News Roundup: Sizeism

• Sizeism: Why small homes belong in Fremont and Seattle-wide. Doug at the Urbanist pushes back on that awful Times op-ed ($). And here's Heidi at the Stranger.
• A 14-story hotel at the entrance to Pike Place Market? Not so fast, say opponents ($). As an architecture critic remarks, "The zoning for it has been in place for decades. Sorry, just no substance."
• Worthy causes pushing to get their solo drivers into carpool lanes.
• The most promising thing about the US 2 Trestle project is that it might be tolled ($).
• Four groups show interest in O'Hare express train project.
• For decades Alabama has not funded public transportation; bill aims to end that.
• A bid to solve California's housing crisis could redraw how cities grow.
• The case against (actually, for) sidewalks, and how cities can create new avenues for pedestrians.
• Fight over household wells highlights rural growing pains.
• Northgate pedestrian bridge: City bureaucracy run amok ($). This take is a little hot for me, but between the ongoing #fix65th debacle, and this bridge, SDOT hasn't exactly covered itself in glory of late.
• The case for a Ballard to UW waterfront rapid bus line. Not a bad idea, but Frelard and lower Wallingford would have to get a lot more dense, and the existing routes a lot more frequent, before this cracked my most-wanted list.
• SDOT unveils first five-year pedestrian implementation plan. Sweet, another plan.
• Metrorail is no longer the second-busiest rapid transit system in the country.
• Self-driving cars aren't good at detecting cyclists. The latest proposed fix is a cop-out.
• The RPA Construction Cost Report: Alon Levy, Ben Kabak.
• With skyrocketing rents, Tacoma Housing Authority is forced to adjust.
• What would a truly disabled-accessible city look like?
• Downtown Seattle poised for even bigger residential and hotel boom.
• Snohomish County Council members air their Sound Transit grievances ($). Mostly they seem to be complaining about the consequences of subarea equity.
• Jarrett at Citylab: the Problem with (algorithmically determined) Transit Gaps.
• Amtrak will suspend some service ($) if safety system not ready this year, CEO says.
• Seattle makes little progress ($) on buildings that can kill in earthquakes.
• 11 ugly urban underpasses now functioning as public parks.
• Spokane hopes tiny homes and cottages will spur infill density.
• Transit ridership continues to grow in central Seattle, while solo car commutes decline ($).
• Kitsap's fast ferry is headed for drydock. Will there be a replacement?
• To (partially) fix the New York City Subway, fix the schedule.
• Why transit nerds are so jealous of Seattle.
• The Uptown HALA rezone bears its first fruit.
• Empowering the vision impaired with indoor navigation tech.
• Free Atlanta Streetcar rides? MARTA considers changes.
• Biking in Magnolia and Interbay got a lot easier with recent SDOT project. This new bike path is great, but the intersection of Gilman & Emerson now needs a signal more than ever.
• Limebike's electric-assist bikes are out and rideable right now.
• Trump is a grifter, his infrastructure plan sucks, and his budget threatens Sound Transit.
• Rail car swap eases overcrowding ($) on Sounder train.
• Ursula K. Le Guin: Urbanist.

This is an open thread.