@samzpearson.bsky.social
interested in place, language, a slow world... promoting active transportation -- and other things pro-climate, community, and common sense -- also racial justice, repro justice, individual self-determination, LGBTQ rights, humanism & value of change
Here's a non-driver I met in Mifflinburg during my #WeekWithoutDrivingPA. My bike ride over there to an eye appt led to our having a conversation in the coffee shop. I asked him if I could record his endorsement of the local transit provider he depends on, Rabbit Transit. vimeo.com/1125394630?s...
08.10.2025 12:26 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Map of Pennsylvania showing locations of hospitals with a labor and delivery unit in 2025. Counties with at least one L&D unit are in white and counties with non are shaded. There are 77 such hospitals in the Commonwealth, but they are not evenly distributed across the 67 counties. 22 counties have none, including several contiguous counties. This means people need to travel at time real distances already to get to these critical services. And this is before the latest threat to rural hospital viability...
Still sorting through material from last week's #WeekWithoutDrivingPA. The uneven distribution of critical medical services like maternity care is an indicator of other shocking gaps in basic access to key destinations that make being a non-driver so challenging in PA. Can't access what isn't there.
08.10.2025 03:06 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
View of the alley on the way back from the dentist, without older garages and a cross street up ahead and bike handlebars in the foreground. Handlebars are equipped with two lights, a coated cable lock, and a decorative bell.
On Day 3 of #WeekWithoutDriving I biked 1/4 mile to the dentist -- because I was too lazy to walk. It got me outside, gave me a chance to check how the recently planted trees are doing in the drought. But it's a small town & I didn't have anywhere else to go... (also seem to have lost a post -- gah)
03.10.2025 04:10 β π 4 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
screenshot of googlemaps driving directions for the ~125 mile trip from Lewisburg to Quakertown, PA, showing 2 to 2.5 hour drive, 2 day way, 12 hour bike ride and no option for transit
screenshot of googlemaps directions for the ~125 mile trip from Lewisburg to Quakertown, PA, saying sorry but there are no suggestions and providing a link to get driving directions instead
screenshot of googlemaps directions for the 100 mile trip from Lewisburg to Clearfield, PA by transit, giving the two options of 3 buses and travel times of 18 and 25 hours, the latter by way of Harrisburg, 60 miles to the south
For #WeekWithoutDrivingPA Day 2, I had to go ~125 miles to Quakertown for work. I was able to catch a ride from someone else in the PA Downtown Center network -- good because there are no transit options. The other regional meeting this week does have transit, sort of... #WeekWithoutDriving
01.10.2025 01:46 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Lewisburg Neighborhoods graphic for Week Without Driving showing the dates 9/20 to 10/5 and a picture of a commuter e-bike with business-like panniers all on a pale blue background.
I worked from home today (as per often) & will bike the short distance to an evening Lewisburg Neighborhoods meeting shortly. LN has announced WWD events, including River Road Holiday on Sunday, from 1 to 5! #WeekWithoutDriving weekwithoutdriving.org #WeekWithoutDrivingPA weekwithoutdrivingpa.org
29.09.2025 21:41 β π 6 π 1 π¬ 0 π 0Those are some swanky underground trash bin access points!
09.05.2025 19:11 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0Also a great solution for the many streets with vestigial/narrow tree lawns; these corner bumpouts can actually provide enough space for trees to grow!
Caveats: check underground utility locations and also any constraints in ordinances on trees in close proximity to intersections. Update as needed!
The default is a recreational, fair weather or happily muddy bicycle, rather than a functional all-weather vehicle. If there were standard parts that could be readily added as needed that would be one thing, but half the time you have to kludge the add-ons to make them work.
09.05.2025 03:30 β π 8 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0You mean like almost every bike in the Netherlands?
I love fenders, but you have to really try to get them on your bikes here... And lights with generators... And racks and baskets...
Even got one of those frame-mounted locks like they have in the NL, but it doesn't really fit on US frames...
PHL is making real strides toward ridership recovery, but all that is in jeopardy with the current funding fight. Many transit providers in PA have announced imminent drastic cuts. Transit for All PA has a solid proposal for statewide transit funding. www.transitforallpa.org/transit-ride...
07.05.2025 22:31 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
There was service with ~10 trains/day one way between Lewisburg, PA (current pop. ~6k) and Mifflinburg (~5k). Vicksburg (<200), a hamlet halfway, had a _station_ and regular service. There were also whistle stops at _farms_ along the way. Nearest train now 1 hr drive. And PGH/HBG only 1 train/day...
25.11.2024 01:07 β π 3 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0WSDOT has added βSafer Land Useβ as a sixth element of our Safe System Approach.
24.11.2024 23:28 β π 104 π 19 π¬ 2 π 12
RESEARCH: People Walking Spend More In U.K. Shops Than Motorists.
For the record, people on bikes & riding transit do too.
No surprise here, study after study has concluded this & itβs really just common sense. But I still welcome every bit of evidence we can share. www.forbes.com/sites/carlto...
Pennsylvania needs to be flexing funds from its highway account to its transit programβcompletely allowed under federal law.
We lay out how to do this in our report on surmounting the transit fiscal cliff (pg 54) www.urban.org/research/pub...
