Taras Grescoe 🚇

Travel slowly, fix things.

Author of Straphanger. Next book: riding every passenger train in Canada (House of Anansi) 🚆

Words: NYTimes, The Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian, L'actualité, The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal.

Weekly dispatches on trains, transit & cities 👇
https://www.highspeed.blog

IG: https://www.instagram.com/taras.rides.trains/

Website: https://www.taras-grescoe.com/
Ghost Blog: https://@index@highspeed.blog
HIGH SPEED Blog: https://www.highspeed.blog/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taras.rides.trains/

Public Key

npub1ktkt3jukh33d7fw9s3mjt6gtpcsaczhu0twv284jw3jj0k5njt4sec5rry

NIP-05 Address

straphanger_at_urbanists.social@momostr.pink

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Last Notes

2026-08-26 14:32:05 UTC

I've heard Ezra Klein, other commentators saying, correctly, that data centers don't use inordinate amounts of water to cool servers.
But AI centers indirectly drive water use—the electricity they need consumes water.
How much? A shocking 3.4 *trillion* gallons of freshwater across 7 states.
https://www.latitudemedia.com/news/data-centers-hidden-water-footprint-is-linked-to-the-grid/

2026-08-05 13:07:20 UTC

Taking an overnight train means you save money on a hotel room, and your carbon emissions are a fraction of doing the same trip by car or plane.
But are sleeper trains practical for a family of 4?
We gave the Nightjet to #Berlin a test.
The whole story here: https://www.highspeed.blog/all-aboard-the-nightjet-to-berlin/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/117/043/051/552/706/652/original/19e4a420061fefff.mp4

2026-07-29 15:22:52 UTC

THIS JUST IN: In #Canada, federal government announces almost $2B for 45 new battery-diesel Via Rail passenger locomotives
The hybrid locos, first in North America, will be built by #Switzerland 's Stadler.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/via-rail-newbattery-diesel-locomotives-9.7288814

2026-07-27 17:36:25 UTC

I took a ride on #Paris 's Ligne C1, Europe’s newest, and longest, urban cable car line.
I was impressed!
I write about the downsides and (multiple) upsides of aerial tramways as public transport in this week's HIGH SPEED dispatch
#transit #france🇫🇷
https://www.highspeed.blog/up-where-the-air-is-clear/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/993/148/676/447/871/original/b1af83fd47901301.mp4

2026-06-10 13:26:22 UTC

The Parti Québécois, the #Quebec separatist party, vows to kill Alto High Speed Rail project (to link Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto) if it wins provincial election in October.
Thus aligning themselves with Conservatives, who are also against the train, on the "We Hate Anything Carney Does" platform.
Low-emission electric trains would provide an alternative to highways, and the 70+ highly-polluting short-haul flights that currently serve those cities daily.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/high-speed-train-pq-toronto-quebec-city-9.7228219
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/726/035/696/570/711/original/042d0f663d3294ec.jpg

2026-06-05 16:13:36 UTC

Greetings from the Budd Car!
Riding one of North America’s last Budd RDCs (rail diesel cars) from White River to Sudbury, #Ontario today.
“Smoke and stretch” stop in Chapleau. (Also: we fill up eith diesel.) Only place I’ll have cell reception for the next few hours.
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/698/382/773/465/143/original/240f0b22d4482f26.jpeg
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/698/382/908/638/511/original/0e22ba92fb0301bc.jpeg
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/698/382/992/896/865/original/066871d384b4041a.jpeg

2026-05-26 20:54:16 UTC

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When I was in my 20s, I decided that I was going to live a car-free life.
Almost four decades later—no regrets. Opting for transit, trains, bicycles, buses, and subways has taken me to great places, and given me the kind of life I always wanted to live.
More in the latest High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/no-regrets/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/642/863/706/678/722/original/165d2255dbaad0bb.png

2026-05-26 20:53:22 UTC

A while back, a man in his 70s looked at my bike skeptically.
"Why do your ride it?"
When I said "saves money," "doesn't pollute," he scoffed. But he agreed when he said it was good for my health.
I forgot to tell him real reason: Joy.
Day in, day out, my bike makes me happy.
🧵
🧵
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/642/859/720/463/241/original/8a7a97b666a4c25b.jpg

