Open Thread 23

Link's N minutes to next train" displays are off again. An ST email announcement says:

The most recent update to the Passenger Information Management System (PIMS) increased uncertainty for train arrival times. To avoid giving passengers incorrect information, they have been temporarily turned off in stations until the issue is resolved. The 2-minute proximity alert and now arriving" announcements will continue to inform passengers when their train will arrive. Passengers who use trip planner apps to view real time information should also be aware that the information being provided is not accurate at this time. The most reliable source of information about 1 Line arrival times is the 1 Line schedule. Sound Transit is working diligently with our contractor to address and resolve this issue as soon as possible."

This summer ST turned the next-arrival displays on for several weeks to quantify the errors and trace where they're coming from. Then they went off, and about a month ago they went on again. This last time they've been accurate for all my trips, better than before. So I'm sad to see them gone. Have you used the apps or map services recently? Have you found them accurate?

Why aren't buses timed to meet trains? (Human Transit)

Portland's BRT-lite" on Division Street is a success. (Human Transit)

Portland's southwestbus restructure last August. (Human Transit)

How to read zoning regulations, and what numbers to change to make cities more walkable. (City Beautiful video)

House sizes are getting absurd. (Stewart Hicks video)

(Do you pronounce the s" in absurd as an s or a z? I use s, but I've been hearing z more recently, so maybe it's standard in some areas?)

This is an open thread.