iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Contrast this w my last interaction w the natl guard, who were arresting a sobbing adult man who had just been the victim of a crime. But they didn't know that bc they were 22 year olds from like Iowa who didn't speak a word of Spanish (The guy escaped, bc the 22 year olds are not competent police)

000

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

nobody needs my compliments but it was just nice to see a group of people in uniforms doing good and having humanity Also a change of pace to see an actually good mustache (increasingly rare these days)

030

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

shouts out to @dcfireems.bsky.social for dealing w a fire alarm in our building at 5:30 AM & then, afterwards, carefully returning the carpet they'd used to prop the front door open to its original place in the lobby, before holding the door for a bunch of seniors

130

Reposted by pete rodrigue

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 06/10/2026

You often hear that clean energy is not replacing fossil energy, only adding to total energy, and thereby not reducing emissions. ("There is no transition," they say.) It's nonsense. Read this post from @zekehausfather.com about how much FF has been displaced by renewable energy:

theclimatebrink.com

What if the world hadn't built wind and solar?

Clean energy does not simply “add to” global energy use; it displaces fossil sources that would otherwise get built.

413737

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Transpo goobers: Want to help kids get to school on time? Apply for this well-paid job. The guy you'd work for is extremely smart and experienced careers.dc.gov/psc/erecruit...

000

Reposted by pete rodrigue

ryan cooper @ryanlcooper.com · 26/09/2026

Trump fucked up the *American* renewable transition but he might have had the largest positive effect on the global transition of any president ever

381294252

Reposted by pete rodrigue

District Department of Transportation (DDOTDC) @ddotdc.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

DDOT is hiring 6 Data Scientist (CS-12) positions to join our Innovation & Performance Division! Tracks: - Business Intelligence - GIS - Python & Advanced Analytics Help support data-driven decisions for DC’s future. Apply: Job ID #33421 at careers.dc.gov. Please share!

001

Reposted by pete rodrigue

Mark Z. Jacobson @mzjacobson.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

After the worst heat of the year, fossil gas use is still 48% lower in 2026 than in 2023 and has supplied only 20% of all electricity in 2026 versus 39% in 2023. 189th >100% WWS day of 2026. 56.3% of all electricity during the year has been from WWS.

12710

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

typo: it's *MSETG* The Mayor’s Special Events Task Group

000

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

iirc somone (DDOT? AdMo BID?) even owns movable barriers. They've been used before anyway i'm going to AdMo day and it'll be fun! we should have more of these, and the way to do that is to replace cops (expensive) w/ jersey barriers (cheap, can also stand around for long hours)

110

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

part of the problem is that MESTG, another DHS-like entity that was created by the mayor, without an explicit authorizing statute, has enormous veto power over open streets events. And they haven't standardized traffic barrier tech. So we get giant idling DPW trucks and cops on overtime.

100

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Mayor Muriel Bowser presents: a Visit from the Death Star it's AdMo day & 18th St is pedestrianized for a few hours, so DC's version of DHS is here in (one of) their $1.4M+ "mobile command centers" (the main expense of DC's open streets is cops; this is partly why we don't have more open streets)

One of HSEMA's giant "mobile command centers"

150

Reposted by pete rodrigue

Spencer Ainsworth @sp-ainsworth.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This project will be a good litmus test for JLG’s attitude towards bike lanes: it’s short (<0.5 mi), it fills a key gap in the network, and it has strong ANC + WABA support BUT it would require removing ~64 parking spaces (by my count) in one of the densest parts of the city

394

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

fwiw a friend and i published something like this, using DC data: ggwash.org/view/104472/... Maybe someone's done this, but if Toronto's crash data has lat/lon & you know bike lane install dates, someone could do a similar analysis. (We found *car* crashes fell a lot near bike lanes).

ggwash.org

When DC adds bus and bike lanes, crashes go down by a lot

DDOT staff have been doing top-tier research for a decade. They’ve found that when DC adds bus and bike lanes, crashes go down by a lot.

112

Reposted by pete rodrigue

NBER @nber.org · 08/09/2026

Data from 10 million US high schoolers show that exposure to air pollution driven by wildfire smoke slows the rate of learning and increases achievement gaps by race and income, from A. Patrick Behrer, Joshua Goodman, J. Parker Goyer, and R. Jisung Park www.nber.org/papers/w35670

14129

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

(also silicon wafers baked at 2000 degrees F, with a thin layer of silicon dioxide, are pretty) many thanks to the ~dozen different experts that helped with this silly project!

