Passionate designer of safe, connected cities for all. Happiest riding buses, bikes, and trains. Moving to jameslllamas.bsky.social
New York, USA
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Turns out all these big manly Texas trucks are two wheel drive and absolutely useless in slippery conditions.
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Thinking about buying a diner so the governor of New York will take policy advice from me.
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How many transit agency CEOs are in the top 1% of riders on their system? Not nearly enough!
Just over 600 total trips to land in top 1%! So happy to see everyone posting their status showing how #wmata saves them time, money & helps 🌎. I’m going to up my game in 2024. Let me know your total, definitely need a prize for top trips taken! #yourmetroreport
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After 12 years and 1.76 million trips, today is the last day of #bikeshare in Houston. As vice chair of Houston Bike Share, the nonprofit operator of @houstonbcycle, I’d like to offer some perspective on what we accomplished and what we learned on this roller coaster journey. 1/
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Y’all!!! Houston City Council just UNANIMOUSLY approved #WalkablePlaces and #TOD including:
-Removal of parking requirements near transit
-Bicycle parking requirements
(1/3)
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Houston! If you believe in a more walkable, affordable, and transit-oriented future for our city then this is a very exciting week! City council will consider ordinance changes for Walkable Places and Transit-Oriented Development, and they need to hear support! A thread. 1/
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Observation from riding regional rail and bus systems in three countries this week: urban-rural transit connectivity is key for the survival of small towns and great for quality of life in cities. The US by and large has abandoned its small towns, trapping people in or out.
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One takeaway from 62 transit trips over 5 days in Europe: US standards for the availability and detail of customer information are pitifully low.
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Each project better than the last! The newest version of our precast bikeway curbs is a little bit wider and comes with threaded inserts for a flex post base. The surface-mount base makes the posts easy to replace in the event of damage. @HoustonBikePlan @TEI_PlanDesign
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Hit my $3 (2.4 rides) so the rest of the day is FREE! @METROHouston deserves credit for its equitable fare policy:
-affordable fares
-3 hour transfer window in any direction
-smart card that can be reloaded on board the bus just $1 at a time
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Perhaps the deepest root cause of Houston’s underdeveloped transit infrastructure and anemic service levels is the General Mobility Program, which transfers 1/4 of METRO’s sales tax revenue to the county and cities to spend primarily on roads. METRO has helped enough.
Whitmire on @METROHouston: Metro is going to help with the condition of the streets that their buses tear up.
That caused a few awkward laughs.
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Michigan fans in line for the 102 are NOT impressed. They said they were expecting service more like the M60 at LGA that “gets you out of there” ever 8 to 10 minutes.
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Just walked by a car being started remotely on a 55 degree morning in Houston. Gas is clearly not too expensive.
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Coincidentally, I finished @VeronicaODavis’s book Inclusive Transportation while in her former home of Washington, DC. Can confidently say it will improve my practice of engineering and planning.
ALT Me on a plane with Inclusive Transportation
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Congress’s focus on airlines over transit, passenger rail, and intercity bus is the definition of #EliteProjection.
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Overheard on @GoBrightline: “This is my first time, I’m sick of friggin traffic.” The engineer was is the car and the passenger asked her about how fast we’ll be going. She explained that we reach 125 but only for 7 or 8 minutes.
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Oops I triggered some trolls! Muting and wishing you all a very pleasant “take the damn train!”
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Today, after 11 years with @TEI_PlanDesign, I submitted my last report! Two weeks ago, my partner and I moved to New York City. While I’m sad to be leaving TEI and Houston at such a pivotal time, this has been an opportunity to reflect on all the progress we’ve made.
ALT James waving goodbye next to the TEI sign.
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Yeah, pretty sure there’s a consensus on their effectiveness among practitioners. If a dentist told you or I, “I don’t thing separated bike lanes are worth the extra space or expense,” I think our reaction would be like theirs to this opinion.
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I’ll leave you with one final fun fact. The conventional wisdom is that Houston is too hot for biking. In fact, Houstonians ride all summer and only back off in the winter months. Houston is, in fact, too cold for biking. 17/17 for now.
ALT Chart showing 2022 BCycle ridership by month. April and October are highest, December and February are lowest.
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Busy three days in Boston! I should mention that I started last month as an Associate Principal in the New York office of @NelsonNygaard. I’m excited to plan and design great streets and transit for our clients in the northeast and across North America!
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I truly do not understand @Amtrak NEC stopping patterns. This Acela makes Stamford but not New Haven. The regional I took up made New Rochelle, Bridgeport, and NH but skipped Stamford. It wasn’t for lack of platform space, we went through on platform track 2.
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I love riding @Amtrak through Texas but it also makes me sad. For all its attachment to heritage, the state has done such a poor job supporting its small towns.
ALT Derelict buildings in Taylor, TX
ALT Amtrak trains in Fort Worth station
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Forgot to post, but my @Amtrak California Zephyr experience DEN-CHI on Sunday was the best I’ve had on a long distance train in quite some time.
