Sign in

RedPan

@moderaterad.bsky.social
14 followers 16 following 132 posts

Radical Moderate

PostsRepliesMedia
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 23h
www.nytimes.com/2026/10/13/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | We Know How to Fix Homelessness. Why Don’t More Cities Do It? (Gift Article)
It takes doing things that both conservatives and progressives dislike.
010
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 10/10/2026
The 2033 bonds are subject to the toll road authorities, entirely separate entities from OCTA. And when the bonds ends, the toll booths are supposed to be torn down, and the roads bc freeways. Yes to keeping tolls to subsidize transit but that's not an OCTA decision to make.
100
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 09/10/2026
Yes! OC Streetcar is 4.1 miles, a vanity project of dubious need, built at $150M a mile over budget. voiceofoc.org/2025/07/how-... Meanwhile, OCTA screws regional riders with $16 M redux in Metrolink funding, FY27 vs FY26.
voiceofoc.org
How Did the Santa Ana Streetcar Construction End up Costing Over $150 Million Per Mile?
A grand jury investigation found that the project has more than doubled its original budget and hasn’t shown any tangible benefits for the community.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
substack.com/@josephpolit...
substack.com
Joseph Politano (@josephpolitano)
Sort of insane fact about how broken US urban planning is—America now spends more building just the lights for roads and highways than on all subways & ground mass transit combined Spending on roadwa...
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Cool. But @metrolosangeles.bsky.social is already effectively free much of the time bc of the relative lack of systemwide fare checks, which should be a best practice. Too many cheaters (and worse) makes the system feel less safe to many who ride. C'mon #LAMetro, #enforcethefares
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 04/10/2026
Yes!! www.nytimes.com/2026/09/28/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Affordability Is a Winning Message for Democrats. But There’s an Even Better One. (Gift Article)
If Democrats can embrace what affordability is really about, they might do even more than win elections.
011
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
When I asked, #CityofPasadeba staff said there will be signal prioritization, because there already is signal prioritization on Colorado Blvd. On the #foothilltransit bus on Colorado as we see the signal change from green to red as we approached.....
000
Reposted by RedPan
Californians for Electric Rail @calelectricrail.org · 23/09/2026
The Antelope Valley Line WILL be electrified by CA High-Speed Rail, which could be funded almost entirely by an EIFD without raising taxes. Electrify the AVL to accelerate high-speed rail! data.streetsforall.org/blog/cahsr_e...
data.streetsforall.org
How LA County can fund High Speed Rail projects in the County with no new taxes
By building an in-house EIFD model, we show how LA County could capture tens of billions in new revenue to fund high speed rail to Union Station while being revenue positive.
1263
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
And in central Pasadena buses will run in mixed traffic on Colorado Ave, just as they do now. Honestly, it'll just be a bus with fancy stops, no faster. BT, not BRT. Thank you, elected #CityofPasadena officials for taking the R out of BRT.
110
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Quite a few in room comments on #29 in support from SAGE people; and one virtual for fare enforcement (and rightly pushing back on some of the SAGE assertions).
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
So much buck passing. And dah, more ridership on Metrolink depends on better service and frequency. None of these board folks have ridden Metrolink beyond performative rides for the media.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
That's a bunch of money that Maryland should be working with other states to collect from their drivers. Reciprocity. But it works both ways: Maryland needs to help DC collect all the unpaid DC speeding and red light running fines owed by MD drivers. Hey @govwesmoore.bsky.social please step up.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
As with @metrolosangeles.bsky.social so with @marylanddot.bsky.social, so frustrating. Reality: Fare & toll evasion hurts riders and drivers who actually do pay, and forgoes badly needed revenue. D'oh! Kudos to @marylandmatters.org marylandmatters.org/2026/09/01/m...
marylandmatters.org
Maryland Transportation Authority failed to collect $818.1 million in tolls, penalties - Maryland Matters
The agency that oversees the state's toll roads and bridges has failed to collect more than $818 million in tolls and fees it was owed, according to a new  audit. State officials say they are aware of...
