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Josh Holland

@joshholland.bsky.social
659 followers 126 following 576 posts

Train Enthusiast. Part-time Foodie. Cities are better with lots of people.

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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
For everyone scrutinizing bad text behavior this week, I’d encourage us to scroll back through our own group chats too. Texts create a strange illusion of privacy—that what we say among friends will stay among friends, never to be reshared, screenshotted, or repeated.
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Qagggy! @qagggy.bsky.social · 30/10/2023
America has a thing called Trunk or Treat where people dress up, drive to a parking lot, and pretend it's ok we don't have walkable communities anymore.
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Seattle Department of Transportation @transportation.seattle.gov · 01/10/2026
Halloween is coming. You don’t have to go to a “trunk-or-treat” event in Seattle! You can close your neighborhood street to through-traffic – for free! Trick-or-Streets permits are free and easy to get. Join here: seattle.gov/transportation/trick-or-streets
The ancient two-panel Drake meme. On the top, he's looking away in disgust and holding his hand up. The text next to it says "Truck-or-treat". On the bottom, he looks pleased and is pointing toward text that says "Close your street".
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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
A new security report from King County Metro shows that reported security incidents on buses are now less common than they were PRE-PANDEMIC, even after adjusting for somewhat lower bus ridership. In 2019, Metro saw 64 incidents per million boardings. In 2026 that number has dropped below 60.
Chart showing Coordinator Service Records per million boardings starting at 64 on all routes in 2019The same chart in 2024 to 2026 showing the line dropping to less than 60
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jseattle @jseattle.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
City-backed cleaning crew offers proof of concept for Pike/Pine Business Improvement Area
dlvr.it
City-backed cleaning crew offers proof of concept for Pike/Pine Business Improvement Area
A city-funded street cleaning pilot across Pike/Pine is providing data and serving as a proof of concept for organizers working to establish a dedicated Business Improvement Area. District 3 Councilmember Joy Hollingsworth praised the work of Seattle Surface Cleaners earlier this … Continue reading →
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Terrifying. 😬 A timeline of the Cornell University Rape Investigation. We need better laws to support victims of crimes. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/29/n...
nytimes.com
A Timeline of the Cornell University Rape Investigation (Gift Article)
Prosecutors have reopened an investigation into a former student’s claims that several men sexually assaulted her in a campus fraternity house.
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Seattle’s last new Link station until 2031 is open! 🚈 Pinehurst Station shows we can build stations without parking garages. Let the last-mile connection happen by foot, bike, roll, or bus. Next up: upzone the area for more housing, businesses, and neighbors. www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
seattletimes.com
Seattle opens its newest light rail station
Sound Transit's newest light rail stop provides a new way for North Seattle residents to miss Interstate 5 traffic.
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Cheering Bellevue’s success, but the “Bellevue is eating Seattle’s lunch” narrative is overplayed. It’s less Bellevue beating Seattle & more the region developing a 2nd major employment center, giving companies another way to tap into the same PNW talent pool. www.seattletimes.com/business/ama...
seattletimes.com
Amazon still Bellevue’s top employer, but here’s the catch
Amazon's growth in Bellevue last year was slower than anticipated, but the company said it's still committed to an eventual 25,000 employees in the city.
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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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Economic Opportunity Institute @eoionline.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
“The reality is, we have a tax code written in the course of a couple of months in the 1930s," our Executive Director @rianwatt.bsky.social told the @nytimes.com. We think it's about time for an upgrade! Read more: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/27/u...
nytimes.com
Washington Taxed Its Millionaires. Now the Rich Want It Repealed.
Washington State voters will get a chance to accept or reject the 9.9 percent income tax on millionaires approved by the Legislature, which broke the state’s taboo against levying income taxes.
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Michael Hall @michaelhall.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
This is more relevant than ever:
dailyhive.com
Opinion: BC NDP overlooking public transit's role in easing cost-of-living pressures | Daily Hive | Urbanized
Public transit is the most powerful affordability tool within the provincial government's control, but the BC NDP is overlooking it.
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Brett Hamil @bretthamil.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Today's DOOM LOOP for @soseaemerald.bsky.social: "Smart Growth Plan" ft. D5 candidate Julie Kang southseattleemerald.org/voices/2026/...