2026-05-26 14:28:56 UTC

Europe is upping its rail infrastructure game, both passenger and freight. New mega-tunnels through mountain ranges are making fast electric rail service routine.
Canada and the US: still stuck in the 20th century.
https://www.cnn.com/2026/05/26/travel/europe-rail-base-tunnels-alps
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/641/342/557/691/396/original/dc0931a336c0321f.jpg

2026-05-25 13:39:37 UTC

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...no regrets. Not owning a car allowed us to buy an apartment in a walkable part of a great city.
Staying active has kept me fit in adulthood.
Saying "no" to cars may be difficult where you live. (Especially in car-centric North America.) But saying "yes" to the alternatives led me to interesting places.
More in this High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/no-regrets/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/635/488/472/742/771/original/e6731aa46399caf1.png

2026-05-25 13:37:46 UTC

When I was in my 20s, I decided that I was going to get through life without owning a car.
It's a choice that kept me exploring the world by train, bus, subway, bicycle...and even camel.
Four decades later, I have...
🧵
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/635/483/593/997/829/original/f722fd1f3f4a9554.jpeg
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/635/483/944/375/146/original/40296966b89ea83b.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/635/484/831/699/046/original/ee7bb7c2afe0200f.jpg

2026-05-14 17:26:08 UTC

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...in the latest High Speed dispatch.
https://www.highspeed.blog/a-straphanger-in-morocco/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/574/097/412/514/105/original/7f205f28176f4b1c.jpeg

2026-05-14 17:25:00 UTC

What’s it like using transit in #Morocco?
I’m just back from riding trams, trains, commuter rail and BRT in 5 Moroccan cities.
I give the lowdown…
🚊🧵
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/574/090/993/724/490/original/e077bf846fa70330.mp4

2026-05-08 13:42:55 UTC

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The past doesn’t repeat. But it does rhyme. As a student of railway history, I’m beginning to think we’re headed for the Panic of ’26.
More in this week's High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/the-panic-of-26/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/539/245/910/337/223/original/0c26d807f4b5a273.png

2026-05-08 13:42:21 UTC

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Today’s robber barons are racing to build data centers, which gobble resources, and employ few people. And if they succeed—and build a superintelligence—they will have created non-human agents that could potentially rob hundreds of millions of people of gainful employment.

2026-05-08 13:42:04 UTC

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The race for AI is a classic bubble. But here’s the difference between 1873 and 2026. The original robber barons were at least building railroads, which carried people and goods, and required a huge, decently-paid workforce.
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/539/242/177/197/660/original/798722a25bf2f0d0.webp

2026-05-08 13:40:58 UTC

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If this sounds familiar, consider what’s going on with the Magnificent 7: Nvidia, Meta, Apple, Microsoft…all racing to build same thing: data centers that, we’re told, will end in superintelligence. Yet there are no revenues to speak of—certainly none to justify their capital expenditures.
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/539/238/059/674/585/original/56cae012aa1f3070.webp

2026-05-08 13:40:21 UTC

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When Europeans realized this, the flow of capital to the US stopped, abruptly. This led to the Panic of 1873. Then Jay Cooke’s Northern Pacific failed: the beginning of the end.
Half of all railroads went bankrupt; the US economy shrunk by a third.
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/539/235/790/820/790/original/a6e14b24e0e87977.webp

2026-05-08 13:39:43 UTC

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“Schwarzer Freitag” began when European investors realized US prosperity was a mirage.
After Civil War, robber barons, whose railroads were the engine of economic growth, raced to lay tracks. But they built railroads to nowhere, duplicated existing services, and exaggerated revenues...
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/539/233/153/266/307/original/eddf36bc175f162a.webp

2026-05-08 13:38:46 UTC

Those who don’t know the past are doomed to repeat it.
Case in point: Friday, May 9, aka Black Friday.
On that day, in 1873, everything in the world changed.
It started at the #Vienna stock exchange, but soon spread to Berlin, Paris, + London.
It provoked first “Great Depression” in the US…
🧵
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/539/229/665/805/367/original/b8726b02276272da.webp

