iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 9h

On the other hand I made it from the furthest gate at IND to the IndyGo bus stop in less than 10 minutes, waited less than 5 minutes for a bus, and am already inside the 465 loop reading a book about the Gold Rush 💅🏻

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 9h

Back home again and back on da bus

me tired from a long day of travel on the bus

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 16h

Thank you NOLA, I feel like I barely scratched the surface in 6 days. 💙

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 16h

I’m leaving New Orleans today and I can say with certainty that I will be back. What an incredible place and people in the Crescent City. I have to hope that the transit situation will improve in the coming years. NOLA absolutely can and should be an incredible transit city.

Love by Robert Indiana at the New Orleans Museum of Art

Two Route 49 Riverfront streetcars at Julia

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 15/10/2026

idk, gotta be out there somewhere. have some whimsy

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Absolutely have to share these photos from Gulfport yesterday because there were parts of the beach where the fog was so thick and the sand formations so unusual it looked like another planet

Puddles of saltwater around sandy mounds. Two poles protrude from the ocean. Heavy fog envelops the scene.

Puddles of saltwater around sandy mounds. Heavy fog envelops the scene.

Puddles of saltwater around sandy mounds. A stand of beach grass sticks out of the puddle. Heavy fog envelops the scene.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Bad enough that the Loyola Line streetcar is only half hourly. Worse when you only put one streetcar to run the entire route.

Transit screenshot showing many cancelled trips to Elysian Fields

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

I did report NOPBRR so hopefully it gets handled if it’s something they’re not aware of.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

You know how star spangled awesome america is? we built this incredible freeway ramp in the middle of the Gulf and then slapped 110 additional high intensity lights on it to ensure those beta sea turtle hatchlings never see the water 🇺🇸🦅

I-110 Freeway ramp extending onto a beach

I-110 Freeway ramp running on piers in to the Gulf of Mexico

I110 Loop Boardwalk next to freeway ramps extending into the Gulf

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

My phone can’t do it justice but this part of the country is achingly beautiful

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 14/10/2026

Amtrak sent me a travel voucher because a freight train killed a trespasser and made our train like 60 additional minutes late? Like, I don’t recall Amtrak giving a shit unless they outright canceled

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

also perfect place for a @milesintransit.com bathroom review with that urinal

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

If you’re looking for a place to wait for your train in Gulfport, I’ll go ahead and highly recommended Chandeleur Brewing Company. A comfortable place to wait with power outlets and very friendly staff (and they’re big amtrak fans!)

Shitty amtrak platform with no amenities

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

still not a very friendly guy, but not screaming at every other passenger

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Next cta driver very late but much friendlier than the last. Also Google Maps about gave me a heart attack showing me the train coming an hour earlier than it actually does (Google Maps is the worst map for transit #1,897,965,088)

at a CTA bus stop in Biloxi. Looks kinda phallic doesn’t it?

C130 landing viewed from the Fred Haise Landing Beach

Fuck You Google you stupid piece of shit

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

anyone know if its normally this gross or if this is just what Isaias spun up?

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

I see why Trump named it the Gulf of America now. It’s turbid and full of trash.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

In addition to this, CTA forces you to pay fare again at city limits, even with a day pass. In all, a very weird transit system with an eclectic mix of cutaways, Gilligs, and fake trolleys. Glad I tried it, won’t be back to ride again. It’s a wonder Southern Hospitality doesn’t have a worse name.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

When I got to the bus, it was an uncomfortable fake trolley, and the driver was the rudest I can remember in a decade of exploring transit systems. She also was among the roughest drivers I can remember riding with, which was a special issue on the slippery wood seats.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

However, when it came time to ride to Biloxi, both fare machines in the transit center were out of service, and no customer service agent was present despite it being a weekday in the middle of the day. I eventually gave up and got cash from an ATM, and asked a lady at the aquarium to break a 20.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Next door is the agency’s parking garage, which is outfitted with all the bells and whistles, including a pedestrian street that connects the bus bridge to the aquarium and downtown street grid.

CTA bus bays next door to parking garage with fish shaped bike rack

Pedestrian street adjacent to parking garage owned by the transit agency

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

The Gulfport Transit Center is an impressive 1966 Library turned transit center designed in the New Formalist Style. It hosts weddings and other events as well and was restored by the CTA after extensive hurricane damage.