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Great deep dive on Pinehurst Station and the tension between building transit and allowing the housing needed for those investments to thrive. Pinehurst is a long-term bet that Seattle will make better land use decisions. Now, it's up to Seattleites to turn that vision into a reality.
seattletimes.com
Seattle gets a new light rail station, and then a long wait
Sound Transit built Pinehurst Station despite grim ridership projections. Will anything be done now to transform the neighborhood and attract passengers?
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Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 25/09/2026
US isn’t taking climate change seriously when it comes to transport policy Other countries are demonstrating that they can (1) mode shift toward transit, walk, bike; (2) electrify; (3) densify. US failing on all fronts. Result is that US emissions from transport aren’t falling as they should
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Seattle is getting wet and windy, with heavy rain this week. Hello Autumn! 🍁 🌧️
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Miser @misernyc.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Pedestrianized 35th reaches its final, lush form
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The Urbanist @theurbanist.org · 31/08/2026
A shift to restricting vehicle access to just three days a week through March at Pike Place has drawn criticism as a retreat from a more pedestrianized street, but the local historical commission has framed that as an interim compromise. Story: www.theurbanist.org/winter-rollb...
theurbanist.org
Winter Rollback of Pike Place Market Pedestrian Pilot Moves Forward
The shift to restricting vehicle access on just three days a week through March has drawn criticism as a retreat on the path toward a more pedestrian-oriented Pike Place. Ahead of its unanimous approv...
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jseattle @jseattle.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
The flock thickens: Starbird Chicken is coming to Capitol Hill
dlvr.it
The flock thickens: Starbird Chicken is coming to Capitol Hill
The mystery of new commercial life hatching in the failed 10,000-square-foot Amazon grocery on E Pike has been revealed. The arrival of Starbird Chicken on Capitol Hill will mark new energy for a block that has been darkened for two … Continue reading →
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Seattle is a bike city. Hills and rain be damned. 🚲🌧️ Seattle has spent years building out its bike network, and people are using it. Build safe, useful connections and people will ride. We’re building our own kind of bike city. ❤️ www.kuow.org/health/2026-...
kuow.org
Seattle had record-breaking bike traffic this summer. What’s behind the numbers?
More people than ever biked around Seattle this summer — and one cycling advocate says this could be just the beginning of a new normal in the city.
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
The Macklemore news cycle continues—but does anyone care anymore? Our media environment rewards jumping into a story at peak controversy, forming an opinion, and moving on before the reporting is finished. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
nbcnews.com
Ed Sheeran calls situation in Gaza ‘unjustifiable’ in first concert since Macklemore controversy
Protesters gathered outside Sheeran’s Philadelphia concert to decry the removal of rapper Macklemore from the tour after he voiced a pro-Palestinian stance.
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HistoryLink.org @historylink.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
#OnThisDay in 1972, King County voters approved the creation of Metro Transit. historylink.org/File/1998
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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
A bunch of folks have shown up to the transportation committee today to complain about the new swinging gates on Lake Washington Boulevard for Bicycle Weekends, with one of them accusing the "powerful bicycle lobby" of getting the gates unilaterally installed using "manipulated data."
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Sunset off Bellevue Ave. Good night to catch the Olympics lit up in Seattle.
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Slow news > hot takes. More reporting makes the Macklemore/Ed Sheeran story far more complicated than the first headlines suggested. Seems Sheeran did a friend a big favor by bringing him on tour—and that favor may have carried a much higher cost than he imagined. Details matter.
wsj.com
The 40-Minute Phone Call That Left Ed Sheeran’s Tour Hanging by a Thread
Patriots owner Robert Kraft made it clear to the singer that he would cancel his tour dates at Gillette Stadium unless Macklemore was dropped from the bill. Other NFL owners were ready to do the same.
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Artists are putting their own money and fame on the line after the Macklemore news. Impressive. It will be interesting to see how fans respond to Sheeran’s concert in the future.
seattletimes.com
Ed Sheeran’s tour in trouble after opening acts drop out in solidarity with rapper Macklemore
Ed Sheeran has addressed the removal of Seattle rapper Macklemore as his opening act after the rapper made pro-Palestinian comments during a performance.
