Or how about eliminating mandatory parking minimums. Contrary to what certain folks think, this does not mean it will be impossible to build parking. Developers will simply be able to choose how much parking to build based on demand, which still means lots of spots for most of the suburbs!
I doubt any sensible property owner is going to plop an 8-unit building in the middle of a single-family subdivision in Plainfield if it doesn't pencil out. But if people want to live in that building in that location, who are we to tell them no?
People will take the idea:
"It should be easier to build apartments where the demand exists."
And twist it into:
"Single family homes will be illegal everywhere. There won't be enough parking spaces, even way out in the boonies where there's no transit."
Feels like a pancakes/waffles moment.
When the conductor doesn't check your ticket, so you get to feel the rush of fare evasion.
Right up there with more of my unironic favorites:
"Truth, dare, spin bottles
You know how to ball, I know Aristotle
Brand new, full throttle
Touch me while your bros play Grand Theft Auto"
And of course the most Lori Lightfoot-coded bit:
"I can make deals with the devil
Because my dick's bigger"
As a society, it feels like we moved on too quickly from some of Taylor Swift's horniest lyrics:
"These fatal fantasies
Giving way to labored breath
Taking all of me
We've already done it in my head"
🥵
I don't go to Starbucks to get creative with my order, I only ever get one particular drink - the iced brown sugar oat milk shaken espresso.
Who on earth needs AI to provide inspiration for drink orders? Are people really that desperate to outsource all of their thinking and decision-making??
The bubble cannot burst fast enough.
It's funny that my family moved from Florida (which will be underwater from climate change) to Chicago (which is not threatened by sea level rise but Lake Michigan can still consume us if it wanted to).
I feel like I'm in the minority of people who don't like most "dark mode" webpages. I have my phone set to sync dark mode to the sun because a bright screen in a dark room is a bad combo. But reading long paragraphs of white text on a black background strains my eyes more than the inverse.
The bus I'm riding just passed a home with a cat in the window. Always a good blessing. ❤️
Yeah the station locations don't seem great for Metra transfers. Also missed opportunity by not stopping near Hamilton Lakes.
Pace is moving forward to add service between Forest Park, Yorktown Center, Schaumburg. I think we should be leveraging our highways for more express buses between suburbs. It just sucks that it will take 8+ years to build, and we still need to fix the Blue Line to make this service more appealing.
I was just skimming through Pace's I-290/I-88 Express Bus Study (as one does on a Saturday morning) and some of the public survey responses are wild. Imagine feeling so important that you are compelled to comment, in all caps, "COMPLETE WASTE OF MONEY, STOP IT."
My version of this is sipping a drink while staring out the window of a Metra train.
I figured as much.
Unfortunately we occasionally see a train striking a pedestrian, but I think this is the first time I've seen an alert refer to a "trespasser."
Only 217 unread emails to sort through after a week of vacation. Could be much worse.
Listen I'm basically an old man now in my 30s
A yellow cup with a straw perched on top of a ledge. In the background is a white sand beach with bright blue water and clear skies.
Sipping a cocktail on a Bahamian beach did something to my brain. I had always been skeptical of cruises, but I fear I may have just gotten myself hooked.
Sometimes it's good to be disconnected on vacation though!
They probably charge too much for data at sea. The onboard wifi seems good enough to use the cruise line app, and right now I'm picking up cell service in Nassau.
Side of a cruise ship as viewed from the arrival terminal.
Interior of the cruise ship lobby atrium with an ornate glass chandelier.
Pool deck aboard the cruise ship.
Stateroom aboard the cruise ship with a king bed, couch, and verandah balcony.
Time for my first-ever cruise! Say hello to the Disney ~Dream~ 🚢✨
Some advil, a shower, and lying down in a dark room. Sometimes coffee helps.
Fortunately today the pain was gone by the time I got to the airport.
My day so far:
👎 Migraine as soon as I woke up
👍 Perfectly-timed bus/train transfers to get to O'Hare
👍 TSA line only took 20 minutes
👎 United Club lounges are "at capacity" and not accepting one-time pass customers
👍 McDonald's breakfast sandwich and iced coffee
I do have a trip planned and will probably post more in a couple days! Hoping the security line at O'Hare isn't too much of a hassle, given everything.
The best feeling in the world is when you close your work laptop on Friday afternoon before a week of PTO. 😎
We could use a Gandalf right about now
View looking west down the tracks from the island platform at Oak Park. A Metra train toward downtown Chicago is approaching the outbound side, leaving the inbound platform empty.
At this point I guess I should just assume that inbound UP-W #20 will arrive from platform 2 at Oak Park (the usual outbound side). Wouldn't be such a big deal, except Oak Park's elevated platforms are accessed via really long ramps which make switching sides a pain.
The Rosemont, Cumberland, and Harlem (O'Hare branch) stations were built with support columns on the outer side of the tracks rather than the middle of the platform. So they're practically begging to put up walls between those columns!