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Solivagant Eileen

@myrna38717.bsky.social
519 followers 659 following 129 posts

Pedestrian rights advocate. Aging non-driving/walking/public transit user. Atheist. Retired Lawyer. Ukulele.

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Reposted by Solivagant Eileen
Allison Gill @muellershewrote.com · 19/09/2026
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Solivagant Eileen @myrna38717.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
“Where is lawbreaking not just visible, but designed to be seen? Where is antisocial behaviour worn as a badge of honour? Where is pleasure gained directly from causing distress? …The answer is on the roads.”
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Solivagant Eileen @myrna38717.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Same goes for drivers rolling toward people walking. You may not intend your roll as a threat, but that’s what it feels like.
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Peter Norton @norton.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
When #crashnotaccident was #motorthanasianotaccident: “This is motorthanasia. The putting of a person to death by the use of a motor vehicle.” — New York Police Commissioner Stephen P. Kennedy, June 7, 1956.
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Lloyd Alter @lloydalter.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Demographics being what they are, “walking while old” is going to be a growing problem. I have been banging on about this for years www.treehugger.com/complaining-...
treehugger.com
Walking While Old Is Killing a Lot More Pedestrians Than Walking While Distracted
There are all kinds of distracted and compromised people in our roads. Some of them cannot help it.
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Peter Norton @norton.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
“‘Jaywalker’ was a tool in this reconstruction effort. It implied a new answer to the question ‘What is a street for?’ – an answer that carried a sting.”
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U.S. Government Accountability Office @gao.gov · 21/07/2026
Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety: DOT Should Take Steps to Address Risks Related to Limited Driver Visibility www.gao.gov/products/gao-26-107954?…
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Mark Joseph Stern @mjsdc.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Just canceled my DashPass and sent this email to DoorDash. I encourage you to do the same if you support D.C. home rule. press@doordash.com and ir@doordash.com
Hello,

I’m writing to let you know that I just canceled my DashPass because of DoorDash’s disgraceful campaign against D.C. home rule.

DoorDash is urging Congress to nullify a new D.C. law imposing a 20 percent tax on food-delivery services—not merely by overturning that law, but by prohibiting the District from enacting any new tax without prior congressional approval. That is an extraordinarily sweeping assault on D.C.’s right to govern itself and an odious insult to the District’s residents.

I am especially disgusted by DoorDash’s public claim that it is somehow defending D.C. residents while actively seeking to strip us of our right to govern ourselves through our own democratically elected lawmakers. Please do not pretend that disenfranchising District residents is an act undertaken on our behalf.

I intend to publicize DoorDash’s attack on home rule as widely as possible and urge everyone I know to boycott the company.

