Thomas Bamonte

Opinion | Trump Is Not Afraid of Civil War. Neither Is Stephen Miller.

Per Thomas Edsall: “[Trump]…has initiated what amounts to a unique form of partisan civil war designed to amass power in a nominal democracy and defang, decimate and defund the opposition.” www.nytimes.com/2025/10/07/o...

If it turns out that robotaxis and other automated vehicles can handle narrower streets better than human-operated vehicles and sidewalk delivery bots need more space to function effectively (and safely w/peds) maybe an unintended long-term effect of AVs could be wider sidewalks/narrower streets.

The Suburban Case for Transit Reform Trips don’t end at the city limits, so why do our transit agencies?

"The Suburban Case for Transit Reform." @starlinechicago.bsky.social nails why the Chicago region needs the Illinois General Assembly to deliver transit governance and funding reforms. "Trips don’t end at the city limits, so why do our transit agencies?" citythatworks.substack.com/p/the-suburb...

ICE's Broadview facility has become a de facto detention center, minus the rules and oversight ICE regularly held immigrants far beyond the hours they set for the Broadview processing center, data through July shows. Immigrants held there say there are no beds, limited food, and toilets are out...

Zoning/military law experts: Can Broadview (or other municipalities) push back against ICE expansion efforts on the basis of zoning laws that prohibit detention centers or overnight accommodations in properties leased or acquired by the federal government? chicago.suntimes.com/immigration/...

US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says ‘we’re here to stay,’ indicating ICE may expand in Broadview Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem indicated on Friday that the federal government is seeking to acquire additional property in west suburban Broadview to expand its immigration enforcement effor...

Report on possible ICE expansion in the Chicago region. www.yahoo.com/news/article...

As Portland Fights ICE With Land-Use Regulations, Will Zoning Survive Trump? — Streetsblog USA Portland's attempt to rein in ICE could trigger a battle over the constitutionality of zoning.

The federal government is seeking to acquire additional property in west suburban Broadview to expand its immigration enforcement efforts in the Chicago area. This article looks at how local zoning laws may impact ICE expansion efforts. usa.streetsblog.org/2025/10/06/w...

The Illinois transit reform bill calls for a revamp of reduced fare programs for transit in the Chicago region. This helpful @rpa.org report might help inform that process.

The @evanstonroundtable.bsky.social coverage of transit fiscal cliff and related issues has been strong. Here is its report on the revised fiscal cliff numbers revealed at the 10/3 meeting of the RTA's Ad Hoc Committee on Transit Funding.

This is Brighton Park, the neighborhood where a U.S. Border Patrol agent also shot a woman earlier today. It is a predominantly Latine community on the southwest side.

I visited the apartment building ICE raided on Tuesday today. Story to come, but you can walk right in. Half of the apartments have no doors on them. Children's stuff abandoned in some flats. *Citizen* residents told me they were arrested and held for hours in zipties. This is America

Biked Chicago to Elgin. Much was in DuPage County: Prairie Path -> Great Western Trail -> Prairie Path-Elgin Extension. Trails were well-maintained gravel w/well marked road crossings. Plenty of users. Kudos to DuPage Cty Division of Transportation (#DuDOT). Map here: cms5.revize.com/revize/dupag...

Chicago ADU FAQ
abundanthousingillinois.org/resources/ac...

Don't mess with Illinois! Advocates and local politicians say Trump's latest interference with Chicagoland transportation won't succeed - Streetsblog Chicago In the past week, the Trump administration has done its best to create anxiety and mayhem in the Chicago-area walk/bike/transit scene. His transit chief Marc Molinaro ran an op-ed in the Tribune that ...

A sanguine assessment of USDOT’s pause on federal funding for two big CTA Red Line projects. chi.streetsblog.org/2025/10/03/d...

CTA's potential bus, rail service cuts pushed to last half of 2026 CTA, Metra and Pace have shrunken an expected $770 million budget shortfall next year to $202 million, agency bosses said at a special meeting called by the Regional Transit Authority.

Report on yesterday’s transit fiscal cliff meeting @rtachicago.bsky.social. chicago.suntimes.com/transportati...