2026-05-05 17:01:52 UTC

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(I know, I know, Morocco scores low on income equality. But so, increasingly, does the US…)

2026-05-05 16:59:40 UTC

“A developed country is one where you can easily, comfortably, and routinely travel between major cities more quickly by train* than by car.”
After getting around #Morocco for 10 days on fast, comfortable, on-time trains, I’m thinking that may be my new definition.
Morocco qualifies. Canada and the US? Not so much.
* And even by plane.
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/523/032/440/167/042/original/37393e61cb0bfde9.mp4

2026-04-26 20:39:36 UTC

I had a lovely time chatting with Mark Ovenden, transit-mapper extraordinaire, and host of the UK's only radio show on transport, about transit, railways, and #Canada's high-speed rail challenges.
You can listen in tonight, here's the link:
https://www.vectisradio.com/events/event/catch-cast-highspeed-advocate-taras-grescoe/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/460/153/004/963/567/original/7aa46911a38a6396.png

2026-04-24 19:37:03 UTC

I chat with Mark Ovenden, transit mapper extraordinaire and host of the UK's only radio show on transport, about transit, urbanism, and #Canada's high-speed rail challenges.
You can listen in, here's the link:
https://www.vectisradio.com/podcasts/catch-cast/episode/catch-cast-50-highspeed-blog-taras-grescoe/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/461/364/265/382/837/original/6f3e960696daaa84.png

2026-04-23 13:13:12 UTC

#Finland opens world's longest car-free bridge, intended for bicycle riders, pedestrians and mobility device users, and transit riders.
#Helsinki's Kruunuvuori Bridge is 1,191 metres long, and will soon be served by trams.
https://newatlas.com/architecture/finland-helsinki-pedestrian-bridge-kruunuvuori/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/454/194/077/658/195/original/765be1179b8ba034.jpg
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/454/194/080/556/627/original/880d2483dde591e3.jpg

2026-04-20 14:20:14 UTC

It's looking like #Canada's Alto High Speed Rail line might not terminate at #Toronto's Union Station.
A stop north of downtown isn't ideal—you want high-speed rail to go from city center-to-city-center—but it might be the best chance that the project has to get built on schedule.
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/why-union-station-may-not-be-a-stop-on-canadas-new-high-speed-rail-line/article_726e4938-524b-4e16-9865-1f7888df00ff.html
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/437/470/456/075/828/original/eb6de896df3938a2.webp

2026-04-19 15:51:59 UTC

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Events like these shouldn't be used to profit from captive users. Opportunism will make people hate a agency.
Add more trains, provide the best service you can at standard fares, and view it as an opportunity to allow drivers to discover where transit can take them.

2026-04-19 15:50:04 UTC

If a transit agency resorts to surge pricing, it doesn't understand the "public" in public transit.
While #Philadelphia keeps transit fares at $2.90 to get riders to World Cup matches, New Jersey and #Boston will charge $75 and $80.
(And yes, FIFA is awful.)
https://www.phillyvoice.com/host-cities-septa-fares-world-cup-philadelphia/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/432/160/287/306/095/original/23abf7ea9d8f60a6.jpg

2026-04-18 21:56:30 UTC

Ensemble #Montreal and new mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada aren't delivering spring cleaning promise, opposition party (Projet Montréal) charges
"Month after clean-up was set to begin, winter debris, gravel + filth on streets remains noticeable across the city"
https://montrealgazette.com/news/montreal-isnt-delivering-spring-cleaning-promise-opposition-charges/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/427/940/321/714/926/original/200bc2a549102672.png

2026-04-17 20:15:48 UTC

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Now's not the time to listen to opportunists, or the bot farms churning out negativity. Two-thirds of Canadians (including 58% of Conservatives) support this project.
I untangle the spin in this week's High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/the-best-argument-for-high-speed-rail/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/421/882/250/722/185/original/24cdae9f7e1c43e8.png

