#more people > more cars > more congestions > more roads > more people using cars > more congestion
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I know everything feels so bleak right now, but I need you to believe me when I say there is hope. Sometimes you just have to look for it, in places you're not used to seeking it out.
One of the things I occasionally do for my job is attend networking events with people who work in planning and development for public agencies like cities, state universities, transit agencies, etc. They talk about the projects they're working on, from new roads to new academic buildings to public parks to new rail lines.
These aren't elected officials - these are people who are doing the work. They're looking at the problems the people they serve has, and are looking for ways to fix them. And they're doing the work. They're looking for solutions, fighting with budgets, making compromises to ensure that they can make at least some of these ideas real.
In the one I attended yesterday, I listened to four different transportation agencies talk about all the ways they are trying to extend rail lines to relieve traffic congestion and pull cars off the road. They have so many challenges in their way, but every day they get up, go to work, and try. Because it will make lives better.
Another project in my area is working hard to add a park to one of the most underserved areas of a major city to make lives better for the people who live there. Right now my job is trying to make sure the awesome people I work with are the ones they pick to make that idea a reality. That's cool. That's some good I can put back into the world.
A community college here is going all out to build more on-campus housing to help relieve the housing crisis because of how many students get their education while living out of their cars. They see this happening - and they want to help. Guess what! I voted to give them more money to do those kinds of projects, and they got the money.
I wish you could hear how passionate and excited these people are. They care. They see problems in their communities and want to fix them. Many times they'll have the wrong priorities, have ideas that won't work, suffer unintended consequences, etc. They're human. But still get up and they try. Every day. That hasn't stopped with this new administration. It won't stop.
If the big picture is making you feel hopeless, look at your community and see what's happening there. These are things that can affect you directly - and make your life better. There are Leslie Knopes in the world!
It may feel like you have no power over what's happening, but I beg you not to lose hope. Even the smallest kindness is an act of rebellion right now. They are trying to take good out of the world. Every good thing we put back in it stands in defiance of that. Good comes in so many shapes and forms. Good is still out there.
All is not lost.
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hi! read your long public transit rant that you responded with to someone a while back. i partially disagree ! and im making it your problem <3
ill try to account for your arguments being made specifically in the american context but i will fail becuase i am tired and ill and europe ian and silly and am responding from my memory of reading it 10 minutes ago now
firstly: you claim introduction of buses would necessitate widening of roads, would risk bus breakdowns, and would create a harmful reliance in rural areas. 1. a person in a bus means a person not in a car. if i remember correctly in america an average car trip will involve 1.2 - 1.6 people in the car? a bus then needs to carry around 4 passengers to take up less road surface ! public transit is regularly suggested and implemented by people smarter than i as a measure against congestion. the roads will not need widening. 2. breakdowns, while potentially impactful are... such an edge case? sure, even if the average american is, say, even 1.5 times heavier than any european country. that simply doesnt matter? even if it was a problem, theres no way american buses wouldnt be ordered from an american firm, where a Tiny portion of the environmental benefits can be traded for a bus that is up to that task. 3. the first thing id like to say is: no one would Ever, ever here, suggest public transit to 100% replace cars. especially in rural areas, people will simply continue to have cars. taxis and ridesharing services may shrink, but theyll always be there in a pinch. most times transit is advocated for, it isnt in rural areas anyway. one of the main trouble points with cars is the large necessity for parking space in cities, and that in many places, the average car trip is comedically short, and is only taken for lack of a better option. both are problems transit easily solves, alongside myriad other benefits. removing this large parking requirement can allow for greater density, better land use, and easier transition to walkabilty, which is usually the ultimate goal.
secondly, you discredit bicycles. obese people wont ride + disabled people cant
even if the currently obese do not ride, the presence of the possibility means future generations will not be so obese, but frankly, there is little reason why the current population couldnt start. as for the disabled: there are always other options? thats the point. they can always have small electric vehicles within allowances to use bike paths, or even keep their car (which also isnt very disablity friendly!!)
3. trains. fu ken love em. you say: too expenisive to maintain, and no political will (to many obstacles), and no money 2 build
first, as for the money: yes! you are right ! amercia has no monry for anything! not healthcare not road maintenance not science ! thats not the trains fault ! but the humble asphalt road is far worse. its attacks on your nations budget are multipronged: a. car dependency leads to the need for quite a few, and alongside zoning laws, creates very many low density suburbs that must all have city funded services, including the roads. so low density, that many wealthy culs de ballsack are actually a net loss in tax revenue ! with less asphalt (and better zoning) cities would readily have more money to spend, by way of having to maintain smaller utilities networks, which service the same or more people ! 2. asphalt road is cheap to build and a bitch to maintain. so much so, that it is a constant drain on treasuries, to such an extent that more constantly needs to be built to try and scrounge up more tax revenues to pay for ehat is already there.google "growth ponzi scheme".
2. maintenance! thats simply not true. a high initial investment is needed for trains, yes, but maintenance? generally, a wellbuilt track's maintenance schedule involves a semiregular visit by and engineering car to ensure the track is intact, which is a few salaries and a pitance of electricity, and a track replacement every few decades, which is considerably cheaper than what and asphalt road seeing similar ridership would need.
3. no political will
yes !!! yess!! thats why we advocate !! save for bumfuck nowhere, alaska and wyoming as a whole /j there is scarcely anywhere that wouldnt benefit from expanded transport ! but there are entities that wouldnt! unfortunately for americans, these entities have money! there js no transit, because automaker lobbies dont want you to have it!!! thats why you advocate !!
if yku bothered to read i love you
good night
i am literally always corrext except when i m not whi h is never btw
I'm not going to lie to you when I said I skimmed to this. And the reason is because you clearly need to go back and read my post.
The United States actually has some degree of public transportation. But the post that I was responding to in one of those posts, did not state that we would have to widen the roads if we introduced buses. We actually already have public buses. In most cities. Hell since it is even have trolleys. Some I'm actually have both. My statement was more towards if we got rid of vehicles which they wanted to outside of public transport, We would have to increase the amount of buses. That would facilitate a need to make wider roads in general. Unless you created an entire fleet of short buses, which would in turn actually make things worse as far as traffic.
You are so vastly underestimate the size of the United States in the amount of money that it would be required to maintain public infrastructure such as public transportation across states. Also you ignore the amount of damage that it would need to be done to upend a lot of different locations especially those of rural types. What's more, American natural disasters have to be taken into effect in regards to this maintenance. And further still the initial investment needs to be able to happen.
So what I would strongly suggest is doing yourself a favor and reading into the abject failure that was the high speed rail that California was supposedly attempting to make and has spent I think north of a billion dollars on and if not even gotten an entire mile done. So I would go back to my post, whichever one it may be, reread what I said with an open mind and try to understand where I'm coming from. Because it sounds like you read what I wrote while trying to come up with a rebuttal. Rather than attempting to understand what I was explaining.
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2025: week 6 and 7
previously, on ratherembarrassing, our heroine was fleeing the mothercountry for the new world...
around the world in thirteen days: so all up, i made my way through every timezone in 13 days. i... don't recommend it, i don't think. it's possible that it was less good because, uh, i didn't sleep for 2 weeks, but who the fuck can say. in any event, onward to the ununited states!
newark!: the calmest airport in the entire country?! the cute little monorail to the train station?!?! the complete lack of signage about the two different train operators and the requirement to get a completely different ticket for each????? i will never fly anywhere else ever again if i can help it.
wet dream tomato: that congestion tax really is working because the streets of midtown were quiet at midday. the vibe was really off until hours before i departed when i saw what looked to be an eight year-old smoking. a shout out to myself for dropping a pin in the three theatres i was seeing shows in on maps and booking a hotel in the middle of the triangle, because that was, actually, sweet as fuck.
theatah!: oh, mary! (lyceum theatre, broadway). as previously said, laughed so hard i nearly peed my pants in a new york theater. as not previously said, i also sucked every bit of myself up and stage door'd in the rain and told betty gilpin, through the power of close proximity, that i love and adore her. go see this.
and then i bought a coat: this truly was an endeavour. the half abandoned basement of a macy's in brooklyn could well have been where i met my end, but i lived to see another h&m and the sweetest sales girl in the world found me the last remaining coat in all of the eastern seaboard. getting this home became a whole thing.
