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Jonathan

@jakz92.bsky.social
98 followers 30 following 335 posts
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
The Minnesota Single Stair study found that adding smoke detectors alongside sprinklers in common areas resulted in an 8-story single stair building having an equal or lower building risk than a currently code-compliant 4-story single stair building with sprinklers but no smoke detectors.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Alas, voters pamphlet will never be the same
oregonlive.com
Two Oregon minor parties lose official status as membership falls short
Minor parties have rarely been competitive in major Oregon races but can influence close elections.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
It cannot be overstated: Urban capacity expansion projects are the *worst* way to invest in freight movement. They cost 10x more per mile than rural and suburban bypass projects, and almost all of the benefit is soaked up by commuters.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
“the vehicle attempted to flee the scene and, fearing for public safety, an officer discharged his weapon” means: they murdered a man and don't even have the thinnest excuse
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
'The target of the law is people sometimes referred to as “neighborhood defenders,” who developers and pro-housing lawmakers say unnecessarily delay homebuilding by flooding local government public hearings when they don’t want a development in their backyard.'
oregonlive.com
Oregon law ending public hearings for most new housing is ‘blatantly unconstitutional,’ lawyer says
An Oregon law, effective July 1, limits public input and appeals on most new housing developments. West Linn neighbors are lawyering up.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 28/06/2026
Curious how much of this is just fees catching up with inflation. Wages are up 25-30 percent since 2019, meaning budgets for all these services are too. Wish we had a competent newspaper that would dig into obvious questions like this.
oregonlive.com
Portland’s cost of living is ballooning as city tax, fee increases pile up. Residents feel the pain
City lawmakers have created new fees for streets, hiked the arts tax and increased utility rates while a 75% parks levy increase took effect earlier this year.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 13/05/2026
LOL @ survey of 600 individuals that just happens to include a major proponent of an anti-tax measure. Are we supposed to believe this is a representative survey? Also seems to be no attempt to establish a baseline. Per a simple google search, 1/3 of Americans plan to move in a 5-year timeframe.
oregonlive.com
40%-plus of Portland residents are considering moving. Here’s why
A new poll shows 36% of metro area respondents and 41% of Portlanders are thinking about leaving in the next five years. 62% cite taxes as a primary motivator.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Honolulu's new W line is everything bus improvement projects should be. It reduced Waikiki-Airport travel times from 60 min to 37 min and Waikiki to downtown from 30 min to 15 min. Peak hour frequency is 10 min, off-peak is 15 min, doubling previous frequency. Stops are ~1/2 mile apart.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
With a Central Eastside MAX link, MAX travel times could be reduced by ~7 min E-W and ~17 min N-S. It would require about 1.5 miles of elevated rail and a new transit bridge over the river. If a 1/2 mile extension of the Robertson tunnel is added, the E-W time savings could be ~10 min.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
Glad Vancouver City Council is giving this some attention. No good reason to trim the light rail scope. The reasoning seems to be that the current plans show the Evergreen station elevated above I-5, and if that section of I-5 isn't being built then neither can the station.
opb.org
Vancouver City Council could vote to oppose shorter I-5 light rail route
Planned light rail stops were reduced from two to one, with light rail terminating at the Vancouver waterfront.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
I think, for once, the Oregonian has this right. It's shocking that despite our supposedly progressive tax structure, low- and middle-income households have some of the highest tax rates in the country.
oregonlive.com
Editorial: A baby step forward for Portland City Council
The Portland City Council is poised to adopt an ordinance broadening a business license tax exemption, the editorial board writes. While that is a welcome step forward, city councilors will need to ta...
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
Dear Lord this thing is a monstrosity. Probably for the best since a tasteful addition might end up lasting. Bulldozing this cancerous tumor will be an easy call.
nytimes.com
Trump’s Ballroom Design Has Barely Been Scrutinized (Gift Article)
Fake windows and a stairway to nowhere: Three months that could change the White House for generations.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Nice to see the Line 24 reroute is being implemented. Should meaningfully improve NE - NW trip times.
trimet.org
March ’26 Transit Service Changes
Service reductions and schedule adjustments starting Sunday, March 1.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Dunphy channeling Jane Jacobs: "We are never going to hire enough police officers to make Hawthorne Blvd feel safe at midnight in the way that a concert getting out at midnight and a crowd of people being on the sidewalk and walking to bars and restaurants [can]."
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Reposted by Jonathan
Amanda Kolson Hurley @amandakhurley.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Just bizarre that because immigration agents now dress like soldiers, actual soldiers have to wear hi-viz vests to avoid confusion
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Reposted by Jonathan
Jeff Rueter @jeffrueter.bsky.social · 25/01/2026
Kare 11 local news just read, in full, this statement from Michael and Susan Pretti, the parents of Alex Pretti. "Please get the truth out about our son."
Statement from Michael and Susan Pretti
Parents of Alex Jeffrey Pretti