100
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
Great take from Reece Martin. open.substack.com/pub/thetrans...?
open.substack.com
Why transit suddenly costs so much.
The English-speaking world’s cost crisis.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Very excellent. www.reddit.com/r/LAMetro/s/...
reddit.com
From the LAMetro community on Reddit: FY2026 Metro Ridership by Station
Explore this post and more from the LAMetro community
010
Reposted by RedPan
Enforce the Fares @enforcethefares.org · 19/08/2026
fare check fact check
031
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
It'll not really be B"R"T in Pasadena -- just BT: since no dedicated lanes in Pasadena along Colorado. Instead, runs in mixed traffic. Signal prioritization? Unknown at this time. An own goal by Pasadena, but not surprising given hostility to anything that might mean less parking.
010
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
Metro staff did reconfirm that signal prioritization is part of the project, although my understanding is that it may not be happening in Pasadena. But without signal prioritization, it's just BT, not BRT.
100
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
My op-ed today in the Pasadena Star-News on the misguided @mayor.lacity.gov #karenbass free fares proposal for @metrolosangeles.bsky.social: Give riders what they actually say they prioritize: a safer, more frequent system. www.pasadenastarnews.com/2026/08/08/l...
pasadenastarnews.com
LA Metro: Free fares for all? Or safe, world class service?
Bass has already achieved a fare free system. But at the cost of discouraging ridership and depriving the system of revenue that could be used to pay for system enhancements.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Exactly. Not sure why some people think security concerns are an affluent thing. If you're living in a place where crime is a big concern, and you're just scraping by, yeah, it matters a lot for your quality of life. No surprise LA Metro riders of all backgrounds rank security as a top priority.
010
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
And yes, I and others have been bypassed at Term 6 by a full bus, so learned to walk over to Term 1 and board there. Easy walk.
110
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 27/07/2026
A single loop might be easier using a long articulated bendy transit bus with multiple doors, with luggage storage racks on board. Make the service every 15 minutes to make up for possible lower buscapacity. After Skylink eventually opens, ya think Flyaway relocates to the LAX Transit center?
100
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
No fares might speed boarding, but likely would risk service cuts. In 2024 fares represented about a fourth of MTA revenue. www.osc.ny.gov/files/report.... So you have to find new funds to replace that or cut service. I'd rather keep fares and use new money to pay for new service, lines, routes.
010
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Yeah, sigh. You get what you pay for, and when you will pay nothing, well: one bus every hour and one train every 20 minutes, but hell, they'll be free! Because, riders, your time is worth shit. At least #Mamdani focusing on fast first then free, and he's honest that time waiting is time wasted.
010
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Heroic. Nice visual of four Metro security officers standing around shooting the breeze, which doesn't contribute to the @metrolosangeles.bsky.social narrative of how hard they are working to keep the system safe. Like, how about maybe two of them get on the actual A line trains and check fares?
010
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
While @mayor.nyc.gov may have promised free fares, in office he's focused on a plan to speed up buses. Yes! Because at least #MayorMamdani realizes slow transit is a tax on riders' time. Get serious, Madam Mayor.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
#LAMetro's own data shows most crime is committed by riders who evade fares. Duh. So take measures to keep fare evaders and antisocial behavior out of the system and more people will want to ride. So speed up buses and make them more frequent, and more people will want to ride.
100
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
@mayor.lacity.gov pls listen to what a vast majority of @metrolosangeles.bsky.social riders said when surveyed about their top priorities for LA Metro: safety, security, cleanliness, frequency, and reliability. Not free fares. Secure and speed up the system: fare enforcement, signal prioritization.
100
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
@mayor.lacity.gov may want to see what @mayor.nyc.gov is actually doing - working to speed up buses - not (yet) making them free. Time waiting for transit is a tax, hitting hardest those without other options, and dissuading those who do from choosing to ride. Fast + frequent beats free.
100
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
Free? @metrolosangeles.bsky.social has already been effectively free bc there has been little fare enforcement since 2018. Rather than focus on free fares, pls focus on what Metro's own survey says riders prioritize: safety, security, service, reliability, and frequency.