bagel bagel bagel!: so many bagels, the most enchanting of which was one filled with birthday cake flavoured cream cheese from a BTS (the band???) themed bagel store. new york, you are so weird and i love you so much. honestly, because of the weather i was really committed to just not leaving a 4 block radius if i didn't have to (alas, brooklyn) and just wringing the weirdest shit out of those four blocks was incredibly fun. i've been visiting new york for eighteen years and lived there for long enough to pay rent three times, and i've never spent so much time in times square, but i had a fun snowy time.
also, tho: you get mobile signal with data on the subway now?!?!?!?!
theatah!: sunset blvd (st james theatre, broadway). i actually have an entire post in me about this so i'm going to just say that you are free to picture me in the world's largest puffer coat, snoopy style, attempting to melt into the floor as nicole scherzinger said she liked my good luck babe hat as it quietly midnight snowed all around us. byeeeee. (go see this, oh my god go see this!)
theatah!: death becomes her (lunt-fontanne theatre, broadway). i did not know destiny's child's michelle williams was in this until she appeared and i very rudely said out loud, oh my god that's destiny's child's michelle williams. regardless, i was three for three with bangers on this trip. go see this.
go west! life is not peaceful there: absolutely nobody appreciated the moment we were all standing on line for an aggressive pat down by the tsa at jfk when wind beneath my wings started playing over the pa system. i was not amongst my people at all, so i had to leave. on the way, i visited texas for a grand total of 5 minutes. please picture me running off my plane, dashing 3 gates down the terminal, hugging @xactodreams, and running onto the next plane.
a brief interlude: once again they let me drive on the wrong side of the road. they probably shouldn't. why are the traffic lights only on the other side of the intersection. hertz does this thing now where you can just wander around the lot and take whatever car you want, which was more stressful than anticipated.
conclave conclave: this is, actually, the entry for @tgifemslash, my beloved little gay con that you too could attend if you want to do things like, uh, sit in a circle for an hour raving madly about the various wonders of 2024 movie of the year conclave. at this point in our story i had slept very little and was about to commence 3 nights of approximately zero sleep before 4am.
taco taco taco!: i admittedly have historically not been a fan of most mexican food, entirely because it's just not good in australia. in the hands of @wanderson20 mine eyes have been opened to the glory.
traditional shoutouts: clark street diner (my favourite place on earth). the grove (why do i always end up here) (i had to buy a suitcase). erhewon or however the fuck it's spelled (i joined a cult). the nice woman at the qantas desk (thank you for not charing me to check my second suitcase (see grove, the)). panda express (lax's international terminal's only good quality).
oh also: kbox karaoke in a deserted strip mall at 9pm on a sunday in an otherwise entirely empty karaoke place is, actually, it. were there other patrons for a brief window of time, howling on the other side of the wall, or was that the ghosts of patrons never.
SHE GETS THE JOB DONE: swerved 20 minutes out of my way and paid homage at the chappell roan billboard. shout out to the other person there doing the same thing. then i had to go home :(
and then a hero comes along: entire row of seats to myself, love of my life. it's such a rare treat these days to commandeer three tiny, shitty pillows and three gross blankets, strap yourself awkwardly to a bench slightly too short for even your shortass body, and drug yourself into unconsciousness for 11 hours. amen.
and then nothing good ever happened again the end au contraire.
cannibal club!: the yellowjackets is BACK, BABY! the severance/yellowjackets double feature is the only reason to get up in the morning, tbh.
a little brunch: little molli's (abbotsford). the smoked pork neck french dip is to die for, but the blood orange cream soda is to live for.
if anything else happened, i will never remember it, good night.
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I’ve made blanket statements about “rail freight is a profitable business and passenger service is usually a money pit” but there’s some pretty interesting nuance relevant to Stex that becomes more significant in Europe.
Longer distance bulk freight is a profitable business. It made up 80% of BR’s freight revenue and was its only profitable freight segment. This is “trainload freight” that’s a long line of all the same thing (grain, oil, stone, etc). A lot of longer distance bulk loads in continental Europe are handled by barge vs train.
Car/Wagonload freight is unprofitable in Europe and low-profit in the US, and economically undesirable to large rail companies because of that. The Freight (and Components!) in Stex fit this since they’re a mixed group, though I think that was done because a line of identical characters would be boring.
It has a much harder time competing with road transport because logistics of getting things in and out of rail yards and general clunkiness of rail freight makes it much more time-consuming over short distances. Roads are also uncritically fully government funded and trucking companies pay low access fees to use them vs higher access fees on rails. In Europe it’s even more slanted towards roads with cheap trucking labor and antiquated buffer and chain couplings adding a ton of time/labor to adding/removing cars, these are finally planned to be phased out by 2030 to make rail freight more competitive.
Passenger-freight prioritization is an issue pretty much worldwide, to different degrees and in different ways. Yes, passenger trains do dominate the rails in most of Europe, yes they’re higher priority and cleaner/better maintained…. because they have live cargo with higher standards and even perishable goods don’t mind being an hour late, humans do! There’s just a greater need to move large quantities of people (who handle the clunky transfer and last-mile moves themselves) and more benefit to getting a ton of small individual passenger vehicles off the roads vs a smaller number of trucks.
It’s apples to oranges to compare coaches more in line with intercity/long distance luxury to carload/wagonload freight. Intercity passenger trains can be profitable in a system where infrastructure maintenance costs aren’t considered. But they’re better compared to longer-distance trainload freight in terms of being a faster direct train with fewer stops, which is financially sustainable even in fully private systems. Regional and local passenger trains are a fairer comparison and those are far less profitable. The old US long distance luxury trains the coaches are visually based on were absolute money pits mainly run for PR reasons. Belmond’s trains are probably their closest modern equivalents, and seem to be far more stable but ultimately they’re a niche luxury market vs essential service.
Modernization is also the furthest thing from a threat to rail freight and if anything, notorious choo choo killers Dr. Richard Beeching and Al Perlman often have their major freight improvements looked over. See also the buffer and chain coupler situation (I take psychic damage remembering that fact as an American). It’s arguably more of an issue in Europe with the far smaller advantages of rail freight, any reduction in labor cost and turnaround time is VERY valuable. Small freight lines in the US get away with some ridiculously antiquated equipment (Iowa Traction lol) but that’s an even weirder separate rabbit hole. Electrification is an incredibly positive thing for rail freight since it allows a major increase in speeds, increasing capacity in congested non-electrified areas. That’s mostly a factor in the UK though, since continental Europe is much more electrified and just struggles with lack of physical tracks (though this is also a UK problem and a main reason for HS2). Battery and hydrogen power just aren’t energy dense enough to viable for freight usage and English-language media constantly undersells how absurdly OP electric trains are. It’s not like electric cars, they are so much lighter and more powerful than combustion alternatives that they were desired for capacity/power reasons before global warming was even a thought.
In short: passenger/freight just doesn’t make sense as a class thing and the comparison canon makes isn’t even a fair one. It obscures the actual issues facing rail freight (lack of capacity and struggle to modernize). I don’t even think the intercity vs carload combo was even picked for that deep of reasons, unit trains and lower-end passenger trains are just less fun and popular as toys and onstage characters. Mine trains and subways are an extreme example, they’re almost nonexistent as models despite being otherwise well-preserved and publicly recognized.
Trucker Caboose is a timeless and international villain (and cabooses are very much still used on occasion, though I can’t speak for how recognizable they are internationally). Weirdly enough this is a situation where steam engines would be a solid villain too, representing refusal to improve practices and infrastructure (one was used to protest this in Germany recently lol).
Ironically, Greaseball is a far less effective villain in the context of European freight, American freight diesel locomotives like the EMD Class 66 were very positively received in Europe. On the business end that is, they were physically unpleasant for actual employees. He’s almost a kind of crappy superhero- while relatively dirty, inefficient and “stupid” vs other diesel manufacturers, EMD engines are notoriously reliable and maintainable and even smaller models like the SD40 are very powerful by European standards. Making him the “biggest and the strongest” makes more sense with him as something like a Class 66, though he would not be competitive speed wise (compared to a 50s-era EMD E9 that’s relatively weak but would be competitive on rugged, curvy tracks the Nationals couldn’t use their full speed on). I think I get why Europeans seem to skew towards him being a less malicious himbo, that’s the actual role an American diesel engine would have there vs symbol of hegemony (see my Greaseball post on how he gets even worse than the workshop when played true to US reality)
#stex#starlight express#while i mainly use US dynamics because they’re stupid and extreme versions of issues that exist elsewhere#I think international rail politics and economics are fascinating and have a lot of fun nuance#protag greaseball is hilarious because i was rooting for him in bochum just for breaking up the slooow first half of the show#the components are too ambiguous to easily categorize tbh. probably best compared to fast freight (especially with a freezer car)#which was relatively successful for amtrak but lost money for BR#making a knockoff thomas the tank engine a villain seems compelling in the face of reported UK cultural issues around change#but I just do not understand those well enough to go into that. I’ve just seen a lot of people bring up aspects of it
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Blood of Eden // Chapter Fourteen // Bad Omens Urban Fantasy Romance
Tropes and Tags: MM, MF, MFM, MFM, instalove, too much sex, tattooed men, polyverse, shapeshifters.