-Super on time
-Windows were washed in Denver
-Every staff member was friendly and professional
I hope this trend continues!
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Driver on the 44 just signaled to me that my fly was down. If I drove to work I would have walked in like that!
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Will any Texas be left or will it just be roads?
Announcing a record-breaking $148 BILLION transportation investment to strengthen Texas roadways.
This includes more than $104 billion to improve safety and address congestion and over $43 billion for development and maintenance.
More: bit.ly/3X31L1V
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Who needs a gym membership when you can just bring 55 pounds of @IKEAUSA drawers home on the bus for $1.25? (It was actually a free transfer.)
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Quick lil trip to San Antonio tonight to keep my @Amtrak status! Dinner with the first woman mayor of Rockhampton, Queensland has been the highlight. Where else would that happen but on a train?
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Rode 11th Street for some delicious pizza at the new Gypsy Poet location! And we weren’t the only ones. One of the owners thanked me for the new bike lanes but I told him I couldn’t take credit! @HoustonPlanning @HouPublicWorks
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Last week, a man on the bus was using a paper map. That made me happy. Today, a woman is taking a driving exam quiz on her phone. That makes me less happy.
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Houston joins the world’s elite bicycling cities with a bike share station-protected bike lane. This glorious scene was made possible by @RodneyEllis @midtownHOU @HoustonBCycle @HoustonBikePlan @HoustonPlanning @HouPublicWorks @TEI_PlanDesign @tooledesign
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Got lucky with a Talgo to Vancouver! They don’t often make it up to Canada these days. @Amtrak_Cascades
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Imagine where @METROHouston ridership would be with the full Frequent Network restored!
ALT 2020 Frequent Network with 20 bus routes and 3 rail lines
ALT 2024 Frequent Network with 14 bus routes and 1 rail line
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If Houston wants affordable bike share for transportation, recreation, and health, our leaders need to step up and support it. We have been ringing this bell furiously for a year but to no avail.
We have to shut down BCycle. It breaks our hearts. (Opinion) trib.al/3l7XrzH
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“The type of walkable, urban building form that’s been the standard for cities for thousands of years was made illegal in Houston because of various planning decisions in past decades that were designed around making it easier to drive,” Llamas said. houstonchronicle.com/news/ho…
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Lovely ride on @Amtrak’s Cardinal to Chicago! It was a conductor’s last trip before retirement and there was a crowd to wish him farewell at every station.
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A pleasant surprise to find @Amtrak “traditional dining” (meaning fresh cooked food) back in the Silver Meteor dining car! Appreciate @RailPassengers advocacy.
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Fourth, bike share is the best deal in public transportation. The subsidy to support our 175-station network would be $1 million and deliver 300k+ rides per year, or $3.33 per ride. It costs @METROHouston $10-11 to provide a local bus or rail ride. 12/ transit.dot.gov/sites/fta.do…
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I don’t understand why someone would shackle themselves to a vehicle when we have so many better options here.
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Walked by this new bike rack several times before realizing the text is borrowed (with permission, and hardly original anyway) from my Twitter! Transit is independence!
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Today in my occasional series “Airports that Don’t Want You to Use Transit but I Do It Anyway,” Palm Springs, CA (@flyPSP). The @SunlineTransit stop is about an 8 minute walk out the terminal and down the street.
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Furthermore, with more than half of @HoustonBCycle stations located within a block of a @METROHouston bus stop, rail station, or transit center, it’s hard to envision a better first- and last-mile network. 10/
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New glow-in-the-dark trail connecting Summerwood neighborhoods to @hcpct1 Deussen Park! @TEI_PlanDesign
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Headed to Harris County Commissioners Court for a #TransitEquityDay proclamation recognizing #LINKHouston…on a @hcpct1 @RodneyEllis funded bike lane!
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Pretty excited for today’s journey! Should be 7 vehicles, 6 service types, and two new operators for me if all goes well. This elevator doesn’t count.
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-Requirements for a great pedestrian realm, buildings meeting the sidewalk, and ground floor transparency for new development near transit and in three historically walkable neighborhoods
-Neighborly townhomes and fences
(2/3)
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And we believe that any bike trip is worth supporting. @HouPublicWorks and @TxDOT don’t deduct recreational trips from traffic counts. @METROHouston doesn’t deduct recreational trips from ridership numbers. 9/
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The Amtrak figure includes all operating costs. The highway figure does not - policing and emergency response come out of other funding sources.
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"Over the last decade, the landscape of New York City has seen an unprecedented amount of change."
