Reposted by JR MayerHannah Krieg @hannahkrieg.bsky.social · 17hNEW: WA Ferries wanted you to think their workers are whiny babies who make $350k. The truth is more complicated and more sympathetic --- workers making $65k, engine room paid 20% less than above deck, and those making the big bucks working 70 hour weeks. www.theburnerseattle.com/post/washing...theburnerseattle.comWashington State Ferries Tried To Turn You On Their Workers By Posting Eye-Popping SalaryFerry service has returned mostly to normal after 23 Ferry engine room workers called out sick, shutting down 13 out of 18 vessels on Monday. While there’s no official confirmation workers coordinated... 11274124
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026I have a way lower opinion of state legislatures...perhaps I am too pessimistic. Maybe ALEC will put model legislation through, realizing how bad chaos would be for business. But if it becomes a MAGA thing, logic might go out the window. 000
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Arizona is manageable because it's one state and has been the same for a long time. Hawaii also doesn't have worry about neighbors. But what if DST changed frequently, like sales taxes? It would impose a burden on anyone operating across different states, to have to track and manage it. 000
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026The thing I fear is that cities would want to make sensible decisions to align themselves to their neighboring states' metro areas and state legislatures (especially GOP-dominated ones) would make decisions that would mess up metro areas. And what if legislatures kept changing it? 000
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026I think part of the reason Arizona works moderately well as an outlier is none of its major metro areas is near another state. If Oregon and WA decide different things, what happens in the Vancouver/Portland area? Time changes when you cross a bridge? Spokane/Idaho? 000
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 05/10/2026There would be absolute havoc with all forms of interstate commerce - from meetings to plane flights to trains - if every state got to pick its own approach for DST.would.beLoading... 100
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 04/10/2026I called it a "book unfair," with kids without $ unable to order...then having to watch other kids get load of stuff when it arrives. Painful. Here in Seattle, Page Ahead has kids pick 12 books to take home. Free. pageahead.orgshare.googleGoogle Search 080
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Cool interactive circuit board of seattle rail and ferries. www.seattletransitlive.comseattletransitlive.comSeattle Transit Live | Real-Time Seattle Transit on a Custom PCBSeattle Transit Live is a custom PCB map board with 383 LEDs that tracks regional ferries, rail, water taxis, fast ferries, and the Seattle Monorail. 010
Reposted by JR MayerMrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Subverting democracy isn't new to John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, or Amy Coney Barrett. All three were on George W. Bush's "Florida Recount Team," which lay the groundwork for stopping vote counting in Florida—and Bush v. Gore, the politically-motivated SCOTUS decision that gave Bush the election. 65893823984
Reposted by JR MayerCeleste Headlee @celesteheadlee.bsky.social · 01/10/2026"You might expect something like this in countries where women don’t enjoy equal rights. But in a country where the Secretary of Defense is a testosterone-pushing reactionary who was credibly accused of rape and whose own mother publicly denounced him for mistreating women? Color me surprised." 0455
Reposted by JR MayerKat Tenbarge @kattenbarge.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Just a reminder that people don’t always realize they were raped in the immediate aftermath. It can take hours, days, months, and even years to realize you were raped, and it doesn’t make it any less true. There are many kinds of responses, including fawning and trying to appease your rapist 8852481020
Reposted by JR MayerJerome Alexander Horne @jahorne.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Selfishly, part of my "why" in urban planning is personal: when I grow older, I want to preserve my independence, dignity, and mobility. By building better cities with abundant transit and housing, we create an accessible world—not just for our future selves, but for generations yet to come. 28015
Reposted by JR MayerMrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 26/09/2026The major platforms—Facebook, YouTube, and X—are all refusing to show the trailer for the upcoming documentary that eviscerates the ridiculous pest Elon Musk. So I guess we have to do our part to make sure it is seen. www.youtube.com/watch?v=eY_8...youtube.comMusk | Official Trailer | Bleecker StreetYouTube video by Musk 25767444533
Reposted by JR MayerErica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Here's my coverage of the full timeline (based on documents and contemporaneous messages, not a comment in a meeting), which shows that the vast majority of the delay was due to SPD personnel who put out no information for many hours after posting about a mass shooting. publicola.com/2026/09/04/m...publicola.comMessages Show SPD Primarily Responsible for Information Gap After Bite of Seattle Shooting - PubliColaThe messages also reveal that Mayor Wilson was indecisive about going to the scene of the shooting while advisors… 0456