Shame on you.
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Action Committee for Transit 👣🚲🚇🚍🚊🧑🏻‍🦽 @actfortransit.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
In the FMUTCD, pedestrian clearance time = "the time provided for a pedestrian crossing in a crosswalk, ▶️after leaving the curb or edge of pavement◀️, to travel to the far side of the traveled way or to a median." So if you step back 6 ft? Less air pollution, but also maybe not enough time to cross.
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Bikepedantic @pedantic.bike · 11/07/2026
Trump’s war on science comes for bikes and Vision Zero. Proven Safety Countermeasures are a set of street design tools that FHWA career engineers judge to have been proven to improve safety. They delisted Bike Lanes, Road Diets, and three speed management tools. highways.dot.gov/safety/prove...
28 Proven Safety countermeasures shown on an old fHWA flyer. Sped Safety Cameras, variable Speed Limits, Appropriate speed limits for all road users, Bicycle Lanes, and road diets are crossed out
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Dr Sarah Hendrica Bickerton 🏳️‍🌈 @sarahhbickerton.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
I listened to this on the bus into campus this morning, and I have to say, it was an excellent episode that may have absolutely changed my thinking. I've traditionally gotten quite angry at reporting that used a passive-voice approach to the car in a crash, disguising the presence of a person.
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Solivagant Eileen @myrna38717.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
I wonder what “brilliant” PR agency got paid too much to think up this inhumane, despicable, victim-blaming excuse for a safety message?
Ad on Fairfax Connector bus says, “Drivers stop for ducks. You are not a duck. Look before you cross.”
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Clint Smith @clintsmithiii.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Since he's returned to office Trump has attacked the Smithsonian as "out of control" where everything discussed "is how horrible our country is, how bad slavery was." Lonnie Bunch has been the person who has put himself between Trump and the Smithsonian. This is the story of his work to protect it.
theatlantic.com
First the Kennedy Center, Now the Smithsonian
How long can the museum system’s leader, Lonnie Bunch, survive?
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Solivagant Eileen @myrna38717.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Anyone in the DC or Baltimore area have experience (good or bad) with inpatient or outpatient hospice services? (Asking for a family member, not for me.) Thanks in advance.
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Yell In a War @jelenawoehr.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
this example is an EXCELLENT insight into two things: 1. why the opinion "we should run government like a business" should be treated similarly to the opinion "we should kill and eat more human infants" 2. how even a single node of friction in a system can halt a more powerful person's evil plan
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Interested Milwaukee Citizen @citizenmke.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
But Flock is a specific use case of license plat reader that isn’t really connected to traffic enforcement. In Wisconsin, automated traffic enforcement via cameras is illegal, but Flock cameras have been installed across the state as part of a separate surveillance effort for other crimes
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Bryan Hart @bryanhart.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Join us tomorrow (May 20, 6:30pm, Freedom Plaza) for the Ride of Silence to remember the Allie and the many other cyclists who have been injured or killed doing what we all try to do every day - just get around safely. Details here: ggwash.org/calendar/eve...
Allie assisting me in an ill fated pandemic experiment with tubeless tires.
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Peter Norton @norton.bsky.social · 10/05/2026
Mothers invented traffic calming.
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Dr James on a bicycle, psychologist, cycologist 🇨🇦 @jamesbicycle.bsky.social · 09/05/2026
GM truck adverts during hockey games. "Drive with authority"? over whom? Other drivers? People walking? People cycling? People on scooters? Why does anyone need "authority" when driving anything? Toxic car culture.
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A. Zivarts @nondriver.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Just published👇 "While individual nondrivers have diverse transportation circumstances, they share common travel characteristics that distinguish them from drivers. Given the substantial size of this population, their perspectives & needs must be meaningfully integrated into transportation planning"
sciencedirect.com
Unpacking living without driving: Travel modes, barriers, and transportation insecurity among nondrivers in Washington State, USA
Nearly one-third of eligible residents in the United States do not have a driver's license. An even larger share of the population likely lives withou…
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Bryan Hart @bryanhart.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Curious about a bike bus? Live or attend a school in Ward 5 nearish to Taylor NE? Join us for bike & roll to school day on May 6 @8am at Corner of Taylor & South Dakota Ave NE for a marshaled ride along Taylor with breakaway groups to the various nearby schools. RSVP: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Join us for Wednesday, May 6th, 2026 at 8:00am at the Taylor St. NE & S. Dakota (southwest corner).

Join students from a dozen local schools along the future Taylor Street Bike Lane on Bike to School Day: May 6, 2026. This volunteer-marshaled ride will start at the corner of South Dakota Ave and Taylor Street NE at 8am on Wednesday, 5/6/26, with students branching off towards their respective schools as we go. Questions? Contact mundo-verde-bikes@googlegroups.com

RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfDJDvUCmYCoejg1W8APmTq7amqtY99xabN4sNu1wmk2Tuvig/viewform?usp=header
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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
"Waymo has told advocates that expecting it to respect bike lanes is 'too high a bar' because customers expect to be dropped off in them." To be crystal clear, it's illegal for a car to be in a bike lane. It doesn't matter what Waymo's customers expect; the company shouldn't be doing it.
nyc.streetsblog.org
Waymo Is Not In The 'Vision Zero' Toolbox: Data - Streetsblog New York City
At least two of the cities where Waymo operates have not experienced declines in traffic-related injuries and deaths.
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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
Transportation historian Peter Norton doesn't buy into the robotaxi hullabaloo: "What robot cars are promising is the next generation of car dependency." In @bloomberg.com, my lengthy conversation with @norton.bsky.social
bloomberg.com
Why Cities Shouldn’t Fall For the Robotaxi Hype
Transportation historian Peter Norton sees a pattern in the promises that autonomous vehicle companies make as they push self-driving cars into cities.
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Martin Austermuhle @maustermuhle.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
NEWS: A federal judge has saved the 15th Street protected bike lane (for now), saying the decision to remove the lane running from Constitution Avenue to the Tidal Basin was "arbitrary and capricious and not the result of reasoned decision-making." It was to be removed this week.
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Mark Blacknell @blacknell.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
Would you be of any use if you came across a traffic crash with bleeding victims? Consider a www.stopthebleed.org course. There is almost certainly a free one close to you.
stopthebleed.org
ACS Stop the Bleed
ACS Stop the Bleed offers the premier bleeding control course and kits. We are the largest global provider of bleeding control training and empower anyone to save a life by learning 3 basic actions to...
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Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
"They were so lucky I was looking" Ummm no. Stopping in time for a child running onto the street is not heroic/lucky, it is your goddamn obligation as a driver. Cost of entry. Kids are allowed to be unpredictable, you are not.
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Peter Norton @norton.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Mohsen Miladi, E. Owen Waygood, Marie-Soleil Cloutier, Bobin Wang, and Zeinab Ali Yas: “Forcing pedestrians to wait a long time is making them pay for the danger that cares are creating and is leading to behaviour that endangers many of them.”
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Solivagant Eileen @myrna38717.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
Also, they should be able to both define and draw an unmarked crosswalk.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 13/04/2026
It's the Second Dumbing.
The AI image Trump posted depicting him as the Messiah.
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Peter Norton @norton.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
This is terrorism.
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Tara Goddard @drtaragoddard.com · 30/03/2026
I got a small grant to do some of the research on attitudes and culture around speed and speeding that I've wanted to do for years. I'm looking for some test cases, or projects to align with in a complementary way that is useful to us both. Thanks! Please RT if you don't mind. 🙏
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Solivagant Eileen @myrna38717.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
@americawalks.bsky.social
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Tara Goddard @drtaragoddard.com · 30/03/2026
*Collaboration/information request!* If you are in any way involved in the CA speed camera pilot programs, or work on smart speed management with vehicles (design, engr, regulation, etc), or your work is focused some other way on speed/ing, please let me know!
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Solivagant Eileen @myrna38717.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
Anyone know if “caution bus is turning” announcements have actually increased safety? My own anecdotal experience is that they just seem to make bus drivers more comfortable violating my right of way at crosswalks.
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Greg Shill @gregshill.com · 24/03/2026
✨Schrödinger’s Crosswalk ✨, joint work with a terrific interdisciplinary team, under submission to law reviews now. It’s a bit unconventional (6,600 words, including a table, plus maps) but, we hope, appealing for the right journal.
Crosswalks carve out a refuge where motorists must yield to people 
outside the vehicle. But crosswalks are creatures not just of engineering, but 
of law. The law everywhere protects pedestrians on foot in crosswalks, but 
that category is narrower than many likely expect. This Article shows that 
crosswalk protections vary widely and sometimes contradict the ordinary 
expectations of road users. Far from a safe harbor, the result is a form of 
jeopardy by law—a physical and legal space this Article calls Schrödinger’s 
crosswalk.
This Article presents the first comprehensive study of crosswalk right-of-
way law across all 50 U.S. states. Drawing on a systematic review of state 
statutes, administrative codes, and judicial decisions, it maps drivers’ legal 
obligations toward different categories of crosswalk users, including 
pedestrians on foot, wheelchair users, babies in strollers, bicyclists 
(conventional and electric), and e-scooter riders. In some states, drivers must 
yield to a person crossing in a wheelchair but not to a baby in a stroller; in 
others, the same crossing offers only ambiguous legal protection. A recent 
70% surge in pedestrian fatalities makes strengthening these protections 
urgent.
The Article follows its comprehensive study with a recommendation as 
bold as it is straightforward: states should amend statutory language 
governing crosswalks to map onto the intuitive concept of a pedestrian as 
someone unprotected by a vehicle. Like the cat in Erwin Schrödinger’s 
famous thought experiment—simultaneously alive and dead until observed—
a non-motorist today may be legally required to use a crosswalk yet not 
legally protected in it. As the population ages, transportation technology 
evolves, and SUVs and trucks grow further in popularity, this protection must 
be clarified and fortified.
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The 51st @51st.news · 23/03/2026
WABA — who sued the feds over the planned removal of the 15th Street NW protected bike lane — says the Justice Department reports the project won't begin today as previously announced, but rather on or after March 30. Don't miss @maustermuhle.bsky.social's reporting on the bike lane brouhaha:
51st.news
The Trump administration is removing a popular DC bike lane
Feds say the 15th Street protected bike lane will cause more traffic during cherry blossom season, but bike advocates say it makes everyone safer.
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Erin Palmer @erinpalmerdc.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
It’s a Sidewalk Palooza weekend!👟✨ Across DC, neighbors are walking, rolling, and auditing our sidewalks, identifying tripping hazards and pedestrian infrastructure issues, submitting 311s, and building more accessible public spaces. Find an event near you: sidewalkpalooza.org #SidewalkPalooza
Graphic titled “DC 311 for City Services – Ways to Submit a 311 Request.” It lists four options:

Visit 311.dc.gov via web browser (recommended; includes live chat 7am–5pm).