Exterior of Transit Center viewed from foot of bridge

Lobby Interior Chihuly sculptures and Mid Century Modern domed lights can be seen

Hometown Trolley arriving at Gulfport Transit Center

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

We should talk about the cta (no, not Chicago, Coast Transit Authority). cta operates 7 bus routes in Mississippi’s Gulf Coast region, serving the more major cities of Gulfport and Biloxi. They also have an impressive physical plant, including this bridge in Gulfport that carries a seasonal bus.

Bus bike and ped bridge maintained by the CTA, Gulfport.

Busway entrance along beach. The foot of the bridge is on the left.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Notably train atlas and apple maps also get it right, it’s literally just Google Maps that cannot figure anything out 😬

Train Atlas also showing correct routing for Mardi Gras

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Amtrak really is like Wuphf.com when there’s a delay. Email, text, and the most laboriously long announcement on the PA www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRoC...

youtube.com

DO YOU WUPHF?

YouTube video by Mash3d Potatoes

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

I’ve sacrificed countries (just 3!) on the altar of states (all 50), so I’ve still got plenty of work to do

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

And just like that, we’re in Mississippi, the only remaining state I hadn’t visited before. I’m incredibly lucky to have made it to all 50 states before I turned 30. While I’ve seen most of the US, there’s still a lot of this big blue marble left to see, and I’m excited for what’s next.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Google Maps is the worst map for transit Example #1,897,965,087 As cool as it would be if the Mardi Gras Service shared streets with streetcars on Canal, it does not

Current location of my train (blue dot) versus the routing on city streets shown on Google Maps

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

but curiously, removed the Train Information from the boards!

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

Some other shots from a foggy morning walk to the station.

Alley in the Warehouse District, New Orleans

St Charles Streetcar rounds the corner to head in to the city’s CBD

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

A foggy start in NOLA this morning. Should be just under two hours to Gulfport, MS on the Amtrak Mardi Gras Service, and we’re on track (no pun intended) for an on time departure at 7:35a CDT.

Exterior of New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal at Sunrise

Main Hall at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal

Locomotive 365 taking up the rear of the Amtrak Mardi Gras

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The oldest gay bar in the United States, which has been operating continuously since 1933: It’s Lafitte’s In Exile on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

The book ‘Tinderbox’ by Robert Fieseler was an enlightening read for me on this largely overlooked tragedy. It’s incredibly meaningful to be here today after reading the stories of those who just wanted to dance.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

A somber stop today at 604 Iberville in the New Orleans French Quarter, the site of the UpStairs Lounge Fire. An arsonist firbombed the lounge on the last Sunday in June, 1973, killing 32 people from the New Orleans LGBTQ community. The fire largely escaped national news.

The mixed use building on Iberville at Chartres

The door to the Upstairs Lounge, 604 Iberville

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

Had them yesterday and with my first coffee today. Didn’t want to distribute powdered sugar all over the floor of the streetcar.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

for sure, Cemetery Streetcars were bunching so bad this morning

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

*taking a long sip of my cafe au lait* bonjour conducteur

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

While a bus in Indianapolis or New Orleans might average 12-25 mph, I’ve been seeing closer to 5-8 mph on the streetcar. Most of that delay comes down to signals and fare inspection, but a reduction in the frequency of intersections, especially on Canal, would help immensely.

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

My general impression of the streetcars so far is that while roughly 70% of the right of way is dedicated, New Orleans RTA torpedoes the speed by not implementing TSP or all door boarding and tap to pay.

Dedicated Right of way for Streetcars on Route 49-Riverfront

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

also it’s insane to me that this is the terminal building for a ferry that takes less than 5 minutes to cross the river and costs $1 to ride. What federal grant is paying for this? (They’re renovating the one on the other side too)

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

nice views on the return journey

View of a cargo ship preparing to duck under the I-10 bridges in New Orleans

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William Hazen @williamhazen.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

after dinner in Algiers Point, it’s back on the ferry to downtown

Taco Stand in former Gulf Oil Station, Algiers Point

Lower deck of the Algiers Ferry, with bus style seats

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