2026-04-17 20:14:53 UTC

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...Canada clearly isn't Japan, or Spain, or France...or any of the 25 other countries that have gotten around to building high-speed rail."
It's voices like Andrew Coyne's, echoing Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre's talking points, that stop ambitious transport projects going ahead.
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/421/877/665/021/944/original/99b7d780348ecaa5.png

2026-04-17 20:13:46 UTC

Attacks on #Canada's Alto high-speed rail project all seem to start with the declaration:
"Now, I've ridden bullet trains in Asia or Europe"—the editorialist doesn't want you to think he's unworldly—"and sure, those ones are great, but...
🧵
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/421/873/543/014/155/original/8718c9e3ba1dc23b.jpg

2026-04-17 14:48:14 UTC

Love this!
Now that the #Montreal Canadiens are in the playoffs, some downtown stations in the métro will have announcements by players.
Here's a behind-the-scenes with Slafkovsky, Hutson, Dobes and co.
#GoHabsGo #GoMetro
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/420/592/881/872/089/original/ed9bc69bfa08a99e.mp4

2026-04-16 16:05:03 UTC

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Interesting experiment! Let's start with ending public handouts to highways and airlines.
I take apart the reliably absurd arguments of the opportunistic Conservatives (who supported HSR until the Liberals backed it) against fast, electric-powered trains in this week's High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/the-best-argument-for-high-speed-rail/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/415/233/271/464/632/original/7f33811f236e4bc6.png

2026-04-16 16:03:40 UTC

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And what's the business case for the $40B in public funds Canadian taxpayers shell out to maintain highways every year? (To access highways, Canadian car owners now have to pay an avg. of $12,000 a year for gas, insurance, parking, etc.)
Coyne proposes ending all subsidies to transport...
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-on-canadas-high-speed-rail-plan-the-numbers-just-dont-add-up/

2026-04-16 16:02:17 UTC

Andrew Coyne and other conservative pundits join Pierre Poilievre in calling
#Canada's Alto High-Speed Rail project a $90-billion "boondoggle."
There's no business case for it, they say.
What's the business case for Ontario Premier Doug Ford's proposed $93B car tunnel under Highway 401?
🧵
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/415/222/157/044/394/original/54582490f1ed9d9c.png

2026-04-15 13:42:27 UTC

#Montreal adds 4 more stations to its rail transit network.
As of May 18, we'll be able to ride REM to Anse-à-l'Orme in the West Island.
And in 2027, we'll be able to ride it to Trudeau airport.
(For major rail transit projects, this is blazing fast work!)
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-montreal-rem-light-rail-new-stations/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/409/008/612/601/945/original/295154f8f45c04ba.png
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/409/009/098/047/518/original/6aa45acc0218c653.png

2026-04-14 17:11:37 UTC

Welcome to the real-life Streetcar Suburb!
In 1901, the neighborhood of Carville (aka Ozonia), outside San Francisco, featured homes and shops made of cast-off horse-cars (the wagons of horse-drawn street railways).
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/404/167/603/468/532/original/20f030e962a05686.jpeg
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/404/167/669/004/073/original/92330da00c31da10.jpeg
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/404/167/724/694/929/original/f2ff448b1d2a4770.jpeg
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2026-04-12 19:44:11 UTC

Orbán concedes!
#Hungary
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/393/445/449/929/883/original/1a5b6747a6c275d0.jpeg

2026-04-12 19:26:37 UTC

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Now can we get JD Vance go to a rally for Putin? That would really finish that fucker off…
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/393/377/512/171/381/original/f8d741ecba4e9f66.jpeg

2026-04-12 19:16:49 UTC

That’s a good sign!
Péter Magyar just posted this “Thank You #Hungary” message on Facebook.
An Orbán loss could be the start of something amazing: 2026 as the year the dictators fall.
High hopes for Nov. 3…
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/393/338/923/659/371/original/968e1336bd1f90d1.jpeg

2026-04-11 21:14:21 UTC

In The Devil's Picnic, I travelled the world in a quest for forbidden substances, from coca leaves in #Bolivia to clandestine absinthe in the canton of Jura in #Switzerland.
This critically-acclaimed travelogue, a deep dive into the psychology of prohibition, now available as an e-book:
https://tinyurl.com/mrye62z3
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/388/138/498/772/100/original/8ceef6ba361ad856.jpg