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 22/09/2026If you have a 4th or 5th grader string musician, an after school Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra program called Cadenza could be a possibility. Sliding scale/pay what you can. Meets Wednesdays at Rainier Beach High School, 3 to 4:15pm.https://syso.org/programs/cadenza/ 120
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 21/09/2026Justice (Gerechtigkeit) fuer Ampelmann! This is my favorite of them all. 040
Reposted by JR MayerHistoryLink.org @historylink.bsky.social · 19/09/2026#OnThisDay in 1972, King County voters approved the creation of Metro Transit. historylink.org/File/1998 0407
Reposted by JR MayerNicolas Hénin @nicolashenin.net · 17/09/2026Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy! 180140896477
Reposted by JR MayerQagggy! @qagggy.bsky.social · 16/09/2026YES THIS IS AMAZING DO IT NOW. Also, it should include landmarked streets not necessarily located in historic districts (such as Queen Anne Boulevard, where the Landmarks Board rejected a fully funded safe routes to school project). @alexis4seattle.bsky.social 29310
Reposted by JR MayerRobert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 14/09/2026"True individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and independence. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.” —FDR, 1944 10340221357
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 13/09/2026Let me know if you have other errors - will try to pass it on. 011
Reposted by JR MayerMike Masnick @masnick.com · 11/09/2026Just did a quick look around and I don't see very many headlines about the President of the US making people pledge allegiance to him personally while telling everyone to commit election fraud and "cheat like hell" to support his party. Seems like it should be a story? 5758181884
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 10/09/2026How about "i don't care about your creepy obsession with Trans people? I am more focused on gas and food prices, jack booted thugs locking up American citizens, and a White House that is getting crazier and more corrupt by the day." 0210
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Past projects I am talking about were adding lanes to reduce congestion. Congestion reduction-if it happened- would often disappear in months from induced demand. Somehow traffic engineers never factored that in projections. I do expect benefits of bus lanes to last(but would love data to prove it). 120
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 06/09/2026I try to pass along good explainers but would love to have before and after data/videos on this lane. It used to frustrate me when I worked at FHWA when traffic projections for prospective projects would show reduced congestion- that would always go away after. At some point isn't that malpractice? 120
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 06/09/2026I think it's a common misconception - that eliminating regular lanes will cause massive congestion. Remember the "Carmaggedon" that was going to happen when the Viaduct went down? Traffic evaporation is real, as is induced demand. Even people who I otherwise respect often don't get it. 020
Reposted by JR MayerRyan Packer @typewriteralley.bsky.social · 05/09/2026In which WSDOT plans to add bike lanes to just 0.8 miles of a 2.75 mile repaving project and "defer" the rest, in spite of the 2022 Complete Streets mandate. Why? Because the department doesn't want to touch the existing lane configuration. 613821
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 05/09/2026I wish there were a car company that focused on avoiding touch screens. Give me a knob for the radio dial, and a manual alternative to anything that's electric, from keys to windows to locks. Almost got stranded coming back from a hike when my fob battery died.. Manual key couldn't start car. 080
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Truck and bus drivers can see all (from their higher vantage points). Every one I have talked to about it says that non-professional drivers are looking at phones in the car constantly. Most of the CDL drivers who drive big vehicles are prohibited from doing so (and many have cameras watching them). 060
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 31/08/2026Washington State has a statewide immunization registry that everyone reports into. Makes life sooo much easier..I can print off vaccine records for schools and camps. 000
Reposted by JR MayerGoldy @goldy.horsesass.org · 31/08/2026The article mentions the area was once home to dozens of strawberry farms owned by Japanese immigrant families who were dispossessed of their land during their WWII internment. It fails to mention that Freeman's grandfather founded the Anti-Japanese League that advocated for internment. Weird.seattletimes.comBellevue's retail core is for sale after 80 years of family ownershipA whopper is hitting the real estate market: The Bellevue Collection, a 5.5 million-square-foot mixed-use complex in downtown Bellevue. 12341124