CW: 18+ only minors DNI. Urban Fantasy romance, Smut. Angst. Fluff (ish), Story includes D/S themes, mentions of blood and gore, mentions of drug use and distribution, mentions of prostitution, unprotected sex, male receiving oral sex, female receiving oral sex, cuckolding, P/A sex, P/V sex.
This work below is fictionalized ideas and stories involving real people but does not directly reflect their thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. Please keep in mind that this is a work of fiction.
Taglist(click to be added): @ladyveronikawrites @mysticdoodlez @poisongirl616 @shilohrosechicken @cookiesupplier @meliferafaerie @concreteemo @itsafullmoon @letmeadoreyoux @transparentwitchnightmare @spicywhenspeaking @somewhere-diamond @iknownothingpeople @darling-millicent-aubrey @somebodyels3 @jakeygvf21 @badomensls @dominuslunae @mountains-to-move @sundamariis @caitcoreeeee @crimson-calligraphyx @darkmxgician
As soon as Noah picked himself up from the floor he crawled into the passenger seat of the Denali, wiping the tears from his cheeks and desperately trying to scrape the blood off his knuckles. His fingers cracked each time he opened and closed his fist, his accelerated healing making quick work of the mangled hand. The denali cruised easily out of the compound trying their best not to draw suspicion, as soon as they were clear and onto the freeway Jolly pressed the accelerator to the floor.
Noah had tried repeatedly to dial Maria or Oli, there was no answer, the phones immediately going to voicemail. He tried Nick whose phone only rang and rang with no answer.
“I don’t like this,” he growled.
“Nothing for Maria or Oli?” Jolly’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel.
“Not even Nick.” Noah confirmed. The pair drove in silence, Noah still trying his best to reach out to Rosa, he watched billboards pass and his body swerved as Jolly weaved through traffic. Noah grew frustrated more and more by the minute, trying to reach out to an empty void.
As Noah and Jolly approached the city exit, they were immediately struck by the eerie emptiness of the streets on what should have been a typical bustling Thursday afternoon. A palpable sense of unease crept up the back of Noah's neck, causing the fine hairs there to stand on end. Jolly, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, began to gradually slow the car's pace, his eyes scanning the deserted roads for any sign of activity or explanation for the unsettling silence.
With growing trepidation, Noah peered out the windows, his gaze darting from one abandoned sidewalk to the next, spotting only the occasional solitary pedestrian or idle vehicle - far fewer than the usual throngs of people and congestion that normally clogged the city's arteries at this time of day. "Something's off, master," Noah murmured, his words barely escaping his lips before the car lurched forward as he slammed on the brakes, causing Noah to brace himself against the dashboard.
There, standing brazenly in the middle of the street, was a figure they both recognized - Oli, his trademark leather jacket collar popped up to obscure his features, a twisted grin plastered across his face as his long, unkempt hair fell haphazardly over his eyes.
Noah's heart raced as he scrambled out of the car, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Steading himself on his own two feet, Noah wasted no time pulling Oli into a tight embrace, relief washing over him. Jolly had quickly pulled off the side of the road, as Oli clung to Noah, his own panic evident in the way he gripped his friend's shoulders. "What are you doing? I've been calling you all day!" Noah sneered, his voice laced with a mixture of concern and frustration.
Oli's response was hurried and apologetic. "I'm sorry, my friend," he said, ushering them both off the road and towards a waiting car just down the block. "But we need to move fast. We've found a tracker in your car, and we're worried they might be closing in on you." Oli's words spurred them into action, and Noah quickly gathered their belongings, his mind racing as the trio made their way to the car, their only priority now being to get as far away from this place as possible before their pursuers caught up to them.
As they made their way slowly through the vacant streets, the group navigated their way down multiple city blocks, the homes in this part of town packed tightly together and visibly run-down. Oli led them through a creaky old chain link gate and up some dilapidated wooden stairs, finally arriving at the entrance to a weathered, aging house. "It's the safest place we could find," he said quietly, closing the door behind them as they stepped inside.
In the front room, several familiar faces were seated, all seemingly engrossed in the various tasks at hand. Jethro sat hunched over an old dining room table, a scattered array of computers, screens, and other technical equipment spread out before him. His fingers flew across the keyboards as he seamlessly shifted his attention from one monitor to the next, his salt-and-pepper hair and wire-rimmed glasses giving him an aged, experienced appearance that contrasted with his relatively youthful frame. Despite the casual nature of his slacks and button-down periwinkle blue shirt, Jethro's green eyes remained locked with laser-like focus on the screens, occasionally pushing the glasses up the bridge of his nose as he worked tirelessly, undoubtedly carrying out some critical function in this hidden refuge they had found.
Skylar sat perched on the arm of the couch, her leather boots tapping an anxious rhythm against the hardwood floor as she circled her eyes around the dimly lit room, her gaze periodically drifting to the window where she kept a watchful eye on the activity outside. Her appearance was a striking contrast - part badass and part ethereal beauty, with her black roots cropped short at the base of her skull and teal locks flowing in soft waves over one shoulder. The tense set of her jaw and the restless energy thrumming through her body betrayed the worry and uncertainty she felt in this moment.
Meanwhile, Noah caught fleeting glimpses of shadowy figures moving about at the back of the house, and soon Folio and Amber came into view, exchanging a slight nod with him before resuming their hushed, hurried work. Across the open kitchen, Maria and Mark stood in tense conference, papers and files scattered between them as they pored over the results. Suddenly, Maria's eyes flashed up, locking onto the trio by the door, and with a muttered curse, she hastily shoved the documents into Mark's hands and padded across the room, bare feet slapping against the tile. Without a word, she pulled both Jolly and Noah into a desperate embrace, her body wracked with sobs. "I'm so sorry, boys," she choked out, her voice thick with anguish. "I thought she'd be safe with him. I didn't realize..." Her words trailed off, the weight of her unspoken fears and regrets hanging heavy in the air.
“Maria, don’t worry yourself, we’ll get her back.” Jolly said, stroking his friend's hair.
“What is all this?” Noah's eyes darted around the makeshift living quarters, taking in the hastily assembled yet functional space that served as a safe haven for his companions. "A safe house," Oli explained, his voice tinged with a mix of relief and concern. “Jethro and Mark got out a few days ago, setting up shop here before the meltdown. I barely made it out of Skytower with Maria before the Magistrate moved in. We meant to take Rosa but it was too late.”
Maria's expression grew somber as she cleared her throat, wiping away tears. "Mark and I have been pouring over every historical and scientific clue we could find, but there's been frustratingly little to go on." She paused, her gaze hardening with determination. "The best lead we have is sending Skylar on a hunting mission." Noah turned to the woman, who now stood at attention, silently awaiting his response.
Noah's brow furrowed as he processed this information, his lips pursing in a mix of worry and frustration. "How does this help me get Rosa back? What did they do to her?" he demanded, his voice rising in anguish.
“The magistrate found the test results for the Nightshade concoction Jolly sent for analysis,” Jethro’s eyes still focused intently on his screen, gravely explained. "My guess is they're using it to harness Rosa's powers while they prepare her for trial," he said.
"Trial?" Jolly exclaimed, the shock evident in his voice. Maria nodded solemnly, revealing that Jethro had been hacking and monitoring the Magistrate's private communications. "There's been a lot of chatter about a trial at the compound in two days," she said, her words laced with a sense of dread and urgency.
Noah's heart raced as he considered the bold plan to break their friend out of custody. "So we break her out!" he shouted, the adrenaline coursing through his veins. But Oli quickly placed a calming hand on his shoulder, shaking his head.
"Not a good idea, my friend," he cautioned, his voice low and measured. "You'd be arrested on sight if you tried something so reckless." Skylar's brow furrowed as she contemplated their predicament.