2026-04-10 15:58:35 UTC

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Yes, most of them! Including Triton, a 5-star lodge. https://seigneuriedutriton.com/

2026-04-10 15:57:26 UTC

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(Wasn't sure it this was legit at first, but the Series E259 trains are indeed used to go to Narita.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E259_series

2026-04-10 15:57:02 UTC

The secret to stopping a Narita Express train in #tokyo
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/381/227/225/134/428/original/2ac64475e744c71a.mp4

2026-04-07 22:44:54 UTC

So it is #TACO Tuesday.
But a line has been crossed. Threatening to end an entire *civilization* goes beyond even genocide.
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/365/845/560/250/421/original/1ff6f6d6d92ae1d8.jpeg

2026-04-07 20:26:55 UTC

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I tell the whole story in this week's High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/a-wintry-ride-on-train-601-to-jonquiere/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/365/301/473/417/074/original/471e214a1d82d625.png

2026-04-07 20:25:23 UTC

I took a cold-weather journey north from #Montreal on VIA Rail’s Train 601, bound for Jonquière.
It’s cheap, fun and, thanks to the roomy 1950s rolling stock, very comfortable…
🧵
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/365/296/779/115/748/original/26e2937a81411b66.mp4

2026-04-07 17:33:42 UTC

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This may turn out to be another #TACO Tuesday. Or it may prove to be a day that will live in infamy. If the latter, all those who had the power to prevent it, yet did nothing, will be forever damned by the generations to come.

2026-04-07 17:33:23 UTC

As humans around the world look to the skies in hope and wonder, one very sick man is trying to drag humanity with him into the gutter.
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/364/619/270/741/197/original/54e003b40c730199.jpeg

2026-04-07 15:42:12 UTC

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...as I follow the old Canadian Northern line deep into the #Quebec woods.
More in the latest High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/a-wintry-ride-on-train-601-to-jonquiere/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/364/183/272/887/606/original/7e9100617c3b0b5e.png

2026-04-07 15:41:16 UTC

I took a wintry ride north from #Montreal on VIA Rail train 601 to Lac St-Jean and beyond.
Cheap, cheerful, and very comfortable, thanks to the mid-century Budd passenger cars with deeply reclining seats.
Join me on board...
🧵
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/364/179/045/777/520/original/6d7f22db0499aa1c.mp4

2026-04-07 13:35:15 UTC

The hilly city of #Chongqing #China opens the Wushan Goddess, world’s longest outdoor escalator.
Equivalent of an 80-story building!
https://parametric-architecture.com/china-worlds-longest-outdoor-escalator/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/363/683/731/992/088/original/556d2b169d163b3b.jpeg

2026-04-07 13:07:13 UTC

NEW RESEARCH: Major paper by John Pucher et. al. shows that 4 cities that invested in bicycle infrastructure ( #Berlin, #Paris , #NYC, #London) saw cycling increase, crash rates decline.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15568318.2026.2649315#d1e1634
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/363/573/590/596/421/original/a1a3003588a084f6.jpg

2026-04-03 19:25:55 UTC

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I sure hope not. Prestige is far too expensive for mere mortals like me.

2026-04-03 19:19:54 UTC

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Here's the English-language original in my High Speed blog:
https://www.highspeed.blog/why-your-train-is-so-slow/
https://cdn.masto.host/urbanistssocial/media_attachments/files/116/342/389/876/284/127/original/c8e8040f651355fb.png

2026-04-03 19:18:51 UTC

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J'approfondis le sujet dans cette chronique publiée dans
@npub1vsd…p2d5 :
https://lactualite.com/societe/pourquoi-votre-train-est-il-si-lent/
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2026-04-03 19:17:23 UTC

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...sur les trains de marchandises. Ce n'est pas le cas au #Canada, où les trains VIA Rail sont mis à l'écart par les compagnies de fret de première classe comme CPKC.
Est-ce vraiment inévitable ?
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2026-04-03 19:16:05 UTC