020
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Yes!! Prop 13 truly broke California. States w/o income taxes, like Texas and Florida, tend to really tax property. They also tend to build, baby, build. CA could learn something and tax property again at realistic rates, paired with lower income tax for working people. #FixCalifornia
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Time waiting for transit = a tax. Thank you @mayor.nyc.gov, for cutting taxes that matter.
001
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Excellent. Par for the course for #Fluor, found guilty by a federal jury yet again this year for "systemic fraud within the company’s multi-billion dollar military support contracts during the war in Afghanistan". usawhistleblowers.com/news/flour-f...
sec.gov
SEC.gov | In the Matter of Fluor Corporation
070
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Trains magazine on #Metrolink woes. Gotta keep up our advocacy. Good on @calelectricrail.org and all the riders who are speaking up. @metrolosangeles.bsky.social won't find $ for decent regional rail but #LA finds $ for vanity @la28games.bsky.social, unlike #Paris which could do both. Embarrassing!
020
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Oceanside: Raise the drawbridge! Build the Wall, not homes!
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
The problem is definitely real. And this is an issue not just in LA. Here's the Washington Post quoting the head of the Washington Metro Transit Authority: "...everyone who commits serious crimes [on the system] fare evades...not many people are going to tap in [and do crime]."
020
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
The problem: politicians who prioritize existing homeowners (thru restrictive zoning) over affordability and abundance. Restrictive zoning = protection racket for existing homeowners, esp wealthier ones in pricey places. Tho if I have to take sprawl to get new homes, ok. #housingabundance
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Washington Post makes a good point, for once. When politicos want to make buses free (or stop fare enforcement), it too often shows a bias that views transit = welfare for poor people, rather than transit = frequent service for all. Almost never does free = frequent. wapo.st/4oSryaC
wapo.st
Opinion | Kansas City ditches another failed experiment with ‘free’ buses
A bus that rarely comes isn’t much of a bargain.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
As someone much older than 24, who has lived in pricey urban real estate markets, and rented and owned at diff times: for me, over 30 yrs, either buying a home or renting + investing $ would have produced about the same return at end of the period, depending on begin / end year. But that's just me.
120
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
G line is BRT done right, mostly! The NoHo Pasadena BRT won't really be BRT, just kind of glorified Metro Rapid with fancy stops. How fast it will be will depend on signal prioritization and keeping private vehicles out of any truly dedicated lanes (i.e., enforcement).
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Definitely. So disrespecting to riders by opting for designs and operations that make journeys longer. Time is a tax, as @metrolosangeles.bsky.social already knows from its dedication to building tolled express lanes for drivers. Well, transit riders already pay twice, in fare and in time.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Hoping the board restores funding for Metrolink, and it would be great if they could resume more systematic fare checks, which I'm pretty sure would bring in more riders who are presently wary about using the system.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
#Pasadena City Council on Monday 6/22 gave final approval to the SB79 delay ordinance.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Maybe. Maybe not. But greater density near a transit station makes more sense than it does in the middle of a bunch of single family houses. Esp since taxpayers are already subsidizing transit thru sales taxes and other taxes. But if folks oppose any density, maybe a city is not for them.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Btw, any suggestions for comments on governance or funding that would be useful to make at upcoming #metrolink board meeting?
010
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Good for @metrolosangeles.bsky.social , tho they could save on legal costs and time by simply rerouting this project direct from Glendale to NoHo. Bypass #Burbank!
010
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
Behind a paywall?
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
My letter to the Pasadena Star-News on recent #Pasadena action to delay SB79 and #abundanthousing. @urbanizela.bsky.social @cayimby.bsky.social tinyurl.com/yshf2r7k
010
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
This may be true, but these types of narratives tend to feed the perception that #YIMBY = anti-car, and leads to folks in these "states where people drive more" voting in ways that end up gutting pro-transit policies. Big tent, please. Need funding for ALL transport options.
000
RedPan @moderaterad.bsky.social · 21/06/2026
000