Kelli Refer

If you’re worried about the young people today and their mental health crisis, it’s comforting to spend 5 minutes on Nextdoor. The old people are SO much crazier!

The annoying thing about land use policy is that once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

As progressive underdog Katie Wilson’s primary election lead against incumbent Bruce Harrell soared past eight points with more than 50% of the vote Friday, she assured him that she’s only interested in winning the Seattle Mayor’s Office, not parking spot.

Oops, I am on vacation and that post was too close to working.

Downtown Redmond invested in more housing and great access to the light rail for people walking and biking.

Access to transit matters.

The "anti-incumbent backlash" narrative falls apart pretty quick when you expand your view outside the city.

Elected officials with compelling, future-forward visions, by and large, did well on Tuesday.

Sign showing Miner Street opened for people to walk. It says Miner Street Market. The smaller text reads: Once Wagons rolled through here - now it is just you. The road is closed so you can so slow down, wander and explore. It is SLOWER and that is kinda the point. The sign is flanked by flower boxes.

People love pedestrianized streets. I was delighted to see this open street in Idaho Springs when we stopped to get Beau Jo’s Pizza.

We definitely stayed and did more shopping this way!

You’d have to get rid of a lot of slip lanes. But you could significantly narrow almost every single road and put in trees, xeriscape landscaping and benches.

Visiting family in the suburbs of Denver and I can’t help but try to reimagine frequent buses and two way protected bike lanes eating up 1/3 of the car lanes on every street.

We need more shuttle service to access the incredible outdoor recreation in Washington! Take a few minutes to read the thread and make comments!

Really “room for improvement” undersells the weird driver/ passenger drama that unfolded and resulted in the driver pulling off an off ramp at 405 to talk to dispatch and then everyone got pissed.

Like just get us back to Seattle. Preferably alive.

Which we did make it back, but not fun.

I appreciate that there was a shuttle to the Thing music festival in Carnation today, but there is a lot of room for improvement.

To make shuttles more useful for special events they need to offer more flexibility and to be cheaper. You had to stay for the whole day, no option to leave early.

Universal Basic Income works.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

Poverty is a policy choice.

I am partially convinced I could move to Mount Vernon and be happy because of that co-op.

“The president cut your health care so he could build himself a golden ballroom” is a pretty easy message to sell

"Compared to other modes, [walking and biking were] found to have positive relation with mental and physical health of an urban commuter."

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These books were signed while hanging out at my favorite beach in Seattle. If you're looking for a beach read, @seattlebikeblog.com's got you covered!

After I finish reading a book, I pull out a few books that have sat on my shelf. I read the first page and hold them in my hands to decide what to read next.

It is a nice little ritual.

Get your ballot in for Katie Wilson! They are due Tuesday, but don’t wait. It’s too easy for it to get buried in the sundrunk Seattle summer frenzy. I think this is the earliest I’ve ever voted. #SEAbikes #Seattle

Driving alone everywhere seems like a bummer. I look at people’s faces and they seem bored, frustrated or angry.

See, not all news is terrible!

Wow, while walking to the bus this morning I started chatting with a woman. The barista gave her an extra iced coffee and she gave the extra one to me.

That does not happen when you drive alone.

As a car free parent, we naturally resist the over scheduled life. Yes, we do fun kid activities, but rarely too many at a time. Her swim lessons are next to a great bike lane and ice skating is available next to light rail. This could shift as she gets older, but for now, it works!

How Driving Less Benefits Us Driving less provides personal benefits and societal ones. Less rushing means a more involved day-to-day.

This article articulates the feeling of slowing down by shifting your mode of transit really well.

It is actually a gift to consider your time and energy more precious. I have to make choices about what I really want to do because there is not enough time to do it all.

Me under an umbrella with the new pier 58 playground in the background

We went before it got too hot. I found a table with an umbrella for shade to work from and my child is happily climbing away. I bet this afternoon it will get hotter, but for now it isn’t too bad.

I am taking my daughter there today. I will report back.

I love riding my bike for transportation because it simplifies complex trips: summer camp pick up, library and the grocery store, all in a loop.

I want fixed route transit to handle that, but currently we lack the frequency to link those trips easily, especially with a child in tow.

safe routes to school and other programs for mobility for kids also have a stealthy and underdiscussed gender component as well. It's typically moms who do the overwhelming amount of child-portaging. i think there's a case to be made that not unlike universe childcare, SRTS is feminist policy

If you follow Seattle politics but you don’t follow @theseattlechannel.bsky.social, you’re missing out!

A highway with lots of people driving alone. Gray and desolate infrastructure

Our cities do not need to look like this.

We can do better for people and our planet.