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The Seattle Times @seattletimes.com · 15/09/2026
A Hood Canal oyster paradise and a new fine-dining spot on Whidbey have made a New York Times list of "our 50 favorite places in America right now."
seattletimes.com
2 WA spots land on New York Times list of best restaurants in the country
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
I’m far more interested in what someone does when injustice shows up in their everyday life than what they have to say about the latest celebrity controversy online.
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Summer’s final hurrah. ☀️ www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news...
seattletimes.com
Summer sun hasn't given up on Seattle yet
The last full week of summer looks to be sunny and dry before fall officially sets in next week.
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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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Lex Vaughn @lex.vaughn.theneedling.com · 05/09/2026
At 8:40 p.m., Spangenthal-Lee wrote in the internal Teams chat "It's F---ing embarrassing that SPD has waited HOURS to put anything out ... this is a massive f---ing disaster and hit to public trust." The mayor's office then published a blog that incorrectly stated two suspects had been apprehended.
komonews.com
Mayor's office records show confusion, conflict with police after Bite of Seattle shooting
The office of Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson released hundreds of messages Friday afternoon showing its internal communications during the response to the Bite of S
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The Seattle Times @seattletimes.com · 05/09/2026
The Seattle Times Company is suing OpenAI and Microsoft, claiming the tech companies violated copyright law while training AI models.
seattletimes.com
Seattle Times sues OpenAI, Microsoft over copyright infringement
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K.H.I. @sheridesabike.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
The #WeekWithoutDriving is less than 2 months away and I've added the RSVP form for this Transit Trekker outing. Join us! cc: @nondriver.bsky.social @ecocityaction.org @seattletru.bsky.social @seattletransitblog.com @futurewise.bsky.social @mayor.seattle.gov transittrekker.com/2026/08/03/w...
transittrekker.com
Week Without Driving 2026: Transit Trek with King County Parks
Join me and King County Parks on a Transit Trek to one of my favorite places, Maury Island Natural Area, Marine Park, and Dockton Forest on Thursday, October 1. The outing takes place on the first …
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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
So I'm organizing a Labor Day bike ride along LWB to celebrate (and lament) the last Bicycle Weekend of the year. Starting at 2pm 9/7 @ Judkins Park Station. Should be pretty casual, everyone is welcome (except pro car protestors).
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Doug Gordon @brooklynspoke.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
"A 2025 YouGov poll showed that 76% of Americans supported bike lanes in and around where they live, including 66% of Republicans." While the piece says that "only a third of Americans are pining for more," it's still a sign that bike lanes are not the culture war red meat Duffy & co think they are.
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Fascinating look at one of the Trump administration’s latest unlikely enemies: people riding bikes. A reminder that we can’t let “people biking vs. people driving” define the story. We need to tell the stories of people biking—how it changes commutes, expands choices & makes cities work better. 🚲
nytimes.com
Do D.E.I. Bike Paths Exist? The Trump Administration Says Yes. (Gift Article)
The administration has revoked funding for bike paths, and encouraged removing some. A cycling advocate said it is playing on the idea of “that dork on a bike.”
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The Urbanist @theurbanist.org · 31/08/2026
NEW STORY// Announcing Special Guests for Our CityNerd Talk, Plus a Call for Volunteers By Diego Batres via @theurbanist.org
theurbanist.org
Announcing Special Guests for Our CityNerd Talk, Plus a Call for Volunteers
Seattle Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck and King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci are joining the program on September 15. Tickets are going fast, and we still need some volunteers to help facilitate the event.
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Multiracial societies thrive when we do more than coexist—we build relationships across difference. Friendship isn’t a diversity checklist. But if everyone in your social world looks like you, it’s worth asking why. A bigger box of crayons makes life richer. 🖍️🌎 www.brookings.edu/articles/int...
brookings.edu
Interracial cooperation in the United States | Brookings
This research provides insights into people’s self-reported frequency and context of interracial cooperation across domains of life
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The Seattle Times @seattletimes.com · 31/08/2026
Rocket Companies named Alessio Sanfilippo, Meta's former vice president of insights for Reality Labs, as Redfin's new CEO.
seattletimes.com
Former Meta executive at Reality Labs named Redfin’s new CEO
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The Seattle Times @seattletimes.com · 31/08/2026
Seattle is creeping into fall. This week, we'll mark that descent with rain and a chance of thunderstorms midweek before the weather clears up.
seattletimes.com
Seattle will get an 'early taste of fall' soon
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Kristin Louise Raught Photography 🌀 @kristinlraught.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
Tonight’s moonrise over Seattle was filtered through layers of smoke and haze, giving the moon that deep orange glow as it climbed behind the Space Needle. The clouds drifting across it made the whole scene feel especially dramatic Sunday night.