"He's right, you know," she said, her tone level and pragmatic. "The authorities have eyes everywhere and would pounce the moment you made a move." Noah's shoulders slumped, the wind taken out of his sails, as the reality of their situation set in. But then Skylar's expression shifted, a flicker of hope kindling in her eyes.
"But," she continued, "there may be a way - a more subtle approach that could work."
It had been the longest, most agonizing night Noah and Jolly had ever spent away from the comfort and familiarity of their own home. As Jolly watched his beloved pet pace restlessly through the unfamiliar rooms, whimpering and scratching at the doors, his heart broke to see the animal's desperate attempts to reach their missing girl. Tears streamed down Jolly's cheeks as he witnessed the dog's futile efforts, his loyal companion clearly distressed and confused by their sudden displacement. That morning, as the first golden rays of dawn began to peek over the horizon, Jolly joined Maria, Oli, Noah, and Skylar in quietly slipping out of the nondescript safe house where they had taken shelter. Blending seamlessly into the steady flow of early commuter traffic, the group made their way further south, leaving the city limits behind as they headed into the more suburban outskirts. Though the change of scenery provided a sense of increased distance and safety, the ache of separation from their home and loved ones weighed heavily on them all.
As Skylar and Jolly strolled down the quiet, tree-lined street, they couldn't help but notice the warm, neighborly atmosphere surrounding them. Friendly strangers waved cheerfully as they passed by, their faces alight with genuine friendliness. The scene painted a picture-perfect portrait of small-town community - neighbors out and about, tending to their daily tasks like taking out the trash or walking their beloved pets. It was the quintessential image of the ideal, close-knit neighborhood.
Skylar gestured ahead, guiding Jolly's gaze towards a picturesque modern ranch-style home nestled at the street corner. The neatly manicured green lawn and meticulously maintained front porch, which wrapped nearly all the way around the house, gave the residence an inviting, well-cared-for appearance. Out front, a young girl darted about, her laughter ringing out as she chased what Jolly assumed were her older twin brothers, the siblings playfully splitting off in different directions as she tried to decide which one to pursue. The joyful, carefree scene perfectly encapsulated the charming, family-friendly vibe of the neighborhood - a place where children could safely roam and neighbors looked out for one another, fostering a warm, close-knit community atmosphere.
Jolly took a deep breath as he pulled the car over to the side of the street, parking directly across from the modest two-story house. Biting down on the inside of his cheek, he knew he was taking a risk by even being here. One by one, the rest of the group followed Jolly's lead, exiting the vehicle and gathering on the sidewalk. Jolly led the way, carefully crossing the street, hyper-aware of the three children playing in the small front yard. As soon as the group set foot on the sidewalk, the children's playtime came to an abrupt halt, all three young faces turning to regard the newcomers with curious expressions.
"Guardians," the little girl giggled, her eyes sparkling with wonder as she pointed towards Oli and Noah, the tallest members of the group.
"Father is inside," one of the boys said, his gaze fixed intently on Jolly. Jolly gave the boy a small nod, forcing himself to continue forward up the walkway to the front door. Before he could even lift his hand to knock, the white door swung open, revealing a man just a few years older than Jolly himself. The man's brown hair was slightly receded, a small scar running between his furrowed brows, his blue eyes tired yet twinkling with a hint of warmth. The stubble on his face gave him a distinguished, almost rugged appearance, but his soft, friendly smile put Jolly and the others at ease.
"My name is Joshua," he said in a gentle, melodic tone. "Please, come in."
#bad omens#bad omens cult#bad omens band#noahsebastian fanfic#noah sebastian#noah sebastian fanfiction#noah sebastian smut#noah sebastian fanfic#joakim jolly karlsson smut#joakim jolly karlsson fic#jolly karlsson#urban fantasy#dark romance#romance#bad omens au#bad omens fanfic#bad omens fic#blood of eden
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National Dump the Pump Day
Join the movement to decrease global gas usage by leaving your car at home and giving public transport, cycling, or even walking a try instead.
Every year we get closer to depleting the petroleum available in the world today, these fossil fuels won’t last forever and demand is only continuing to increase. There are other options out there, everything from taking the public transportation to using vehicles that don’t require gasoline.
Biking is unquestionably better for you, and many forms of public transport these days use propane or even electric. Dump The Pump Day encourages you to give yourself and the world a break from the pump and start changing the world.
Learn about Dump The Pump Day
The purpose of Dump The Pump Day is to encourage people to use public transport instead of driving. When the economy is tight and gas prices are high, using public transport is a great alternative, providing people with an excellent way of saving money.
A lot of people use local transport to make family visits, run errands, and commute to and from school and work. Doing this is not only a great way to save money on fuel, but you can also reduce wear and tear on your car as well. There are other benefits to consider too. Road congestion will be reduced if everyone tries to use public transport more often. Plus, the fewer cars on the road means less pollution too.
History of Dump The Pump Day
As petroleum fuels start to deplete the price of gas inevitably goes up with it, it’s a simple case of supply and demand. Dump The Pump Day was aimed at encouraging people to start reducing the amount of gas they spend by finding alternate ways to handle gas consumption.
Dump the Pump Day first started in June of 2006. The purpose of the day was to present public transport as a convenient travel option that helps people to save money. Since then, public transport companies and individuals around the world have been promoting this day.
It all starts with just simply not using their car for a day, but it can expand even further beyond that. There are other options showing up on the horizon, with hybrid cars taking some of the gas cost out of driving, and electric cars eliminating it completely.
Even if you can’t avoid using gas today, if your family uses two vehicles you can cut down to using just one car. It’s been shown that families who downsize to using just one car can save themselves up to $10k in gasoline every year, just on daily driving.
When it comes down to brass tacks, it’s all about finding ways to avoid using the pump on Dump The Pump Day and finding ways to help save the world and the future.
How to celebrate Dump The Pump Day
Celebrating Dump The Pump Day begins by choosing a method of transportation that doesn’t require you to stop at the pump. Look into public transportation routes, using them not only helps you save money but also aids your community to an unexpected degree.
Spend $1 on public transportation, and the community sees a return of $4 in economic benefit, that’s a 400% boost, all by choosing not to use gas! Whatever you do, help break yourself off the pump and find a new way to make the world a little more oil-free!
You can also use this day as the perfect opportunity to re-think the way that you travel on a daily basis. Sit down and make a list of all of the journeys that you are likely to take within your usual week. This could include going to and from work, visiting friends and family, and doing your weekly shop.
Now, see whether it would be feasible for you to switch any of these visits from being car journeys to journeys whereby you use public transport. For example, could you take the bus to work instead of driving? Could you hop onto the train to see your friends and family members? You can do the calculators to see how much money you would save as well.
How much does it cost you to fill up your tank with gas for the week? How much would it cost you to get the bus instead? You will probably find that public transport is considerably cheaper. By making a list and comparing all of the options out there, you will be able to make your travel as economical as possible, and that’s what Dump The Pump Day is all about.
There are a number of other ways that Dump The Pump Day can be promoted and celebrated. For example, if you run a business, you may encourage all of your employees to take the bus to work on that day. Another option is to add a fuel savings calculator on your website so people can discover how much they would be able to save if they did decide to use public transport.
Raising awareness is another part of Dump The Pump Day. There are a lot of factsheets and infographics that are floating around regarding public transport, and you will find that more are created in the build-up to Dump The Pump Day every year. Share this content with your friends, family members, and followers as a great way of building awareness and getting more and more people involved!
Source
#Edmonton#Alberta#National Dump the Pump Day#NationalDumpthePumpDay#19 June 2025#third Thursday in June#CTA#the El#public transport#Chicago#travel#I don't own a car#Damen Station#Lisbon Cathedral#tram#MV Leif Ericson#Tom Swayer#ferry#TTC#Toronto#Canada#Toronto Railway Museum#MTA#subway#train#cityscape#USA#Sweden#vacation#original photography
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Jarrett Walker is a good person to follow for transit issues if you have an account on the hellsite.
What he's talking about here is the way we induce demand for driving by keeping the immediate cost artificially low.
We do that through offering people free-or-cheap parking, and through the lack of congestion fees.
[Meanwhile, businesses are forced to wrap the significant costs of that 'free' parking into product & service prices, and state governments rob from general funds to pave and build roads. It affects every person, whether or not they drive a car.]