One of the first casualties if the Illinois General Assembly doesn't address transit governance/funding in this month's veto session will be @pacesuburbanbus.bsky.social popular Taxi Access & Rideshare Access Programs. Pace estimates that funding for the programs will be gone at the end of 1Q 2026.

The @chicagocta.bsky.social made the case for what $1.5B/yr. in add'l funding sought by transit reform legislators-- ~double the 2027 fiscal shortfall--could buy; namely, much better transit service for the region. CTA's Acting Prez also noted CTA carries ~85% of riders; gets <50% operating funding.

Statement by @rtachicago.bsky.social Chair on today's meeting of the Ad Hoc Committee on Transit Funding. Links to PPTs and meeting recording. FY26 funding gap estimate drops from $771M to $202M. Big gaps in subsequent fiscal years. mailchi.mp/rtachicago.o...

Two big @chicagocta.bsky.social Red Line projects are in @usdot.bsky.social crosshairs. www.transportation.gov/briefing-roo...

The Wave of Transit ‘Fiscal Cliffs,’ Explained:
Covid and inflation played a role; but for many agencies, the crisis goes much deeper. Incisive look @benschneider.bsky.social at transit fiscal cliff causes and solutions. His assessment of viable solutions:

According to the Milwaukee DPW projects implemented in 2024, for which speed data has been collected, reduced speeding by an average of 27%.
Projects completed in 2023 reduced crashes by 15%, injury crashes 7% and “life-changing injury crashes” by 28%. urbanmilwaukee.com/2025/09/26/n...

The Supreme Court Will Do Four Things This Term That Tell You Everything You Need to Know In the week before the October 2025 Supreme Court term opens, the impulse among court watchers will again be to do what we always do.

Overview of new US Supreme Court term. slate.com/news-and-pol...

Gov. Pritzker Announces Largest Infrastructure Program in State History The new $50.6 billion multi-year blueprint builds on successes of Rebuild Illinois, includes $400 million for local needs with focus on distressed areas

New capital program (linked): $32.5B for state/local roads and bridges. A total of $18.1B is programmed for other modes, which includes $13.8B for transit, $2.9B for freight and passenger rail, $1.2B for aviation, and $200M for ports and waterways. gov-pritzker-newsroom.prezly.com/gov-pritzker...

There is an meeting of the @rtachicago.bsky.social Board's Ad Hoc Committee on Transit Funding tomorrow morning that will delve into the timing and impact of the transit fiscal cliff for the Chicago region. www.rtachicago.org/about-rta/bo...

Memo from @civicfederation.bsky.social to @rtachicago.bsky.social board of directors with recommendations for how RTA and the service boards (CTA, Metra, Pace) can manage through the approaching "fiscal cliff." civicfed.org/blogs/meanin...

Democrats pass anemic transportation bill as Republicans grandstand to bitter end It's not the transportation bill any Oregon Democrats wanted, but it's the only one they could pass.

Oregon's transportation funding bill, which includes an increase in the payroll tax used to fund public transit, limped over the finish line. Funding increase ~1/3 of amount in original bill. bikeportland.org/2025/09/30/d...

New plan envisions next 20 years of development in downtown Chicago The Central Area Plan 2045​ seeks to transform and invest in the downtown area.

The Chicago Department of Planning and Development has issued a plan envisioning what the next 20 years of development could look like in downtown Chicago.
The Central Area Plan 2045 [linked] seeks to transform and invest in the downtown area. www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news...

Meanwhile, in Chicago streets.... bsky.app/profile/stev...

Yes, CTA needs to be and feel safer. But despite what the U.S. transit czar implied, Trump shouldn't use that as an excuse to send in National Guard. - Streetsblog Chicago Yesterday, Trump’s Federal Transit Administration chief Marc Molinaro scolded Chicago leaders about crime on public transportation in a Tribune op-ed titled, “The CTA has become a rolling symbol of ab...

.@johngreenfield.bsky.social @chi.streetsblog.org critiques recent op-ed by FTA Administrator. chi.streetsblog.org/2025/09/30/y...

Student newspaper @loyolachicago.bsky.social tackles transit fiscal cliff: “[B]udget cuts would have an overwhelming effect on college-age adults.”