ilya :2train: :3train:

- nyc politics & policy with a focus on transit
- civil infrastructure
- software/tech “culture”
- in a band
- can’t ride a bike or drive
- three cats

pronouns
he/him
location
brooklyn
ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-09-18

✌️

find me at @ilya

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-09-17

one day to shutdown, i'll be taking this down sometime tomorrow so please migrate accounts if you haven't done so already

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-09-13

5 days y'all

ilya :2train: :3train: boosted:

Just absolutely infuriating. #FuckEricAdams

The sooner he resigns in disgrace (c'mon indictments!), the better.

hellgatenyc.com/morning-spew-e

#NYC #OpenStreets #BikeNYC

while most of the city was riveted by news that more than a half dozen members of the Adams administration had been served with subpoenas, the mayor himself was at a "safe streets roundtable." 

While groups like Transportation Alternatives & Los Deliveristas Unidos appeared to be represented at that event, there were also a slew of safe streets reactionaries like the E-Vehicle Safety Alliance, which wants to penalize the use of e-bikes by people without a state-issued license & ban e-bikes from all public parks & mass transit, as well as Queens Councilmember Bob Holden, who is sponsoring legislation to do some of the above & whose stated goal is to "take back our streets from the lawless e-mobile scooters & bikes that regularly disregard almost every NYC traffic regulation." (Reminder: The data shows that drivers of cars overwhelmingly kill & maim pedestrians, not cyclists or e-bike riders.)

It may not surprise you to learn that some of these reactionaries also hate outdoor dining & congestion pricing & other City & state policies designed to curb the use of personal automobiles, & yet here they were sitting with the mayor, and the mayor was apparently in agreement with them, expressing "unconditional support" for Holden's City Council bill that would force e-bike riders to register with the state. Also in attendance: the United Neighbors of Prospect & Crown Heights, a group that has been sharply critical of the Underhill bike boulevard & the Vanderbilt Ave open street.Then later that day, news leaked that the Adams administration was hosting an invitation-only "town hall" in Prospect Heights on Monday night (that's tonight) concerning the Underhill bike boulevard and the Vanderbilt Avenue open street. Now it appears you do actually not need an invitation to show up, and the mayor is planning on being there per his public schedule.

Recall that the completion of the Underhill bike boulevard—one of the mayor's 2021 campaign promises was literally to build bike boulevards!—was delayed for six months while Adams hemmed and hawed about "outreach," despite the fact that the Department of Transportation did two years of outreach before making the changes, and that the safety improvements have overwhelming support from the community.

And while the Vanderbilt Avenue open street has a handful of detractors, it's also wildly popular, and good for local businesses: A 2022 DOT study showed that businesses on open streets saw a 20 percent increase in revenue. 

So what's happening here? Why would the Adams administration suddenly signal that it's willing to backtrack on two major safe streets initiatives that were supposedly settled? Would a mayor facing serious political headwinds grasp at any straw to garner votes and enthusiasm from his car-owning constituency? Who's to say?
ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-09-06

Less than two weeks to toot.pizza shutdown!

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-08-29

I'm thinking of migrating to @ilya, and then maybe to Threads once they're out of Fediverse beta. I'm @embeaken@threads.net there.

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-08-22

just did a media cleanup and it only shaved off maybe 100gb

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-08-22

the storage for this instance is coming out to around 2.6TB! wild how that adds up.

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-08-21

september 18!

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-08-21

just under 1 month until toot.pizza shuts down on september 18

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-07-19

Just under two months until we shut down. Remember to migrate your accounts!

ilya :2train: :3train: boosted:
2024-07-15

THE WIRES: How deferred maintenance, short-staffing, a shelved modernization, mismanagement, and starving Amtrak for decades set the stage for crippling electrical failures on NE Corridor — a decrepit power grid that slows down service, even when it works -- curbed.com/article/amtrak-nort

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-06-18

Hey all. I've decided to shut toot.pizza down. It's not worth the growing expense for me anymore given the small amount of active users.

In accordance with the Mastodon server covenant, I am giving a 3-month heads up before pulling the plug so y'all can move your accounts somewhere else. If the active folks move before then, I'll take it down earlier.

It's been a journey and I really did enjoy the community that was built here. Thanks to all who participated!

ilya :2train: :3train: boosted:
2024-03-23

hi fedi 👋

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-02-16

lots of critical mastodon updates lately. we got em all!

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-01-26

new boombox is sonos sound bar

catch me on your block blasting dolby atmos spacial audio

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-01-22

Quick poll - would toot.pizza members be willing to contribute like $5/month to help with server costs?

I've been handling it myself but it would be nice to offset it and maybe even have some extra cash on hand to run on better servers.

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-01-18

thinking of getting nintendo switch online just to play golden sun on my switch 🤪

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-01-04

@Alon they're not gonna cause 9/11 unless they gets into like self driving airplanes 🤣

ilya :2train: :3train:embeaken@toot.pizza
2024-01-04

@Alon deal with lawsuits get bullied in school probably a la eric trump idk

Client Info

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