That artificially low price to hop in the car and drive somewhere is inducing added car trips while reducing the ability of transit to compete.
Of course land-use is at play here as well. Sprawling, low-density development demands car trips by making places very difficult to serve with transit. We can't build expensive bus lines to every cul-de-sac, or train lines to every parking-fronted suburban shopping center or office park.
Policies that enable car dependency need to be identified and changed. We can increase transit use, to a degree, even within the current state of our land-use by making transit more economically competitive. That should happen. But the most crucial element for positive change will eventually happen through designing walkable density.
#urbanism#transit#sprawl#parking#urban sprawl#urban design#public transportation#car centric development
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On Wednesday, New York governor Kathy Hochul shocked the state and the country when she announced she would indefinitely shelve New York City’s long-in-development congestion pricing scheme. The policy, in the works since 2007 and set to begin in just three weeks, was designed to relieve car traffic, curb road deaths, and send a billion dollars in annual funding to the city’s transit system by charging drivers up to $15 a day to enter the busiest parts of Manhattan, with rates highest at “peak hours.” (Truck drivers and some bus drivers could have paid more than $36 daily.) At heart, the idea is straightforward, if controversial: Make people pay for the roads they use.
But congestion pricing was also set to become one of the most ambitious American climate projects, maybe ever. It was meant to coax people out of their gas-guzzling vehicles, which are alone responsible for some 22 percent of US greenhouse gas emissions, and onto subways, buses, bicycles, and their feet. Policymakers, researchers, and environment nerds the world over have concluded that, even if the transition to electric vehicles were to happen at lightning speed, avoiding the worst of climate change is going to require fewer cars overall.
Now, the movement has seen a serious setback, in a country where decades of car-centric planning decisions mean many can only imagine getting around in one very specific way. Just a few years ago, cities from Los Angeles to San Francisco to Chicago began to study what pricing roads might look like. “Cities were watching to see what would happen in New York,” says Sarah Kaufman, who directs the NYU Rudin Center for Transportation. “Now they can call it a ‘failure’ because it didn't go through.”
On Wednesday, Hochul said her about-face had to do with concerns about the city’s post-pandemic recovery. The congestion pricing plan faced lawsuits from New Jersey, where commuters argue they would face unfair financial burdens. Cameras and gantries, acquired and positioned to charge drivers while entering the zone, have already been installed in Manhattan, to the tune of some $500 million.
Kaufman, who says she was “flabbergasted” by Governor Hochul’s sudden announcement, says she is not sure where the policy goes from here. “If we can’t make courageous, and potentially less popular, moves in a city that has transit readily accessible, then I’m wondering where this can happen,” she says.
Other global cities have seen success with congestion schemes. London’s program, implemented in 2003, is still controversial among residents, but the government reports it has cut traffic in the targeted zone by a third. One 2020 study suggests the program has reduced pollutants, though exemptions for diesel buses have blunted its emissions effects. Stockholm’s program, launched in 2006, upped the city’s transit ridership, reduced the number of total miles locals traveled by car, and decreased emissions between 10 and 14 percent.
But in New York, the future of the program is unclear, and local politicians are currently scrambling to figure out how to cover the transit budget hole that would result from a last-minute nixing of the fee scheme. The city’s transit system is huge and sprawling: Five million people ride the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s buses and subways, almost double the number that fly every day in the US.
In New York, drivers entering the zone below Manhattan’s 60th Street would have been charged peak pricing of $15, but would have only faced the charge once a day. They would have paid $3.75 for off-peak hours. Taxi and ride-hail trips in the zone would have seen extra fees. After years of controversy and public debate, the state had carved out some congestion charge exemptions: some vehicles carrying people with disabilities would not have been charged, lower-income residents of the zone would have received a tax credit for their tolls; and low-income drivers would have been eligible for a 50 percent discount.
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I am very easily winded on this first day of 2025. I had a pretty productive day but I had to take a lot of breaks.
Last night was fun. Like it was a pretty low key New Year's Eve but it was good. Poor James was absolutely struggling to stay awake. I was fine but it was funny seeing them try so hard. They would paint their nails and toes and kept their sweater and jeans on to try and stay awake. At 10 was when I remembered about lemon pig and was so upset we didn't have a lemon but James was laughing when I suggested the lime juice bottle. I also suggested an onion but I was happy with what we came in with. It felt so joyful.
Ten minutes before midnight we went downstairs to get our basket and put shoes on. James was a little bumbly because they were tired and they bumped into me and caused a leaf from one of our plants went right into my eye and I was so distressed!!! But thankfully it does not hurt today but I was really upset for a little bit. But it was thankfully just funny once the fireworks went off.
We went outside after James did the first footing and gave me a kiss. And then a fox ran down the road??!! Ryan and their partner (I need to remember their name!) were also on their stairs and we were like. A fox!!! And then yelled happy new years to each other before going back inside.
We were pretty quick to go and get in bed. James was out super quick. I was up a little longer. Texting people well wishes and poking around online. But I was asleep before 1.
I slept alright. James would have liked more sleep but the sun woke me up again. Not my favorite way to be woken up. I texted James and slowly got myself to wake up. I did not want to get out of bed. I was super congested and sore. Thankfully my arm I got my vaccine in doesn't hurt as much, only if I press on it. It was still really tough to get out of bed.
When I did get up I went and started the shower and made the bed. It was a nice shower. And made me feel a little better. I was not feeling as bad and I used my new creme brulee lotion and felt good.
I got dressed and put up my hair and got ready for the day. I had cereal for breakfast. And was ready to be productive!
And I was. I started a new look project. I decided I wanted to use my large loom and all my fluffy yarn. Make a scrappy project instead of a planned color blanket. I think it'll be fun and pretty low stress. I didn't finished last year's temperature blanket, but that was mostly because two of the yarn balls were a different yarn and it just sucked to work with. I won't make that mistake again.
I worked on that for an hour or so. Auni texted me that she would be coming by to drop off two bags of books for baby. So I waited in the studio so I could hear the door and kept working on my knitting even though I really wanted to stop because my back hurts. James says that the cushion for my y new chair should be in tomorrow so I will be able a much more comfortable place to work on my set.
Auni came by and I was so happy to see her. She had the to just drop and go because her babies were in the car and they were going to the train to garden. She said she liked our ceiling mural though! I thanked her for the books and was happy to jump into my next project.
Which was putting the books away. I had to take a lot of breaks today but I really did get a lot done. I went through all the books and found space on the cubby shelf for them. I was very happy.
I would do a ton of work in the baby room today. I would go through all the clothes again. I hung up hooks on the walls and put together little outfits. I would also make a hanging bar for even more of the clothes. And that allowed me to have more space in the dresser. Which I then sorted and labeled and that helped me feel less overwhelmed. I also went through the older kid clothes in the closet and sorted and labeled the boxes in there. And it made me feel so much better. This would be a few hours of the day with lots of breaks but it was just so nice being in that room. It's such a nice place and I am excited for our baby to enjoy it.
I would have my leftover Indian food for lunch. And decided I would need to clean out our fridge. It has been smelling a little sour. So once I was done eating I took everything out of the fridge.
I cleaned all the surfaces. And there wasn't much that actually needed to be gotten rid of but everything is much better organized and everything is actually clean and it made me feel awesome.
Once I got everything back in there I went and tried to start painting the new rack I got for the kitchen but it wasn't working very well. I find it so annoying to paint round things. So I will probably spray paint that tomorrow. But that was fine.
I made an iced chai and went and laid in the guest room. That is where I have my pregnancy pillow set up and with the firmer mattress it helped my back pain a lot. Sweetp joined me and laid directly on my hair. Rude. But it was nice that he wanted to be with me.
I would continue to do work in the baby room. I did some stuff in our bedroom. Hung up a few things. I decided that our one blanket wall on the staircase will be reserved for any set baby eventually makes. We will just wallpaper it with all of her work. It's gonna be great. Can't wait for her to have the dexterity for that.
I had leftover pizza for an early dinner. And waited for James to come home. I would do a few small things. Fixing a few things that needed fixing. And decided I wanted James to hang a mirror when they got home.
And they did! I was very happy to see James. And once they had caught their breath they came upstairs and I showed them how I wanted the mirror hung at baby height so she can see herself. I may set up a bar like a ballet bar for her to be able to pull herself up?? I'm thinking of the future. We will see what happens.
My back was killing me. I was on the couch in the baby room and my back was just screaming. James sat with me and we talked and hung out but eventually I had to go downstairs to use my heating pad because it was so bad.