Orange full moon rising through smoky haze and dark clouds above Seattle, with the illuminated Space Needle and city skyline below.
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Qagggy! @qagggy.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
The Basic Bike Network was a highly successful advocacy effort by @streetsalliance.bsky.social and @cascade.org. So, what's Phase 2? Where are the gaps? What is the next layer outward? Where is the greatest need? How would you brand it? What is the organizing principle?
map of downtown seattle bike lanes
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KUOW Public Radio @kuow.org · 21/08/2026
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson signed an executive order Friday to speed up transportation department processes, in hopes of meeting the city's goal of eliminating traffic deaths and major injuries by 2030.
kuow.org
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson wants to accelerate city’s efforts to improve pedestrian safety
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson signed an executive order Friday to speed up transportation department processes, in hopes of meeting the city's goal of eliminating traffic deaths and major injuries by 2030.
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
I used to prefer an unobstructed view of the Space Needle from Capitol Hill. But as Seattle has grown over the past decade-plus, I’ve started to appreciate the visual diversity that a changing skyline creates. Instead of one perfect, unobstructed view, there are now countless angles to exp it.
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Bellevue is dying 😢 🎻 Also, two months' severance is a trash offer for affected employees. We really need to stop relying on companies' "goodwill" to provide appropriate severance benefits and put this kind of stuff into law. www.seattletimes.com/business/tec...
seattletimes.com
More tech layoffs hit Bellevue workers
With the launch of TikTok Shop in 2023, the company's presence on the Eastside has stretched to include roughly 1,700 employees across two Bellevue offices.
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The Urbanist @theurbanist.org · 19/08/2026
NEW OP-ED// Op-Ed: How Pike Place Market Can Thrive in the Winter Without Car Traffic By Gordon Padelford, Seattle Streets Alliance via @theurbanist.org
theurbanist.org
Op-Ed: How Pike Place Market Can Thrive in the Winter Without Car Traffic
SDOT is weighing a plan that would fully reopen Pike Place to cars Monday through Thursday from October to March. Here why that approach is wrong and how the Market will thrive with year-round pedestrianization.
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Ryan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Go figure that Seattle layoffs are in Seattle, Bellevue layoffs are in the "Seattle area."
TikTok cuts 75 jobs in Seattle area, hitting e-commerce teams
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Saved this lost boy (?) from the streets. 😂 Such a cool yarn Yoshi doll. Couldn’t leave him behind. 🦖💚
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Gordon Padelford @gordonofseattle.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Thank you to @mayor.seattle.gov for letting Lake Washington Boulevard better serve the community this summer. The boulevard is most accessible when it is closed to car through-traffic, and OPEN to people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to enjoy as the 3 mile public waterfront PARK it is
Two senior women using adaptive cycles, and people walking abs pushing strollers in background Skateboarding mom with sonBiking kiddo with mom Two men walking with woman in wheelchair. This photo from a former year
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Josh Holland @joshholland.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
I struggle with slow days. I’m usually happiest when I’m out doing something, seeing people, going somewhere, or chasing the next little adventure. But sometimes the pace catches up with me and I find myself happily glued to the couch. 😂
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Northwest Progressive Institute @nwprogressive.org · 17/08/2026
Give Ballard a Sounder stop while it waits for light rail Give Ballard a Sounder stop while it waits for light rail "With Sound Transit's failure to deliver light rail to Ballard by 2035 as originally promised, now is the moment for Sound Transit and Seattle to build a no-frills, quick-build…
nwprogressive.org
Give Ballard a Sounder stop while it waits for light rail
Give Ballard a Sounder stop while it waits for light rail "With Sound Transit's failure to deliver light rail to Ballard by 2035 as originally promised, now is the moment for Sound Transit and Seattle to build a no-frills, quick-build station near the Ballard Locks to connect people to Sounder commuter rail service that’s already up and running," Matthew Trecha writes. Trecha is a transit enthusiast who has lived in Europe and Canada.
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