“We are heartbroken but also very angry.

Alex was a kindhearted soul who cared deeply for his family and friends and also the American veterans whom he cared for as an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis VA hospital. Alex wanted to make a difference in this world. Unfortunately, he will not be with us to see his impact.

I do not throw around the ‘hero’ term lightly. However, his last thought and act was to protect a woman. The sickening lies told about our son by the administration are reprehensible and disgusting. Alex is clearly not holding a gun when attacked by Trump’s murdering and cowardly ICE thugs. He had his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head while trying to protect the woman ICE just pushed down, all while being pepper sprayed. 

Please get the truth out about our son. He was a good man. Thank you.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Commissioner Baker bringing the heat following the IBR presentation at today's OTC meeting: I see this word “sequencing”. It’s starting to pop up. The plan, internally, would be we spend the amount of money that we have allocated right now, and then we come back for more,
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Feels like a lifetime ago that we impeached a President for extortion
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
West Hills have some beautiful urban stairs
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 20/12/2025
With a little bit of creativity, HB2017's promised freeway improvements could be delivered immediately for just the cost of paint and a bit of asphalt. It would look something like this. The promised improvements were: - Address Rose Quarter congestion - Improve north-south vehicle flow
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
OTC votes 4-0 in support of Rose Quarter "Option 4" put forward by Albina Vision Trust. Option calls for discussion over next 3-4 months between ODOT, AVT, and partners to find a consensus set of investments that would split the $167 million on hand equally between highway and community aspects.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 11/12/2025
Recommendation from the 2005 Freeway Loop Study: "Complete Master Plan Before Major Investment." (Maybe we should do that?)
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 14/11/2025
Interesting and revealing exchange at today's OTC meeting regarding the Salem Center Street Bridge Seismic Retrofit Project. At issue: The authorization of an additional ~$100 million to cover project cost increases. Commissioner Chang starts it off well:
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 11/11/2025
The reasoning given here for ruling out highway cover width reduction makes no sense. Shoulders are routinely used as temporary travel lanes during construction. A cap designed for three lanes and standard shoulders in each direction would have adequate width for four temporary lanes on one side.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 25/10/2025
The wholesomest thing I've read in a long time. Wendell Berry and Nick Offerman hanging out drinking bourbon makes me so happy
outsideonline.com
What Wendell Berry Taught Me
After dreaming about performing the works of the acclaimed author for decades, Nick Offerman finally got his shot—and realized he wasn’t worthy
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 04/10/2025
Iconic
reddit.com
From the Portland community on Reddit: I Love this Frog
Explore this post and more from the Portland community
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 09/08/2025
Apropos of the IBR project's presentation to the Portland City Council Transportation Committee next week: A thread. About half of the IBR's planned $7.5B budget is dedicated to replacing the current bridge and building the necessary approaches, including the SR-14 interchange.
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Jonathan @jakz92.bsky.social · 13/05/2025
One reason for the high cost of the Rose Quarter project is that it has essentially been designed by committee. Pieces have been added, taken away, and moved around. Whenever this is done, the other pieces are all iterated to accommodate the change. But there's little evidence that big-picture
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