The heating pad helped but it isn't quick. Sweetp and I'm James joined me
James made their own dinner and would get on a call with their friends to play a game. I would hang out for a little while but eventually went back upstairs.
I cleaned up and painted my nails. Just glitter this time. And I picked a different outfit for tomorrow. And I tape out a mural idea I have for the hallway but I'm not positive about that yet. It was just fun to tape out some blocks.
Now I'm laying in the guest room again. I am getting tired and will probably go wash my face soon. I have a stress test in the morning and then I plan on going to pick up some stuff at Home Depot for some ideas I have. I hope it's a good day. I hope you all had a good for see r of the year. Sleep well everyone!! Goodnight!!
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Cars & People: The Road Safety Myth
Until the 1930s road safety was not seen as a problem caused by motorists. But as traffic increased in volume and speed, people began to get concerned. Road safety ideas were brought in based on education, engineering and enforcement. Ever since, ‘road safety’ has been the territory of professionals such as road safety officers, road and vehicle engineers, traffic police, doctors, lawyers and the Department of Transport. The road safety lobby has succeeded in suppressing the earlier anger and hostility against motorisation by legitimising the danger it creates and then creating an industry dedicated to reducing the number and severity of accidents.
Because of their pro-car bias, many ‘road safety’ measures in fact produce the opposite effect: “Everything that supposedly produces more danger in fact produces more safety… and everything that is supposed to produce more safety produces more danger… Better roads, better sight lines, fewer bends and blind corners, less traffic; better lighting, better weather conditions… make greater danger… because every “nonrestrictive” safety measure, however admirable by itself, is treated by drivers as an opportunity for more speeding, so that the net amount of danger is increased”. The lobby’s method is to use excessive detail to obscure the human and economic costs of motorisation. The real cost of motorisation is at least £30 billion more than motorists pay. While costs for congestion, accidents, road-building and maintenance are included, the loss of revenue to public transport, the business and health costs of stress, air pollution and noise are not. The health dis-benefits of mass car use dwarf the numbers injured and killed on roads; they are not included in road safety research and discussion. The rules of the game are biased in favour of the motorist and against the rest of society. Although speed is a major cause of accidents, the DoT regards speed reduction as bad because it creates frustrated motorists who act “aggressively and irresponsibly”. Pedestrians “may take liberties with slow-moving traffic that they would not take with faster traffic. A mother who would never dream of wheeling her pushchair across an urban freeway may be tempted to do just that in a city street”. What a cheek – a pedestrian trying to cross the road! The DoT’s motor bias leads it to stand truth on its head. It says, “Travelling by car or bus is safer than walking”. Safer for whom? In 1990, three other road users were killed in accidents involving pedestrians. Cars killed 1014 pedestrians.
#anarcho-communism#anarcho-primitivism#anti-capitalism#capitalism#class#class struggle#climate crisis#colonialism#deep ecology#ecology#global warming#green#Green anarchism#imperialism#industrialization#industrial revolution#industrial society#industry#mutual aid#overpopulation#poverty#social ecology#anarchism#anarchy#anarchist society#practical anarchy#practical anarchism#resistance#autonomy#revolution
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Submitted via Google Form:
Is it possible for a country to not have any private road vehicles unless you belong to government (but then they are still government vehicles loaned to government employees even if you're allowed a certain amount of private use as a perk)? There is a massive network of public transportation everywhere so there is little need of private vehicles. Also taxis are only run by the government and not private companies. Also how much would this help at with congestion on the road/gas prices?
Tex: I would hesitate to create a social hierarchy that depends on official permission to own and/or operate certain things that will likely end up being perceived as luxury goods, as historically it doesn’t end up well for the people with the special permissions. This seems like an attempt to solve a perceived problem by creating an incidental environment that will engender a culture of nepotism and corruption. This is a debate that has been going on in the real world for many, many years, and one of the products of this is alternative energy sources and incentivizing everyone (and I do mean everyone) into using public transportation more often. A government, as a general rule, likes to advertise their cost-cutting measures because it makes them look good and ensures fewer people are upset with them, so it seems politically more feasible to invest in public infrastructure for public transportation and give government employees stipends/bus passes/etc than designating them special permission to be the only ones to drive a personal vehicle.
Addy: Your world is set up such that only government employees (and maybe buses and taxis) have road privileges. What kind of city infrastructure will develop with those restrictions?
Public transit (of various forms) is only economically feasible if you have a high enough population density that people can walk to and from your public transit in a reasonable timeframe without having an absurd number of stops. That means that you'll have a moderate-to-high population density - think of the rows of townhouses you see on BBC. When you have a moderate-to-high population density, you also (generally, following natural development patterns) get a higher density of shops*. If you have shops close by, you can reach them by walking, without needing to use public transit at all. Following this chain of logic, when you have shops interspersed with residential homes, most everyday needs are fairly accessible by walking.
* Say a brand wants to have 5000 people in the region for each store. If you have 100 people per square mile, that means you have one store per 50 square miles. If you have 1000 people per square mile, you have one store per 5 square miles. If you have 5000 people per square mile, you can have one store per square mile.
So you've got walking (or wheelchair, etc) for most travel, and then buses/trains/subways/etc for going longer distances. Most people don't have access to cars, so your infrastructure is going to be based around foot travel. If you're a government employee, will a car really be a benefit to you? It'd be convenient for going between different cities and the like, but I imagine that it wouldn't be very efficient for traveling around town. Why does a foot-travel-based town need parking lots?
It doesn't.
Motorcycles and pickups could be useful in rural areas (hauling around animal feed and the like), but those aren't being used on public roads, so the restrictions wouldn't apply there.
For congestion… you design your roads based on the amount of traffic you see. If you don't have traffic, why would you have congestion? I'd recommend looking into light rail systems. England, Germany, Austria, etc – light rail is pretty useful.
For roads… I imagine them being similar to fire lanes and emergency access roads. Firetrucks need to be able to get anywhere in a reasonably fast manner, after all. Same for ambulances and police vehicles and whatever else might apply in your world (something something hospital helicopters). If you have buses, then you'll also have some kind of infrastructure for that. You'll also have some form of transportation for people traveling between cities (could be rail, could be road, depending on the purpose. Think of semi trucks, for example).
Gasoline. That's a bit trickier. What are petroleum products being used for in this country? How developed is the petrochemical industry? Supply and demand, yes, but you also get issues of economies of scale.
I'd really recommend looking at pre-car societies and their layouts. Also light rail and the history of petroleum (also Standard Oil). But to answer your question: congestion would be miniscule and gasoline would be a little complicated but probably doable.
Licorice: Is it possible? Yes, it’s perfectly possible. There are several islands around the world which have banned cars. One, which I have visited, is Hydra is Greece. Public transport is mostly conducted by mules and donkeys. Another is the channel island of Sark.
A society in which only government employees are allowed to use cars would be an oppressive society, an us-and-them society. It also begs the question of who counts as a government employee? Nurses and doctors? Train drivers? And why would most of them need a car?
If you want this imaginary society to be a utopia rather than a dystopia, you could allow private car ownership on a need basis. Emergency services workers need cars. Public transport drivers need cars, unless the public transport runs round the clock. Farms may sometimes need cars. For some disabled people and their carers, a car can transform their quality of life. So perhaps it is these people who should be granted a licence to own a car, rather than civil servants?
Presumably people without cars will still be allowed to own bicycles, motorbikes, electric bicycles, scooters, segways, and other personal motorised methods of getting about. You’re going to need a good road infrastructure for these things and for the public buses and trams.
If your country is self-sufficient in oil and gas, drastically reducing the number of cars on the road might have a local impact on gas prices. If it imports gas, then it may have less effect. Here’s an NPR article on how the price of gas is determined.
But remember, gas is used for many purposes beside driving cars, so a rise or fall in demand from private car owners may not have the impact on gas prices that one might expect.
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Are AI-Powered Traffic Cameras Watching You Drive?
New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/are-ai-powered-traffic-cameras-watching-you-drive/
Are AI-Powered Traffic Cameras Watching You Drive?


Artificial intelligence (AI) is everywhere today. While that’s an exciting prospect to some, it’s an uncomfortable thought for others. Applications like AI-powered traffic cameras are particularly controversial. As their name suggests, they analyze footage of vehicles on the road with machine vision.
