Marcus Nelson

The final score of a US football game played between the Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, September 21, 2025. The Jaguars defeated the Texans by a score of 17 to 10 points.

Wonder why you said this…

I'd rather bulldoze the EEOB and NEOB and build a new office complex on that west side (including whatever state dining facilities are needed) that connect to the West Wing and keep the President in the Executive Residence, raze the silly ballroom though.

Probably not besides portions of the Empire Connection, if you want to count that as Hudson Line.

Joe Biden - Wikipedia

Well…
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Bid...

I've found them fine, is something wrong with yours?

VRE already ordered the bilevels from Alstom with Metra, they don't appear to want any MUs. Lots of their added capacity will probably go to more dual-mode Northeast Regional trains instead of being service they have to run.

I doubt Youngkin cares much about Stadler's former CEO's political career.

For whatever reason, VRE's rolling stock decision-makers are joined at the hip with Metra's so they've committed to buying bilevels that require low platforms. The politicians in charge have also decided their long-term plans should remain primarily commuter-focused, though somewhat more frequent.

Taylor from Billions?

they made this into an highway vs transit funding infographic

Memphis transit is in deep trouble

It's time for clear eyed thinking about the potential for the large-scale destruction of public transit in American cities. It could happen in the next two years. Thread... 1/

Plans for an updated grade crossing at the CSX A-Line in Jacksonville. A large roundabout is built in the center of the tracks.

They are also doing this on other rail lines, such as this one on the CSX A-Line near Jacksonville:

The future intersection of Race Track Road and US-1, according to FDOT plans to improve the existing intersection. The intersection cuts through the FEC Railway.

A view of the new State Road 312 intersection with US-1, including a new grade crossing at the FEC Railway.

FDOT is continuing to build grade crossings much like these along other parts of the FEC where Brightline may run one day. The second picture is of a brand-new road with a new grade crossing.

Reading the markup and bill, this would essentially not fund any new transit project that isn't already part of the CIG program. That seems like a serious problem for long-term transit development.

$70k? These vans cost $392,000. The purpose-built shuttles that are supposed to replace them in a few years cost $409,000.

That's even worse, tracks are too permanent! That's why this was somehow a better idea to spend $66 million on, apparently.

Alas, JTA executives have claimed regular fixed-route buses are too large and inflexible for years in order to justify building this system with smaller vehicles.

Well…
bsky.app/profile/marc...

Yeah…
bsky.app/profile/marc...

There still has to be a guy in it to drive it when the computer gets confused (often). But JTA executives have repeatedly denounced the concept of operating fixed-route buses in order to justify building NAVI.

JTA will kick off autonomous shuttle service June 30 by offering rides for free Th Jacksonville Transportation Authority will begin its NAVI service with self-driving shuttles on June 30. Rides will be free the first three months.

Beep has been awarded a 5-year, $36 million contract to operate and maintain NAVI for JTA. This is in addition to the $40 million "Autonomous Innovation Center" built for the project.
www.jacksonville.com/story/news/l...

That would be neat if it worked particularly well at all. Unfortunately for everyone, most of all Jacksonville, the "Ultimate Urban Circulator" doesn't.

Here's my experience of the Jacksonville Transportation Authority's NAVI "autonomous" shuttle system:
medium.com/@marcuscnels...

A NAVI "autonomous shuttle" near the future Four Seasons Hotel in Jacksonville. The Beep employee who must be constantly prepared to take over is in the driver's seat.

As one of the few people who has ridden this system, it's absolutely not ready for primetime. NAVI is the culmination of 8 years and millions of dollars that never should have been spent. Transit agencies can and should do better in other, proven ways. The operating cost is higher than the monorail!

Pepsi means they'd have Starry not 7up

Keolis is building a new light maintenance facility for the Fairmount Line project, which they are only ordering seven trains for. Different beast from a broader conversion effort.

True, there's a lot of facility overhaul that goes into moving from cars to MUs, that has to happen too. They probably don't have the setup to work on fixed sets let alone distributed power. Should definitely be planned for!

Money? Used trains are cheaper than new trains, especially if they're not yet prepared to wholly replace their rolling stock, some of which is brand new.

Well for starters that NSF program seems to have been defunded by DOGE.

But practically, it's a matter of the political will to provide funding for those trips and whether the agencies see (and are treated like they see) value in sending their employees on those trips instead of working back here.

I'm not talking about hypotheticals, I'm talking about reality. I want success, but I'm wondering how to get there from here. I'm not sure how this report sells success to people who might be open to it, much less those currently holding the power of the purse with little desire for better rail.

Why should politicians along the NEC prefer a cheaper plan they don't control (but have to fund) over a more expensive plan that they do control? If an advocate wants to take your plan to state officials, why should those officials trust it over the status quo? What is the political value of that?