A silicon wafer with a layer of silicon dioxide on top. It's a blue-purple-teal color.

000

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

if you want to see us mess w/ hydrofluoric acid in my apartment, check out the piece but look at how solar has passed gas in CA(!) it can be hard to appreciate how fast things are changing, bc large parts of the U.S. live in the past, energy-wise, relative to places like Uruguay and Lithuania

Charts showing that solar generation passed methane gas generation in California for the first time in 2026.

Chart showing how solar and wind have exploded in countries like Greece, Uruguay, the Netherlands, Lithuania, and Denmark. Namibia, for example, gets a larger share of its electricity from solar and wind than the US does.

100

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

ppl talk a lot about AI, but the real technological revolution happening now is in solar energy. it's crazy cheap and it's eating gas and coal's share of energy production alive. in @ggwash.org some friends & i made a solar cell. you smoosh rocks together and they make electricity. nuts!

120

Reposted by pete rodrigue

Greater Greater Washington @ggwash.org · 02/09/2026

Climate action in DC could mean moving more people into the low-carbon communities we've already created, along the transit lines we've already built.

ggwash.org

Infill housing delayed is climate action denied

View this post on ggwash.org

04312

Reposted by pete rodrigue

Yonah Freemark @yonahfreemark.com · 01/09/2026

New York’s congestion pricing program has resulted in a statistically significant reduction in travel times for EMS vehicles

nber.org

Urban Congestion Pricing and the Response Times of Emergency Medical Services

61089297

Reposted by pete rodrigue

NBER @nber.org · 02/09/2026

Featured in the latest Digest: Urban Congesting Pricing and the Response Times of Emergency Medical Services www.nber.org/digest/20260...

076

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

This site is also helpful: fallingfruit.org/map/38.97595...; just search for "Asimina" Also if you ever want to take a foraging class, Matt's Habitats is super fun and educational! sites.google.com/a/mattshabit... PS unripe persimmons can lead to bezoars Good luck!!!

fallingfruit.org

Falling Fruit

A massive, collaborative map of the urban harvest uniting the efforts of foragers, freegans, and foresters around the world. Explore and share information about the sources of free food in your neighb...

010

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

If you have a car, driving to the C&O canal near Cabin John or Glen Echo is usually a good bet! Right next to the river. There are so many that at night you can hear them plopping into the Potomac. You can also find American Persimmon in the fall, which are amazing, like eating jam.

110

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

new from @sp-ainsworth.bsky.social & me, a back of the ✉️ estimate in @ggwash.org: 🚌&🚲lane projects save 1-2 human lives per year, & create societal savings of $88-$111M/year, just in avoided crashes. We don't capture every project or ancillary health benefits, so this could be an underestimate.

Chart showing DDOT’s bike lanes have had gigantic safety benefits, reducing total crashes by 40% and injurious crashes by 60% on the corridors where they are installed. These 24 bike lanes have saved an estimated 1-2 human lives per year.

044

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

"It’s one thing if residents of an affluent town or neighborhood decide to block an apartment building, excluding middle or low-income tenants from the area. It’s quite another when those policies negatively impact residents in other communities. That’s exactly what I’ve shown here"

000

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

"[E]ach decade of restrictive zoning is associated with an avg decline of 1-2 percentage points in the stock of [affordable housing]. In the New York City metro area, this corresponds to an estimated loss of ~137,000 low-cost apartments over 2 decades due to exclusionary zoning."

100

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

"In areas that have had above-average levels of exclusionary zoning for the past two decades, [residents of low-income neighborhoods] paid $50 more in rent each month and $600 more in rent each year since 2000." evictionlab.org/how-exclusio...

evictionlab.org

How exclusionary zoning worsens poverty across city limits

Exclusionary zoning laws exacerbate the national housing shortage, housing costs, and segregation.

111

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Maybe dumb Q but has anyone invited @janeese4dc.bsky.social or @aparnafordc.bsky.social or DDOT staff to the Purple Patch streatery closure? Bet attendees would be interested to hear what new leadership plans to do w streatery policy!