Reposted by JR MayerTressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 27/08/2026I wrote about Dolly Parton in my latest @nytopinion.nytimes.com column. Thank you. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/27/o...nytimes.comOpinion | The Greatest Story Dolly Parton Ever Wrote Was Herself (Gift Article)She didn’t see herself as a saint; she identified as something we needed even more: a writer. 662583649
Reposted by JR MayerStan Oklobdzija @stano.bsky.social · 29/08/2026If your state is controlled by Democrats, there is no reason that they shouldn't pass legislation allowing direct-to-consumer vehicle sales to put a significant source of Republican donations out of business for good. 221725307
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 27/08/2026One of my closest friends is dealing with a recurrent brain tumor and has been unable to work for the past 6 months. I know there is a world of need out there right now, but if you have any dollars to send her way, it would ease this difficult time. www.gofundme.com/f/rallying-f...gofundme.comDonate to Rallying for Wen: Help Her Face This Challenge, organized by Jennifer MayerThis fundraiser is for the indomitable Wen Minkoff. Wen had surgery earl… Jennifer Mayer needs your support for Rallying for Wen: Help Her Face This Challenge 000
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 19/08/2026The reason - many nearby households had adult children living at home (no one could afford to leave, given Seattle housing prices) but almost every adult household member had a car. With 3-5 cars per household, parking was at a premium. They didn't want teachers parking in the neighborhood. 010
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 19/08/2026I have heard that zoning requirements make it hard to locate schools near density - the rules push communities to greenfield sites, not existing parcels. When my son's Seattle elementary school was being renovated & expanded, the neighborhood wanted us to have more parking lot, less playground. 010
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 11/08/2026Thank you for the heads up. Uninstalled immediately and will check out other options. 250
Reposted by JR MayerErica C. Barnett @ericacbarnett.bsky.social · 06/08/2026Another perspective on former police chief Shon Barnes: www.theurbanist.org/op-ed-police...theurbanist.orgOp-Ed: Chief Shon Barnes Wasn’t a Martyr; He Was the Status QuoSeattle Police Chief Shon Barnes wasn’t a martyr; he embodied the status quo, and Mayor Katie Wilson was right to oust him and push for true police accountability, argues Cliff Cawthon, a longtime com... 27614
Reposted by JR MayerSean Keeley @seankeeley.bsky.social · 04/08/2026My $0.02 if you're voting in Seattle today: I found The Stranger and the Washington Progressive Voters Guide to be, at best, center-left and, at worst, moderate, in some of their choices. If you want a true progressive voting guide, I recommend the Lefty Cheat Sheet: electioncheatsheet.orgelectioncheatsheet.orgLefty Cheat Sheet — Aug 2026 PrimaryA quick guide on how to vote lefty using sources YOU trust! 1346
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 05/08/2026Cars are safer & some get better mileage. Durability though? So many have expensive, proprietary and networked parts that are fragile and cost a lot to repair. Too many touchscreens, not enough knobs. And they're HUGE - makes it easier to get into an accident and more expensive to insure and drive. 110
Reposted by JR MayerBen Collins @bencollins.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Good framing.rawstory.comKindergarten girls targeted for invasive exams by new GOP-led ballot measureWashington State voters will decide the fate of a ballot initiative that would require girls from kindergarten through high school to undergo sex-verification testing before playing school sports — a ... 498103452995
Reposted by JR MayerRachael @r343l.bsky.social · 01/08/2026Going through my political mailers and Rep. Santos in #waleg sent one out claiming her priorities include “public transit & pedestrian street safety". Here is what she was primary sponsor of in 2025-26 session which does not show that focus: app.leg.wa.gov/bi/report/Bi...app.leg.wa.govBills by sponsor - Washington Legislature 1113
JR Mayer @jrmayer.bsky.social · 01/08/2026Scary how many of my FB friends are amplifying talking points on the "incompetent mayor." People I otherwise agree with on many issues calling her an unqualified "girl." The perception seems to be that Harrell lost b/c of racism instead of his lackluster performance, crony mgmt, and limited vision. 030
Reposted by JR MayerRobert Cruickshank @robertcruickshank.com · 01/08/2026Now this is an excellent, fair, independent story covering the events this week in a way that is comprehensive and informative. TV and corporate media could learn something from this! 04410
Reposted by JR MayerRobert Cruickshank @robertcruickshank.com · 01/08/2026Danny Westneat joins the Seattle Times in full scale war against Mayor Katie Wilson, which is no surprise but another example of the Brandi Kruse-ification of local establishment media. They've gone from providing independent reporting and analysis to using their perches for a partisan agenda.seattletimes.comSeattle City Hall rarely runs smoothly. This week it hit new lowsThe spectacle of the neophyte mayor and the frequent flyer police chief, both failing at their jobs when they were needed most, is not going to pass lightly. 1017818