEW AMTRAK CASCADES TRAINS START SEPTEMBER 30. You can experience the new Amtrak Cascades trains beginning September 30. Four daily trains will be operating as new trainsets. Trains 503, 508, [SEA-EUG] 516 and 519 [SEA-VAC]. See the schedule at AmtrakCascades.com. Read more at: media.amtrak.com/
A new Amtrak Cascades train cruises up the tracks in style south of Tukwila with Mt. Rainier rising majestically in the background under a light blue sky with trees fringing the photo. The new train sports evergreen, mocha and cream colors with gold nugget accents. There are two headlights on below the windshield of the train.
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iain @maccoinnich.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
I saw this on Facebook and therefore you have to see it now too
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Jarrett Walker @humantransit.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
This post may be the most effective argument right now for letting public transit wither. It may not make sense to you, but it feels right to many, many people. So in a short new post, I talk through what's going on here, and how to engage with it. humantransit.org/2026/09/the-...
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Seattle Bike Blog @seattlebikeblog.com · 16/09/2026
I'm sure these grocery giants are working this hard to fight the bill because they're just so darn eager to save you money on your groceries. They hate making money, and it's really mean of the City Council to force them to charge you so much.
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Seattle Department of Transportation @transportation.seattle.gov · 16/09/2026
N 92nd St at Corliss Ave N: improved bus stops serve riders on Routes 40, 61, 345, and 365. Better sidewalks and upgraded bike lanes connect people to light rail, schools, parks, and businesses in Licton Springs, Northgate, and beyond.
A before and after image of N 92nd St, facing west. In the before image, a painted bike lane meets a bus stop. In the after image, the same bus stop is there - but with a raised bus stop platform on both sides of the street, a concrete curb stop protecting cyclists, a fresh street surface, and updated sidewalk panels.
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Derek of WayfindDesigns @dmholmer.wayfinddesigns.com · 11/09/2026
Drivers are not okay, example infinity.
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 10/09/2026
The latest transit data, for July, show that the Seattle urban area now has the best ridership recovery of all large US regions. That's especially true over the past few months, as the region has had routinely higher ridership than pre-pandemic. www.thetransportpolitic.com/databook/us-...
Transit ridership recovery from January 2020, on a rolling 12-month basis.
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Derek of WayfindDesigns @dmholmer.wayfinddesigns.com · 10/09/2026
I genuinely hope this ends the "what's wrong with Metro's ridership recovery" question. Seattle is diversifying it's modal ridership and Metro is still a workhorse for Seattle/King County.
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Curtis Ailes @curtailes.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Saw a kid with a t-shirt that read “Hardcore Punk Rock” tonight and guys, the future may just be alright.
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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 08/09/2026
Since the beginning of the Iran War, Fox News has assure its viewers that high gas prices would be "temporary" [checks notes] 188 times.
mediamatters.org
Fox News has claimed that high gas prices would be temporary at least 188 times since the beginning of Trump's conflict with Iran
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Bread and Rosie @rosiemund.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
The person who says we shouldn't push for safe micromobility infrastructure until we have comprehensive & frequent transit or that we shouldn't push for comprehensive & frequent transit until we have better sidewalks does not, in fact, want us to achieve any of those things.
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Curtis Ailes @curtailes.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Sunset last night. Seattle is beautiful
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Curtis Ailes @curtailes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
“Open a website. Look at what people are playing. Look at what cards are expensive. It really shouldn’t be that complicated.” Amen! metagame.info/en-us/mtg/ar...
metagame.info
Bring Back the Gathering: How to Save Competitive Magic | Articles | Magic: the Gathering - Metagame
Competitive Magic is at a crossroads. Once defined by packed local events, Grand Prix weekends, Pro Points and a clear path from the local store to the Pro Tour, the game has gradually shifted toward a more casual identity. In this article, Andrea Mengucci looks at what Magic: The Gathering could do to rebuild its competitive ecosystem, from Organized Play and format accessibility to better promos, stronger incentives and a renewed focus on giving players meaningful reasons to compete.
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Curtis Ailes @curtailes.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
We live in such a beautiful place
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Ladee Danger @ladeedanger.com · 01/09/2026
My mid year reminder to artists! Wizards has a portfolio submission tool so if you’ve ever wanted to create art with your own hands, you can get it in front of real human art directors!
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Curtis Ailes @curtailes.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Seattle Public Schools is not a punctual organization….
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Matt Novak @paleofuture.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
This is pretty fucking wild. I had assumed in a worst case scenario he would target blue zip codes and toss ballots based on technicalities but this is even worse than I imagined.
Not only is this system astonishingly untested, USPS has simultaneously implemented an
impracticable zero percent failure rate.
13 When ballots are submitted to USPS in large-volume
batches, if any one ballot in the batch cannot be verified against the Portal, all ballots in that
batch will be rejected. For example, if a state election official brings a batch of 10,000 ballots to
USPS and USPS is unable to match just one of those ballots against the Portal – because, for
example, someone has recently changed their name after marriage or they’ve moved – then
USPS would refuse to mail the remaining 9,999 ballots as well. As the whistleblower notes,
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Curtis Ailes @curtailes.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Go outside now and look at the moon
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 27/08/2026
The US already has a problem with rapidly increasing infrastructure costs. You know what makes those costs go up even more? Years and years of delays and inaction from the federal government in signing off on funding projects. That’s where we’re at right now.
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Michael Smith @mesmith35673.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
10 seconds of rush hour in Seattle
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Buffalo Chicken Dip Legacy @bcdlegacy.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Thank you to @volrathxp.bsky.social for his write up on BCDL events over the weekend. Definitely check it out! www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/thi...
mtggoldfish.com
This Week in Legacy: Chicken Dipping
Joe Dyer dives into BCDL Legacy Open 5!
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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
The meeting room at 85 Pike Street is crowded this late afternoon as the Pike Place Market Historical Commission takes up the issue of vehicle access along the street for October through March, the next phase of the pedestrian pilot.
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Seattle Department of Transportation @transportation.seattle.gov · 26/08/2026
Ship Canal Trail repairs in Interbay: August 27-31. We will repave sections of the Ship Canal Trail in Interbay starting Thursday, August 27. Detour info: trail users cross at the traffic signal at 19th Ave W and reconnect with the trail via the underpass near 16th Ave W.
Map of the construction zone, spanning along the Ship Canal Trail on W Emerson St from 21st Ave W to 16th Ave W. The detour route is shown: cross at the signal at 19th Ave W, use the north side path, and return to the Ship Canal Trail via the underpass near 16th Ave W.
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Curtis Ailes @curtailes.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Rode the Route 8 this morning from LQA to Capitol Hill. While not the same as the PM commute, the difference was notable. Nice improvement! Thanks @transportation.seattle.gov
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Michael Smith @mesmith35673.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Exterior view of @qagggy.bsky.social’s bus:
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Alex Hudson @blacksandpaper.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Our purpose in life is to do what we can to make life easier and better for each other. Today, thanks to the leadership of @mayor.seattle.gov, we’ve done exactly that for the traveling public in Seattle. What an honor to be a part of it.
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Cardboard Crack @cardboard-crack.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
The Power of Magic #MTG
We are surrounded by technology that makes it easier than ever for us to communicate with each other.