020

Reposted by pete rodrigue

Spencer Ainsworth @sp-ainsworth.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

The takeaway: CaBi's record setting growth tailed off with the Aug 25' price increase but overall micromobility ridership in DC continues to skyrocket. Looking forward to seeing how @janeese4dc.bsky.social supports this growth with expanded bike infrastructure! 3/

141

Reposted by pete rodrigue

Greater Greater Washington @ggwash.org · 23/06/2026

You might be able to blame cars, or more specifically underground parking garages, for creating year-round mosquito sanctuaries.

ggwash.org

Mosquitoes, already? Blame cars

View this post on ggwash.org

49627

Reposted by pete rodrigue

DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb @dcattorneygeneral.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

NEW: We defeated a lawsuit seeking to block new housing on upper Connecticut Avenue NW. The lawsuit challenged zoning changes that will allow multifamily housing in the DC neighborhood with the fewest affordable units. We’re fighting for more homes to drive down housing costs for everyone in DC.

Photo of storefronts on Connecticut Avenue NW.

26813

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

or just use the interactive map already on the website if i'd just scrolled down a touch hahaha

000

Reposted by pete rodrigue

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

yellow map: areas where McDuffie did better. blue map: wealthy R-1-A and R-1-B zones that have only allowed detached housing for ~100 years

map showing places Kenyan McDuffie did better. It's very similar to the places in DC that have R-1 zoning, which bans duplexes and apartment buildings.

map showing the places in DC that have R-1 zoning, which bans duplexes and apartment buildings. It's very similar to the places McDuffie did better in, at least in early results.

17821

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

derp, alt text: left maps shows McDuffie vs Lewis-George precinct-level data, but broken out by the % of votes they each got, not just "who got the most votes." right map shows the Ward 1 CM race; Aparna seems to be the plurality 1st choice in every precinct; map shows who was ranked #1 2nd most

100

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

full disclosure i vibe coded this, although i spot checked some of the precincts and i'm pretty sure it's right. lmk if you want me to look at something in particular!

100

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

not super familiar w/ DC election data but fwiw it looks like you can download here: electionresults.dcboe.org/election_res... and the geojson here: opendata.dc.gov/datasets/09f... iirc DC moved to vote centers in 2022 (?) so ppl may not vote in their actual precinct here are some maps:

electionresults.dcboe.org

DCBOE Election Results

100

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

yellow map: areas where McDuffie did better. blue map: wealthy R-1-A and R-1-B zones that have only allowed detached housing for ~100 years

17821

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

seems like voters in R-1-A and R-1-B zones voted disproportionately for Kenyan McDuffie. (not a perfect correlation obvi, and they're still counting votes)

a map showing DC's R-1A and R-1B zoning areas. There's a ton of overlap with the areas that Kenyan McDuffie did better in, at least in the initial results the morning after the election.

010

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

Do y'all have a sense for what proportion of these unpaid citations eventually get paid after the impoundment happens?

010

Reposted by pete rodrigue

Yashar Ali 🐘 @yasharali.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

1. London Underground station flooding has reportedly been reduced by around 90% thanks to a group of engineers: beavers. After conservationists reintroduced a family of beavers into a nearby city park, the animals built dams and restored wetlands that now absorb and slow floodwater naturally.

6442581360

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

final quick thought on this: segregative zoning policies aren't even good, by lots of measures, for the ppl that uphold them! EX: this zoning is leading to the McMansionization of NW DC: ggwash.org/view/101486/...

ggwash.org

A light touch could bring homeownership back in the District

It would only take a light touch to light the way for more homes in the District’s lowest-density neighborhoods.

000

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Much of this is being pushed by the genteel, disproportionately white residents of upper NW. But there're also neighborhoods w/ more Black residents but, similarly, $1M+ home prices (ex: Colonial Village, where Bowser lives) that have restrictive zoning banning apartments & missing middle housing.

100

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Obviously, the fact that this is all happening isn't an accident. These restrictive zones were originally a tool of racial and class exclusion, and, frankly, they still are, even if many of their defenders are kind on a personal level.

A collection of WaPo headlines from the 1920s and 30s in which rich, white homeowners pushed to get apartments banned from their neighborhoods.

100

pete rodrigue @peterodrigue.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

IDT the avg voter appreciates the extent to which DC's wealthy are still using exclusionary zoning in DC as a socioeconomic moat. There are zero (0) former G and H areas (lowest former FHA loan grades) in DC that currently get the most restrictive zoning (R-1A). This zoning is a tool of exclusion.

venn diagrams showing that the former FHA "whites only" areas still get R-1A and, overwhelmingly, R-1B zoning, which bans apartment buildings.

100