Lors d'un voyage en train entre #Vancouver et #Toronto, j'ai passé beaucoup de temps sur des voies d'évitement, à attendre le passage d'un train de marchandises qui avançait lentement.
Aux États-Unis, les trains Amtrak ont la priorité légale...
(English follows)
🧵
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2026-04-03 14:11:46 UTC

Great news! Those classic streamliners are gorgeous. Long may they roll…
VIA Rail Canada announces $150 million modernization program for its entire fleet of 56 Chateau + Manor series sleeping cars, a 5-year program to extend life of the stainless steel cars built by the Budd Co. in 1954-55.
https://www.trains.com/pro/mechanical/passenger-cars/via-announces-150-million-program-to-modernize-sleeping-cars/
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2026-04-02 19:06:16 UTC

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There was a time, incidentally, when Philadelphia-made rolling stock was the envy of the world. Now they rely on Canadian hand-me-downs. Sic transit...
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2026-04-02 19:03:02 UTC

Retired trains from #Montreal 's EXO commuter service are going to be running in #Philadelphia
SEPTA has bought 24 Bombardier railcars (built in 1989) to add to its Regional Rail fleet
https://www.trains.com/pro/passenger/commuter-regional/septa-buys-railcars-from-montreal-to-bolster-regional-rail-fleet/
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2026-04-02 15:41:51 UTC

Robotaxis: Silicon Valley's found another way to endanger children!
A School District Tried to Help Train Waymos to Stop for School Buses. It Didn’t Work
https://www.wired.com/story/a-school-district-tried-to-help-train-waymos-to-stop-for-school-buses-it-didnt-work/
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2026-04-02 14:08:02 UTC

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High-speed rail in #Canada in 2026: 0 kilometers
High-speed rail in Canada in 2030 (projected): 0 kms

2026-04-02 14:06:52 UTC

High-speed rail in #China in 2007: 0 kilometers
High-speed rail in China in 2026: 50,400 kms
High-speed rail in China in 2030 (projected): 60,000 kms
On routes where it competes directly with planes, HSR has led to a 28.2 % reduction in air passenger volume.
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2026-04-02 13:19:27 UTC

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I dig into what's behind the attempts to make modern, sustainable transport (high-speed trains now run in 28 countries) into a Canadian culture-war issue in this High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/not-in-my-back-forty/
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2026-04-02 13:18:37 UTC

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Failing Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has urged cancellation of the project—in spite of the fact that high-speed rail was CPC policy, and only 25% of Conservatives polled oppose it.
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/poilievre-calls-for-cancellation-of-multibillion-dollar-high-speed-rail-project/article_ed2a4ab0-e4bf-567c-94e1-9970213bffc5.html
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2026-04-02 13:16:07 UTC

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The study was commissioned by AltNo, a protest group, who can't be happy with the results. The project is especially popular with young people, who are hungry for transport alternatives.
Here's a link to the full report:
https://www.altno.ca/_files/ugd/f1a60d_f91a3f0ada144cb981f03a0da603e347.pdf
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2026-04-02 13:14:49 UTC

Is there opposition to high-speed rail in #Canada?
Yes. The media, loving a conflict narrative, amplifies the voices of the few property-owners who are protesting Alto.
But guess what? A new Abacus poll shows broad, cross-party support for the project.
62% for, only 18% against...
🧵
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2026-04-01 18:26:33 UTC

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Behind the posturing, there's more support than opposition to #Canada's high-speed rail project, which will serve 20 million people, at a time when we desperately need better transport options.
In this High Speed dispatch, I show how some people are trying to turn this into a culture war:
https://www.highspeed.blog/not-in-my-back-forty/
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2026-04-01 18:25:42 UTC

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The project would link Quebec City, Ottawa, and Montreal with fast, frequent electric trains.
Pandering to fossil-fuel interests, Poilievre, just returned from his little tour of the U.S. of A., thinks he can score some easy points by turning his coat.
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2026-04-01 18:24:17 UTC

This is a screen-shot from the Conservative Party of #Canada 's official Policy Declaration in 2023: "We support...innovative high-speed passenger rail."
Now that the Liberals are working to make it happen, struggling Pierre Poilievre has called for cancellation of Alto High Speed Rail.
🧵
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2026-04-01 18:22:37 UTC

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Fifty percent of Canada's population of 40 million live within 50 kms of the proposed line. It's one of the densest unserved rail corridors on the planet.
And one will do what one wants.