And yet, somehow, more and more people are lonely and struggle to make friends.

We crave real
human interaction, but it can be
daunting to know where to start.

That's why
I feel so lucky to have Magic to help me connect with people.

cardboard-crack.com
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🏢 David L 🚎 @davidl206.city · 24/08/2026
Mayor Wilson managed, in the first year of her term, to do something that has eluded 30 years of previous mayors. I’m 50. The eastbound 8 has been delayed along Denny during rush hour during my entire adult life. Not anymore.
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Nick @nicksattele.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
Bus lanes coming along! Should be done tonight in time for Monday rush hour!!
Selfie with bus laneBus plushie in bus laneCrews painting bus lane
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Fix the L8 @fixthel8.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
@transportation.seattle.gov crews have been hard at work today rolling out the red carpet for Route 8. We couldn't be more excited to see how their hard work will pay off! Join us tomorrow to show them our appreciation and watch as they wrap up! partiful.com/e/w0hSSU53SX... 📷 @juanjpg.bsky.social
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Kirk Hovenkotter @kirkhovenkotter.com · 22/08/2026
The demolition of transit service in Portland is a preview of the future if we don’t win at the ballot this November in Seattle & Tacoma
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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
I think we should also build the Shoreline Sounder station at Richmond Beach envisioned in Sound Move.
Richmond Beach Sounder station along with Ballard
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Robert Cruickshank @robertcruickshank.com · 14/08/2026
If you think it’s “cars” that gives Pike Place Market its visual and aural stimulation I don’t think we inhabit the same reality
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