This claim seems dubious considering the city added a million residents a decade from 1900-1940.
ny.curbed.com/2019/12/12/210… @CurbedNY
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Ridership was predominantly recreational early on, but that changed as we added neighborhood and campus stations. In 2021, based on indicators like one-way versus round trips and ride duration, recreational rides were down to about 40% of trips. 8/
ALT Chart showing annual trips by membership type
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Someday this won’t be news! abc13.com/traffic/car-free-c…
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Y’all just like hating on Texas. TEXRail has a consistent, seven-day clockface schedule from early morning to late night! Sounder runs like once at rush hour.
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No one’s gonna bike in Houston in August!
Wow.
Riders took nearly 9,000 trips this past week––the most we've ever seen.
In honor of the new record, today's @CHI_StLukes Health Momentum data comes in chart form. (Check out the gains over last year's record-breaking trip numbers.)
Let's #KeepHoustonRolling safely!
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Does anyone else daydream on train rides about fixing up one of these old towers and living in it?
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In conclusion, we have demonstrated how equitable bike share for transportation, recreation, and health can work in sprawling sunbelt city. The resources needed are modest, it would just take leadership from our elected officials. 14/
ALT Dignitaries cutting the ribbon on Moody Park stations
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I would take @METROHouston for $1.25 and then get a wicked nice dinner.
Uber vs. Private car at Houston Airport this week:
Uber
-$110
-Waited 20 minutes to be picked up
-Driver didn't take toll road which added 1 hour to my drive (I was pissed)
- Rear suspension shot, car vibrating violently for 2 hour drive
Private Driver
-$110
-Showed up 15 minutes early to scheduled time
-Nice SUV with water, snacks, phone charger, etc.
Uber and Lyft were great when it was subsidized by cheap VC money—not as much anymore.
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Found my mom an @amtrak deal! This is cheaper than off-peak Metro-North from New Haven.
ALT $16 Amtrak fares from Hartford to NYC
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Houston is piloting North America’s first refrigerator-protected bike lane. It’s a standard design treatment in Denmark.
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Happy #Pride! Shout out to Mayor @SylvesterTurner and @HouPublicWorks for the fabulous refresh of the #HoustonPrideCrosswalk. The project was conceived by the friends of Alex Hill, killed crossing the street, as a way to celebrate his bright, young life and promote safer streets.
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Congratulations to @HoustonPlanning, Director @MargWallBrown, and Mayor @SylvesterTurner for guiding the process to truly outstanding outcome. (3/3)
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Transit-oriented run on a special-edition express 44 due to the detours! Wearing both of my marathon shirts in honor of the day.
ALT James on an empty bus
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Starting Thursday, Houston will have the best transit-oriented development code in the country.
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Welcome to @DowntownHouston, @rideFBTransit! Weekday peak service between Sugar Land and Downtown Houston launched today. Took advantage of the free ride on my way home to Midtown.
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Buses on layover here tell you when they’re going to leave! The slash through the route number means it’s the short pattern (doesn’t go to the end of the line).
ALT Bus destination sign says “Départ: 14 min.”
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Who’s obsessed with #Red?!
Red (@METROHouston’s Version) is dropping every night this week on Travis Street! Updated lettering and signs to follow.
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I will never miss an opportunity to shout out our dedicated staff who have stuck with us through the ups and downs. Perhaps what pains me the most is to see Houston's bike share talent, know-how, and passion walk out the door. 16/
ALT HBS team at Emancipation Park
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Showed family from Spain around NYC today. Some of their observations:
-“We knew cars in the US were big, but even in the city?!”
-“So many cars in Times Square. In Spain it would be a pedestrian street.”
-Lack of respect for the bus lanes makes the M42 super slow.
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HBS was formed to operate bike share on behalf of the City of @HoustonTX. In 2018 we focused our mission on providing equitable access to bicycles for transportation, recreation, and health. We outlined the history in this @houstonchronicle op-ed. 2/ houstonchronicle.com/opinion…
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I’ve always thought @IKEAUSA is missing an opportunity to furnish their local bus stops. Here’s the sorry one for @METROHouston.
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Proud of our team at @TEI_PlanDesign for helping deliver the @hcpct1 @HCEngDept Houston Bike Initiative! The project was recognized tonight as Project of the Year - Transportation ($5 million - $25 million) by @APWATexas.
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“If you want to experience the world, all you have to do is ride the 82 Westheimer.” -board chair Sanjay Ram at @RepFletcher’s announcement of $5 million for @METROHouston Westheimer BOOST
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You could reduce recreational trips by omitting park stations, but how would people get from transit to parks? 11/
ALT BCycles in Hermann Park
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This week a 52’ street in Houston’s historic Third Ward was transformed with a few painted lines. Physical separation to come. The completed high-comfort bikeway will connect into Midtown and Downtown. Vision and funding by @RodneyEllis, design by @tooledesign and @TEI_PlanDesign
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Besides the transport (and health, air quality, public safety, etc.) value, bike share has promoted an image of Houston as a green, modern city. From the @iah rental car shuttle video to every sportscast b-roll, @houstonbcycle has been @HoustonFirst's best unpaid ambassador. 13/
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