2026-04-01 18:20:29 UTC

"I hope gas goes up to eight bucks a gallon!"
It's 2026, and I've turned into Calvin's Dad.
There are worse fates, I guess...
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2026-04-01 13:15:49 UTC

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There's more support than opposition to #Canada's high-speed rail project, which will serve 20 million people, who desperately need better transportation options, esp. as gas prices rise.
In this High Speed dispatch, I show how some people are trying to turn this into a culture war:
https://www.highspeed.blog/not-in-my-back-forty/
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2026-03-31 21:25:12 UTC

Building high-speed rail was in the Conservative Party platform.
Pandering to rural base, and fossil-fuel interests, the desperate Pierre Poilievre, more unpopular than ever, comes out against the all-electric Alto train project.
Not to worry: after his love-fest with Joe Rogan and vacay in the US, Canadians no longer take him seriously.
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/poilievre-calls-for-cancellation-of-multibillion-dollar-high-speed-rail-project/article_ed2a4ab0-e4bf-567c-94e1-9970213bffc5.html

2026-03-30 13:45:21 UTC

Great news, #Seattle!
Huge Crowds Turn Out To Finally Ride Light Rail Across Lake Washington
https://www.theurbanist.org/huge-crowds-turn-out-to-finally-ride-light-rail-across-lake-washington/
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2026-03-30 13:30:07 UTC

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I'm going to make it available on Kobo, too. It will take a couple of weeks, but I'll announce it here when it's available.

2026-03-30 13:22:11 UTC

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I'm going to make it available on Kobo as soon as I can. I'll keep you posted.

2026-03-30 13:18:22 UTC

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If you're looking for an alternative source, you can also buy the E-book on bookshop.org:
https://bookshop.org/p/books/straphanger-surviving-the-end-of-the-automobile-age-taras-grescoe/d6273071b3a0f75c?ean=9780805095586&next=t
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2026-03-29 19:58:13 UTC

"A passionately argued and important book." —The Guardian
My book #Straphanger, in which I travel world looking at best (+ worst) in transportation + urbanism, is now available as an e-book—at a nice price.
(New: I'm the rights holder! So buying here directly helps the author—i.e., me...)
https://shorturl.at/oJpZu
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2026-03-27 15:17:50 UTC

OK, I've been a failure as a father.
I was satisfied with Brio wooden train layouts.
When I could have been building this.
The Xing's World Cat Metro.
I bow to you, sir.
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2026-03-27 14:11:33 UTC

This week #Japan's JR East launched its first all-freight bullet train, an E3 Shinkansen. Passenger seats were removed to maximize interior space.
Electric freight delivery, at up to 300 km/h.
First run carried 800 containers, including fresh-caught scallops!
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/business/2026/03/24/companies/freight-only-shinkansen/
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2026-03-26 15:22:35 UTC

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Oil price shocks aren't going away. In some places, like #Paris, they've figured this out. I connect the dots in this week's High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/pariss-bicycle-mayor-and-the-hormuz-shock/
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2026-03-26 15:21:32 UTC

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And some places—well, people end up paying the price. Again and again.
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2026-03-26 15:20:09 UTC

Energy crisis. Oil price shock.
We've seen this movie before. In 1973. And 1979. And in 2022, when #Russia invaded #Ukraine.
Some places got smart, and began to work on ways to free themselves from dependence on dictator-controlled fossil fuels by investing in sustainable transport.
🧵
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2026-03-25 18:43:22 UTC

"The Jetsons Lied to Us."
Twonks on the AI Revolution.
A+, no notes.
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2026-03-25 13:18:31 UTC

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I look at why this orbital light-metro system is next level urban transport, and a system the world is going to be paying close attention to, in this High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/the-new-french-revolution/
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2026-03-25 13:17:17 UTC

