Markus Johnson

That’s why undergrounding transit should be a last resort for any project, not treated as a normal course of project development like ST has done

Westlake and Ballard station adjustments could save $70-80 or $100-$110 million but Seattle Center adjustments could save $420 to $470 million

Here's that slide.

If you live in Seattle, 140 years ago to the month in Feb 1886, a mob started forcibly rounding up and violently deporting Chinese migrants. This is immediately after a similar mob did the same in Tacoma a few month before.

Remind you of anything?

www.historylink.org/File/2745

app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?...

The Senate companion bill in committee, still holds on to the balcony solar language
app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/...

@emilymoore.bsky.social or @volts.wtf did the house just completely punt on legalizing balcony solar in Washington state this year? The substitute bill that looks to have passed the house doesn't have balcony solar language that existed in the original bill

There's a G-league affiliate in Mexico City, but also think that is unlikely. Agree Vancouver could be viable. However, I also would be surprised if any owner who grew up in the US would choose to move their team to Canada. There's not a lot of affinity for living abroad amongst NBA circles

Dog restrooms are increasingly being added as an amenity to apartment buildings. Rooftop locations however pose an exceptional risk, particularly where cast-iron drainage piping is installed (required in many areas). Urine is corrosive to cast-iron and will leak through into penthouse unit ceilings.

This is probably the most popular model in China. It could use a trash can nearby.

Cover page of Dog Urine Has Acute Impacts on Soil Chemistry in Urban Greenspaces

“This sustained input of concentrated
nitrogen in areas frequented by humans for recreation and leisure
represents a uniquely urban phenomenon, one whose closest
analog may be pastureland urine patches or waste lagoons in
the confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) of industrial
agriculture.”

If you are an architect, developer, or contractor who works on high-rise buildings in the US and has some very vague familiarity with the costs and complexity of high-rise systems (fire command centers, stair pressurization, generators, etc.), could you email me? stephen@centerforbuilding.org

I appreciate that part, because I was also open to some fun thinking of other cities or getting surprised with a city I hadn't thought of

Nick Suzuki and Team Canada 🇨🇦 on the metro in Milan, Italy 🇮🇹

I get OKC example is the fear, & I'm not saying it isn't possible. Just that move happened in an era where local sport television deals were a big deal & big part of team revenues. That world no longer exists. So hard to see the Portland situation much more than a tactic to get public money subsidy

Vegas is an expected expansion team, so likely off the market. I could see the league frowning on 4 teams in Texas with that much proximity. If the NFL just left your city, probably a no. Unlikely Ohio big enough for two teams and even a Cincy/Lexington combo shouldn't be alluring enough to move.

NBA going for two teams in Tennessee? I guess maybe

I just. I mean. Democrats seem to have decided that “fighter” means crude, centrist, and above all, male-coded.

I wonder if that’s maybe limiting.

Outside of maybe moving a team back to Vancouver BC, what's the US city they would move to if expansion happens? I'd call their bluff

NBA seems closer to expanding league to 32 teams - www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/nba...

That means two city markets off the list for where Portland could conceivable move to. Also, you have to get majority vote from the rest of the owners to move a team (little secret not talked about much).

Today’s CBO report says US consumers pay 95% of tariffs. 🤡

@brendanvduke.bsky.social
www.cbo.gov/system/files...

Retro Metro Bus amongst the crowd at Seahawks Super Bowl parade

My fleeting shot of the retro Metro bus

One estimate suggests that 18,000 homes a year are not being built because of the UK’s new requirement for a second stairway at 18 meters. Some are advocating to raise the limit to 50 meters, in line with global standards. archive.is/2026.02.09-1...

Not sure if anyone has already noted this on Bluesky, but ICE is expanding into an office at 2811 S 102nd St, Tukwila, WA 98168.

Fair enforcement of fair rules (like fares) is an essential feature of an equitable society

What's the bill number?

It’s really surprising to see how much increased fare enforcement has benefited BART.

Keeping transit facilities clean and safe is very important for transit riders to get around. And using agency time on preventable maintenance is waste that could be reallocated to more service.

There's a lot of good reasons why renters want to move & a lot of well off renters in the city. Building a lot more new housing in different parts of the city, so that there are more good options, is one of my top priorities as a renter.

I took the survey already & used it as an opportunity to share my experience through the lens of this underrated framing that @shanedphillips.bsky.social shared a couple years ago.

If the $10 million annual savings is close to being true, that’s a good return on a $90 million investment…way more than their bonds’ rate of interest

Source for the $90 million cost: missionlocal.org/2025/06/sf-b...

The article outlines that with this environmental review exemption, and without design review, they got their land use permit in ~300 days. It takes ~600 days on average with those two hurdles in place

crickets from the free speech crowd, of course