They’re typically a law enforcement measure — police may use them to catch distracted drivers or other violations, like a car with no passengers using a carpool lane. However, they can also simply monitor traffic patterns to inform broader smart city operations. In all cases, though, they raise possibilities and questions about ethics in equal measure.
How Common Are AI Traffic Cameras Today?
While the idea of an AI-powered traffic camera is still relatively new, they’re already in use in several places. Nearly half of U.K. police forces have implemented them to enforce seatbelt and texting-while-driving regulations. U.S. law enforcement is starting to follow suit, with North Carolina catching nine times as many phone violations after installing AI cameras.
Fixed cameras aren’t the only use case in action today, either. Some transportation departments have begun experimenting with machine vision systems inside public vehicles like buses. At least four cities in the U.S. have implemented such a solution to detect cars illegally parked in bus lanes.
With so many local governments using this technology, it’s safe to say it will likely grow in the future. Machine learning will become increasingly reliable over time, and early tests could lead to further adoption if they show meaningful improvements.
Rising smart city investments could also drive further expansion. Governments across the globe are betting hard on this technology. China aims to build 500 smart cities, and India plans to test these technologies in at least 100 cities. As that happens, more drivers may encounter AI cameras on their daily commutes.
Benefits of Using AI in Traffic Cameras
AI traffic cameras are growing for a reason. The innovation offers a few critical advantages for public agencies and private citizens.
Safety Improvements
The most obvious upside to these cameras is they can make roads safer. Distracted driving is dangerous — it led to the deaths of 3,308 people in 2022 alone — but it’s hard to catch. Algorithms can recognize drivers on their phones more easily than highway patrol officers can, helping enforce laws prohibiting these reckless behaviors.
Early signs are promising. The U.K. and U.S. police forces that have started using such cameras have seen massive upticks in tickets given to distracted drivers or those not wearing seatbelts. As law enforcement cracks down on such actions, it’ll incentivize people to drive safer to avoid the penalties.
AI can also work faster than other methods, like red light cameras. Because it automates the analysis and ticketing process, it avoids lengthy manual workflows. As a result, the penalty arrives soon after the violation, which makes it a more effective deterrent than a delayed reaction. Automation also means areas with smaller police forces can still enjoy such benefits.
Streamlined Traffic
AI-powered traffic cameras can minimize congestion on busy roads. The areas using them to catch illegally parked cars are a prime example. Enforcing bus lane regulations ensures public vehicles can stop where they should, avoiding delays or disruptions to traffic in other lanes.
Automating tickets for seatbelt and distracted driving violations has a similar effect. Pulling someone over can disrupt other cars on the road, especially in a busy area. By taking a picture of license plates and sending the driver a bill instead, police departments can ensure safer streets without adding to the chaos of everyday traffic.
Non-law-enforcement cameras could take this advantage further. Machine vision systems throughout a city could recognize congestion and update map services accordingly, rerouting people around busy areas to prevent lengthy delays. Considering how the average U.S. driver spent 42 hours in traffic in 2023, any such improvement is a welcome change.
Downsides of AI Traffic Monitoring
While the benefits of AI traffic cameras are worth noting, they’re not a perfect solution. The technology also carries some substantial potential downsides.
False Positives and Errors
The correctness of AI may raise some concerns. While it tends to be more accurate than people in repetitive, data-heavy tasks, it can still make mistakes. Consequently, removing human oversight from the equation could lead to innocent people receiving fines.
A software bug could cause machine vision algorithms to misidentify images. Cybercriminals could make such instances more likely through data poisoning attacks. While people could likely dispute their tickets and clear their name, it would take a long, difficult process to do so, counteracting some of the technology’s efficiency benefits.
False positives are a related concern. Algorithms can produce high false positive rates, leading to more charges against innocent people, which carries racial implications in many contexts. Because data biases can remain hidden until it’s too late, AI in government applications can exacerbate problems with racial or gender discrimination in the legal system.
Privacy Issues
The biggest controversy around AI-powered traffic cameras is a familiar one — privacy. As more cities install these systems, they record pictures of a larger number of drivers. So much data in one place raises big questions about surveillance and the security of sensitive details like license plate numbers and drivers’ faces.
Many AI camera solutions don’t save images unless they determine it’s an instance of a violation. Even so, their operation would mean the solutions could store hundreds — if not thousands — of images of people on the road. Concerns about government surveillance aside, all that information is a tempting target for cybercriminals.
U.S. government agencies suffered 32,211 cybersecurity incidents in 2023 alone. Cybercriminals are already targeting public organizations and critical infrastructure, so it’s understandable why some people may be concerned that such groups would gather even more data on citizens. A data breach in a single AI camera system could affect many who wouldn’t have otherwise consented to giving away their data.
What the Future Could Hold
Given the controversy, it may take a while for automated traffic cameras to become a global standard. Stories of false positives and concerns over cybersecurity issues may delay some projects. Ultimately, though, that’s a good thing — attention to these challenges will lead to necessary development and regulation to ensure the rollout does more good than harm.
Strict data access policies and cybersecurity monitoring will be crucial to justify widespread adoption. Similarly, government organizations using these tools should verify the development of their machine-learning models to check for and prevent problems like bias. Regulations like the recent EU Artificial Intelligence Act have already provided a legislative precedent for such qualifications.
AI Traffic Cameras Bring Both Promise and Controversy
AI-powered traffic cameras may still be new, but they deserve attention. Both the promises and pitfalls of the technology need greater attention as more governments seek to implement them. Higher awareness of the possibilities and challenges surrounding this innovation can foster safer development for a secure and efficient road network in the future.
#2022#2023#adoption#ai#AI-powered#Algorithms#Analysis#applications#artificial#Artificial Intelligence#attention#automation#awareness#betting#Bias#biases#breach#bug#Cameras#Cars#change#chaos#China#cities#critical infrastructure#cybercriminals#cybersecurity#data#data breach#data poisoning
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I'm saying upfront this is a breakdown of a very unusually energetic and good day for me. This is not meant to instill hope in anyone, nor is it for able bodied people to feel "greatful" or whatever the fuck. It's just a very notable day for me and I want to write it down because it made me happy.
Today's been an insane day in terms of energy. I've spent the last week mostly indoors and sleeping most of the day and not really able to do things like get changed most days. But today, suddenly! I had enough spoons to have a day that looked normal!!
I did the laundry (I haven't been able to for a week or so and it's been piling up) and then my boyfriend said he was going out shopping, and asked if I'd like to come. I haven't been able to go grocery shopping* for well over a month/a couple months. I was really flagging by the end and had to leave the actual scanning and paying and loading of groceries to my boyfriend while I waited in the car for him, but like. Wow! First real grocery shop in over a month. Wow!!!
* grocery shopping, as opposed to popping to the shop directly across the road to get Some Soda. The walk to and from the car at the grocery store is longer than a round trip to the corner shop. The road is exceptionally narrow and easily congested.
Not only did we go shopping and I bought a bunch of stuff I've needed for ages, but after a rest I continued. Doing. Laundry. AND. AND. I put some (premade) donuts in the air fryer!!! After all that stuff, I kept walking for some donuts!! I was really feeling the strain and feeling like I was pushing past my limits by this point, but I was foolish and really really wanted to try the frozen donuts.
Do you know how insane a day that is? My legs are so sore right now.
Also! Bf's bf came over, we watched things together while/after bf had made a delicious dinner of rice, vegetables and salmon. Fucking delicious.
I know that all might sound like a normal day for able-bodied people but for me, this is enormous. I don't get days this good very often. This is huge for me. I haven't been able to go grocery shopping in ages, let alone do anything else on top of that. Most days I can barely do A Load Of Laundry. I did 3??
I have to mention: this is a fluke. It's just one Good Day after months of bad and it's likely that The Suffering Will Continue™ tomorrow, because good days are a thing. but. Holy shit. Holy shiiit. What a good day!!! I was so productive and outside! My brain has been deprived of that kind of stimulation for a long time. Outside and Doing Things and yes leaning really hard on the trolley* and yes walking really slow but!!! I did it!!*
*also the local grocery shop has changed their trolleys to be much more lightweight and easier to push and steer so it wasn't hard to use the trolley. And when it was fuller it came in handy as something to lean on, to take a bit of the weight off while I walked.