We're getting our first look at Grand #Paris Express in action.
The driverless trains will run at 110 km/h, putting this among the fastest metros in the world.
✅ 4 all-new metro lines
✅ 68 new stations
✅ 200 km (125 miles) of new tracks
✅ 1 major line extension (Line 14, both ends)
🧵
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2026-03-24 19:37:01 UTC

What does new #Paris mayor's victory lap on a Vélib' bike have to do with the war on Iran launched by the demented grifter in the White House?
A lot, it turns out.
More on connections between the Hormuz Shock + Mayor Grégoire in this week's High Speed dispatch:
https://www.highspeed.blog/pariss-bicycle-mayor-and-the-hormuz-shock/
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2026-03-24 18:04:37 UTC

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With his predecessor, Grégoire insulated fellow citizens from oil shocks by pursuing walkability, and building bike networks and the new electric-powered supermétro.
This is the way forward: independence from a corrupt fossil-fuel system.
More in this week's High Speed newsletter:
https://www.highspeed.blog/pariss-bicycle-mayor-and-the-hormuz-shock/

2026-03-24 15:30:40 UTC

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...by pursuing walkability, and building bike networks and the new electric-powered supermétro.
As a demented grifter foments global chaos, this is the way forward: independence from a corrupt fossil-fuel system.
More in this week's High Speed newsletter:
https://www.highspeed.blog/pariss-bicycle-mayor-and-the-hormuz-shock/
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2026-03-24 15:29:34 UTC

The new Mayor of #Paris rode a Vélib' bicycle to city hall after handily winning the municipal election on Sunday.
With his predecessor, Emmanuel Grégoire has already helped make France's capital a greener, more livable, more joyful place.
Crucially, they also insulated their fellow citizens from oil shocks...
🧵
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2026-03-24 13:17:03 UTC

#Paris has new Mayor! Emmanuel Grégoire is an environmentalist who rode to his City Hall inauguration on bikeshare.
Change in last decade, thanks to his predecessor: 100s of school streets closed to cars; Seine clean enough to swim in; more trips by bike than car.
https://www.bloomberg.com/graphics/2026-paris-transformed-hidalgo/
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2026-03-23 13:11:21 UTC

The new mayor of #Paris, Emmanuel Grégoire, celebrated his victory last night by riding to city hall on a Vélib' bikeshare bicycle.
He's promised 60,000 new social housing units 15 express bus routes, 1000 new pedestrian streets, completion of bike path network...
🧵
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2026-03-18 18:08:53 UTC

No more talk of "transit death spirals" in New York City.
Since Central Business District Tolling Program (congestion pricing) was introduced in 2025, ridership on #NYC subway is up to 1.28 billion/yr—a 7.7% increase.
72,600 fewer cars enter Lower Manhattan/day.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-17/nyc-subway-ridership-jumps-7-7-due-to-congestion-pricing-toll

2026-03-17 13:08:47 UTC

"An $830-a-month car payment. Auto insurance for $280 each month. Thousands more for tire and maintenance repairs."
That doesn't include filling the tank.
The @NYTimes.com reports: High Car Payments Make Ownership Feel Impossible
Feel like you've read this story before? That's because you have.
The definition of insanity...
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/business/car-ownership-prices-interest-rates.html

2026-03-12 14:03:26 UTC

The more of *these* you have where you live, the less you have to worry about the impact the warmongers are having on the global fossil fuel supply.
Sustainability is resilience.
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2026-02-26 16:40:21 UTC

One of the world’s great streets is getting rid of cars: #London’s Oxford St. to be pedestrianized.
https://www.ft.com/content/37b3e0f6-c671-4264-9a5b-79653c9707a4
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2026-02-09 21:49:10 UTC

"Line is a restrained triumph. Its stations + stops share a coherent language: large windows + skylights, white-painted steel, expanses of white tile, tangerine accents."
From #Toronto, generally good reviews of design, operations of Eglinton Crosstown LRT.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-will-the-eglinton-crosstown-carry-toronto-forward/
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