Use the DC 311 mobile app (available on Apple App Store and Google Play; recommended for mobile).

Call DC 311 (dial 311 in DC or 202-737-4404; available 24/7 but less reliable for tracking requests).

Text DC311 by sending “Menu,” “New,” or “Service” to 32311 (not recommended; limited reporting options and does not include sidewalk issues).
Footer notes the graphic was created for Sidewalk Palooza (updated February 2026) and that 311 is not currently supported via social media platforms.
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The Daily Rider @thedailyrider.co · 20/03/2026
Sign, share, show up Monday: waba.org/action-page/...
waba.org
Petition: Save the 15th Street Protected Bike Lane « Washington Area Bicyclist Association
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Michael Pollack @michaelcpollack.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
Book Announcement!!! Sidewalk Nation: The Life and Law of America’s Most Overlooked Resource is available for preorder and out June 2 with @harvardpress.bsky.social! a.co/d/0d1DwIVc
a.co
Amazon.com
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Peter Norton @norton.bsky.social · 22/02/2026
Do you know how walking was turned into an opportunity for intrusive and discriminatory policing – and how advocates and policymakers in Kansas City have shown us the way to do better? www.kcur.org/history/2026...
kcur.org
Free to jaywalk: How Kansas City killed the discriminatory law it helped to invent
Kansas City, Missouri, became the first major city in the U.S. to repeal its anti-jaywalking ordinance, after research found that tickets were being disproportionately issued to Black men. It’s a full...
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bethosborne.bsky.social @bethosborne.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
It is really surprising how fear of liability stops transportation agencies from deviating from a dangerous standard. Time to learn about the legal tools we have to hold agencies accountable for the poor road safety outcomes they produce. Register: bit.ly/4aymktN
Litigation: an underused tool in transportation advocacy.
March 10 at 4 p.m.
Learning call.
Open to all funders + advocates.
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Joe Bishop-Henchman @jbhenchman.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
"We have National Park Service-run spaces, from parks to small triangles, where clearing depends on federal choices and timelines rather than local needs.... The transit system clears train stops but not bus stops" www.commonplace.org/p/joe-bishop...
commonplace.org
Why Can’t D.C.—Or Anywhere Else—Remove Snow?
The response to a non-exceptional snow storm undercuts public confidence in the nation’s capital and beyond.
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Christopher Webb @cwebbonline.com · 03/02/2026
Remember her name: Aliya Rahman Her testimony is everything and it deserves to be heard, by everyone. Decide for yourself. It’s powerful. It’s gut-wrenching. And no one should have to survive what she did. ICE MUST GO‼️
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Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 03/02/2026
From last week
impassible city street crossing covered in snow 

New mom with stroller becomes expert in mountaineering - Now trains K2 expeditions.
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Action Committee for Transit 👣🚲🚇🚍🚊🧑🏻‍🦽 @actfortransit.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Good afternoon to everyone who drives who doesn't do the slow roll toward you while you're crossing.
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Peter Norton @norton.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Blame shifting as agenda advancement: how streets were redefined from places for everybody to high-speed motor thoroughfares. A story that begins in Kansas City. ... www.kcur.org/history/2026-01-29/kansas-city-jaywalking-crime-pedestrians-cars-right-of-way
kcur.org
Kansas City invented the crime of ‘jaywalking,’ leading the national war against pedestrians
In 1912, Kansas City, Missouri, became the first city in the U.S. to arrest people for jaywalking. Fueled by auto industry propaganda, this decision set off a nationwide trend to redesign our roads fo...
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bettybarcode (she/her) @bettybarcode.com · 09/12/2024
Let's talk about #Rochester, NY (2023 pop. 207,274). Municipal sidewalk snow removal began there on 12 residential streets in 1905 and eventually expanded to the entire city, as per historian Blake McKelvey (p. 10). www.libraryweb.org/~rochhist/v2... #PlowSidewalksToo
libraryweb.org
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e.w. niedermeyer @niedermeyer.online · 01/02/2026
It's hard to overstate how ell-organized the portland march that got gassed was... organizers made the crowd promise to be peaceful, said the march would slow in front of the ICE building but not stop, that we would stick to one chant (ICE Out). They did absolutely everything right and got gassed.
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Solivagant Eileen @myrna38717.bsky.social · 31/01/2026
“Observing human behavior confirms that for some among us, the perfidious lust for unbridled power and the imposition of cruelty in its quest know no bounds and are bereft of human decency. And the rule of law be damned.”
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