I really hope this doesn't wreck my week, but if it does, it actually might have been worth it anyway, for A Normal and Pleasant Day- one of the best I've had in months. It gives me hope to know that my life will still have days like this sometimes, no matter how long it takes to recover, I'll still get days like these sometimes :)
#pansy stuff#pansy talk#pansy speaks#disability#chronic fatigue syndrome#chronic illness#chronic fatigue#cfs/me#me cfs#cfs#spoons#spoonie
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Navigating Monsoon Commutes in Delhi: The Ultimate Guide to Ride Sharing and Safety
Greetings:
The annual hardships of heavy rains, flooding, and unexpected traffic conditions are anticipated by commuters as the monsoon clouds gather over Delhi. It takes a calculated strategy that combines environmental responsibility, safety, and convenience to get beyond these obstacles. We discuss how ride-sharing applications, carpooling services, and other transportation options can make your monsoon commute more enjoyable and productive in this guest article.
A Monsoon Commute Solution: Ride Sharing
In Delhi, ride-sharing applications such as RideBuddy become indispensable for commuters during the rainy season. By facilitating the connection between drivers and passengers, these platforms lessen traffic congestion and the number of vehicles on the road. Above all, they provide a practical means of securing transportation even in the event of abrupt weather fluctuations. By lowering their carbon footprint and saving money, commuters who share transportation also help the environment.
Carpooling Apps: Increasing Involvement in the Community
Carpooling applications, including Best Carpool App and Car For Share, encourage community involvement and sustainability in addition to providing rides. By sharing rides with neighbors, coworkers, or other residents, these platforms enable commuters to cut down on both vehicle emissions and transportation expenses. In busy cities like Delhi, this cooperative strategy not only reduces traffic jams but also improves ties among the community.RideBuddy
Renting Cars: Making Sure It's Safe and Dependable
Renting a car close to Delhi is quite helpful for people looking for freedom and flexibility during their monsoon commutes. To ensure both safety and comfort throughout the trip, it's imperative to use well-maintained vehicles that can withstand inclement weather. To ensure a stress-free commute during bad weather, compare rental choices and confirm complete insurance coverage.
Priority One Safety: Crucial Advice for Monsoon Driving
Although using ride-sharing and carpooling services has many advantages, safety must always come first during the monsoon season. The following are some essential safety advice to keep in mind:
Weather Awareness: Pay attention to weather reports in order to plan ahead for delays or altered routes.
Selecting a Car: Pick out cars with sufficient safety features and up-to-date maintenance records.
Organizing Forward: To assure on-time arrivals and save last-minute problems, book rides in advance.
Emergency Preparedness: To handle unforeseen delays or crises, carry necessities like waterproof clothes, umbrellas, and portable chargers.
Route Navigation: In the event of severe traffic or road closures, use navigation apps to look up alternate routes.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridebuddy-app/posts/?feedView=all
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On EVs
Responding to this thread, and I copied @bluebelly-sun-serpentine's original comments here below my response.
I say:
I'm suggesting we invest in both EVs and high density / green infrastructure. The decision against congestion pricing in NYC is shitty, but that happened right now, without EVs. Not having EVs didn't prevent car culture from happening, but switching to them would help reduce emissions from those cars, in addition to other policies we can pursue that would reduce total cars in general at the same time.
It also sounds like you're worried that if we switch to EVs, people will drive more and it will be a net rise in emissions. If you're concerned about enviro-conscious people driving more with EVs because they feel less guilty, I'm not sure I think this is a big problem. If there were so many environmentally-conscious people holding off on driving right now because they don't have EVs.. wouldn't there be way more support for us to pass green legislation? I just don't see that being a big group (but willing to change my mind if you have other data).
The other group is people who would drive more just based on lower cost per mile of EVs. I don't think this would be a problem for a few reasons. First, this CBO.gov report finds that on the short-term, gas prices don't really change the total miles driven. Secondly, EVs emit only 57% as much CO2 per mile as combustion cars. People would have to drive EVs 75% more than they do now to even break even with the CO2 emissions from combustion cars. That doesn't sound reasonable to me.
Next, the US currently has a huge dependence on road infrastructure. We need to create policies (and build infrastructure) that shift that towards more sustainable transit methods. But that's a huge undertaking that takes a lot of time. In 2023, 64.7% of US freight was shipped by truck (by weight), vs. only 7.3% by rail. I don't think we could honestly increase the amount of goods we ship by rail by 880% overnight. Wouldn't it be faster to transition that to EV trucks at the same time as we build out rail?
It's also good to consider particulates, you have a good point, however particulate pollution only stays in the air for weeks. Greenhouse gasses stay in the air for decades+, and will cause tipping points of runaway environmental collapse that will be catastrophic for the planet. We should care about particular pollution, but it shouldn't be our #1 priority.
Overall, our current situation is that the US not only has a shitton of combustion vehicles, it also heavily relies on them for transportation. Shifting those needs away from cars & trucks takes time, to build dense housing, rail, etc., at a time when we're fighting to bring down our emissions to zero ASAP. EVs are an essential tool to bring down our transportation emissions while other policies and infrastructure are being developed. We can implement policies that disincentivize ALL cars, at the same time as we shift the cars we do have from combustion to EV.
They said:
@bluebelly-sun-serpentine:
Yeah it’s easier to convince people to keep buying cars than to radically change the landscape, but convincing people to keep buying cars(ev version) ends up looking like this:
Oh now you can drive further without feeling as guilty (because we’re not going to tell you in our ads that the majority of pm2.5 pollution is not from gas usage but from friction, so you’ll have just as many or more people on the road because govts disinvest in transit…
see for instance NYC which has at the last minute decided against congestion pricing to please a few commuters from long island - the money from congestion pricing was going to go into updating public transit (bus lines and elevators for currently ADA noncompliant subway stations) and now it’s not. NYS public transit system is just going to further degrade because people are still on the car supremacy path - EVEN in the densest city in the USA
so if more people erroneously believe driving is somehow climate or pollution neutral, people who would maybe choose to drive less will drive more, more people on the road means more public money spent on car infrastructure (not necessarily EV infrastructure), that money can’t go elsewhere, maybe we get more highway lanes added because people still erroneously believe widening highways lowers congestion, so that money doesn’t go elsewhere either…
iirc correctly bigger vehicles (i live in the USA and in the USA EV just means “we can build them bigger now”) also pollute more not just because of higher gas costs - more friction, more pm2.5 from that, more materials costs at the outset, higher environmental costs to ship all these new vehicles to wealthy consumers who may want a new car in 5 years…
and that’s no even starting on how many car-dependent municipalities are in a financial death spiral already because of how that development pattern impacts costs vs tax revenue - it’s expensive to run out suburban roads, sewage sewage & water, electrical lines, etc and many suburban or exurban developments grow and then find the municipality’s tax draw can’t afford to keep up that vital infrastructure simply because there aren’t enough taxpayers per sq mile
when you rezone and build density you have a geographically condensed tax base that can actually support and pay for that vital infrastructure and might even have money left over for other vital things like ADA compliant transit, libraries, school lunches, whatever
so I kind of see personal EVs as just one more thing encouraging municipalities into bankruptcy because they help mask the urgency of updating our land use patterns
EPVs simply don’t solve - and in fact help prolong or worsen - one of the biggest problems driving economic and environmental catastrophe in my country, and I also think that the hype around them encourages overconsumption.
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I really wish people would stop repeating the argument of "adding a lane to a highway only makes it more crowded" because it's not a convincing argument to anyone that has not already made up their mind, and it is also not true.
Oh, the amount of total traffic, that is to say the amount of cars using it, on the road always increases, but very rarely does that increase match or exceed the increased capacity. Specifically, for every 1% increased capacity, you will see an increase of 0.29% to 1.1%, meaning in the vast majority of cases, when accounting for outside factors like population growth, congestion goes down noticeably when you create more capacity. And because congestion doesn't just max out capacity, but decrease it, if you reduce overuse by even a few percent you will see a far greater reduction in congestion.
This isn't even addressing things like economic benefits (which are large and no one debates) and reduced stress on other roads (this has not been studied much because it would require monitoring hundreds of roads for years, but it is universally agreed there is some reduction for the exact reason there is an increase on the highway.)
Like, I am all for better laid out and walkable cities, but we can do so much better than this idiotic argument that will convince no one. It is a useful piece of the puzzle in a more comprehensive discussion of the issue, but out of context it will convince no one that didn't already support the idea.
#I really hate that video that popularized this argument and the word 'stroads'#seriously I have never hated a video I agreed with in the big picture more#whoever made that was an idiot
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