KPBS reporter covering housing, transit and local politics in San Diego. Union shop steward. Creator and host of Freeway Exit, a podcast about freeways. Gaily homosexual. I run @sdtrafficdeaths.bsky.social. https://www.kpbs.org/podcasts/freeway-exit
I wrote about the history of downzoning in San Diego and how it shaped the city’s growth and development. www.kpbs.org/news/local/2...
How 'downzoning' shaped San Diego — and pushed growth into the suburbsThroughout the 1960s, '70s and '80s, San Diego adopted stricter zoning laws that effectively banned apartments in many of the city's most walkable neighborhoods.www.kpbs.orgReally wish I could make it to the Bicycle Film Festival tomorrow. If you’re in San Diego, check it out! www.kpbs.org/news/arts-cu...
Bicycle Film Festival returns to San Diego after 11 yearsThe festival at the Museum of Photographic Arts on July 25 will showcase 13 films from around the world about the joy of biking.www.kpbs.orgSupport public media (with your dollars and your attention).
Decoding Fox NewsFox vs. PBS - How two networks covered the dramatic increase in cyclosporiasis cases. Fox described the parasite but didn't provide additional information. The PBS News Hour included an expert, Dr. Omer Awan, who said cuts to the CDC have made the outbreak much worse.
San Diego is confronting an ever-widening gap between its promises on climate change and the actual results. Emissions should be 6% lower if the city were on track to reach net zero by 2035. The reason: cars.
Even as emissions fall, San Diego drifts further from path to carbon neutralitySan Diego's electricity is getting cleaner and natural gas usage is down. But emissions from cars and trucks remain stubbornly high.www.kpbs.orgKelly Davis was truly the best of the best. Her reporting was fearless, and always grounded in compassion and humanity. She did so much to foster community among San Diego journalists. Thank you, @byjeffmcdonald.bsky.social, for honoring her memory. www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/07/01/k...
Kelly Davis, intrepid reporter who exposed death and despair in San Diego County jails and gave voice to the downtrodden, dies at 53The 2023 San Diego journalist of the year beat cancer for more than a decade before being diagnosed with a new tumor earlier this year; she leaves a lasting legacy in her adopted hometown.www.sandiegouniontribune.comThe San Diego Velodrome Association is no longer hosting bike races sanctioned by USA Cycling. After months of protest from members over USAC’s trans-exclusionary gender policy (and other things), SDVA’s board deadlocked on a path forward. www.kpbs.org/news/quality...
San Diego Velodrome drops plans for USA Cycling races after membership outcryThe velodrome, a bike racing track in Balboa Park, became embroiled in controversy over USA Cycling's policy excluding trans women from women's races.www.kpbs.orgNew episode of Freeway Exit just dropped! It’s a crossover with The Finest, another amazing KPBS podcast. Hear me talk about San Diego’s bygone streetcar era, and how some are fighting to bring the streetcar back. www.kpbs.org/podcasts/fre...
The Finest: The legacy of San Diego's streetcarsLong before San Diego became defined by freeways, parking shortages and long commutes, electric streetcars connected the region's urban core to beaches, business districts and growing neighborhoods mo...www.kpbs.orgUpdate: USA Cycling races are continuing in San Diego. The San Diego Velodrome Association says it will run all USAC races as gender neutral, but still advertise some as women's races. Trans racers/allies say they value inclusivity over competition and want USAC out. www.kpbs.org/news/racial-...
San Diego Velodrome plans workaround to avoid claims of anti-trans discriminationControversy over USA Cycling's policy on transgender athletes has caused a rift in San Diego's bike racing community.www.kpbs.orgFour days after my story came out, the San Diego Velodrome has announced its race on 4/21 will *not* be sanctioned by USA Cycling (which bans trans women from women's races). They're promising "further communication and opportunities for direct feedback." My story: www.kpbs.org/news/racial-...
San Diego Velodrome begins hosting bike races that exclude trans womenThe racetrack in Balboa Park recently began hosting events sanctioned by USA Cycling, which bans trans women from participating in women's races. More such races are planned, despite a city policy pro...www.kpbs.orgThe San Diego Velodrome has begun hosting bike races that exclude transgender women. This is despite a city policy prohibiting anti-trans discrimination at the racetrack. One trans racer told me the change made her feel “disposable.” Been working on this for a while, give it a read and share!
San Diego Velodrome begins hosting bike races that exclude trans womenThe racetrack in Balboa Park recently began hosting events sanctioned by USA Cycling, which bans trans women from participating in women's races. More such races are planned, despite a city policy prohibiting anti-trans discrimination at the velodrome.www.kpbs.org"And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward." -Matthew 6:5
Aaron RuparLeavitt begins the press briefing: "Could you hear our 'amen' in there? We just had a little loud prayer as a team. In this holy week, President Trump and the First Lady are joining in prayer with Christians celebrating the resurrection of our lord and savior, Jesus Christ."
My reporting on the Coastal Commission's blockage of bike lanes in San Diego was cited in the passage of SB 689 (Blakespear), which allows a lower level of review of bike/transit/ped improvements in the coastal zone. The law came too late to save this man's life.
sdtrafficdeathsDriver struck and killed a man who was on foot in the roadway of West Point Loma Boulevard. This is where San Diego had planned a road diet to add protected bike lanes in 2023 — before the California Coastal Commission blocked the project. #VisionZero Background: www.kpbs.org/news/local/2...
San Diego has the third highest transportation cost burden in the country. The reason? Cars, of course! www.kpbs.org/news/economy...
Amid San Diego's high transportation costs, some manage to find reliefSan Diego households spend more on transportation than almost every other metro area in the country. The culprit, experts say, is the automobile.www.kpbs.orgBen did some really good and honest coverage of the MPOX outbreak in the early days, when few other journalists were paying attention. Seeing him devolve into a tool of the anti-trans movement is sad and disappointing.
Max Dubler 🏳️🌈Ben Ryan is an HIV journalist who made a hard career pivot to Just Asking Questions about trans youth medical care in a transparent and cynical attempt to revitalize his career by riding Jesse Singal’s coattails.
Pacific Beach has seen two hit-and-run traffic deaths in the span of three weeks.
sdtrafficdeathsA driver in Pacific Beach struck and killed a 41-year-old man who was attempting to cross Garnet Avenue. Driver fled in a white Mercedes SUV. Victim has been identified as Qwente “Q” Bryant. GoFundMe to support his mother: www.gofundme.com/f/Celebratin... #VisionZero
The bike counters on 30th Street logged maybe 1% of the San Diego cyclists who rode in memory of Alex Pretti today. www.kpbs.org/news/quality...
San Diego installed bike lanes on a busy commercial street in North Park in 2021. Ridership jumped 67% the next year. Now, 4 years later, bike and scooter trips on 30th Street have hit another record high. Foot traffic and business activity is also booming. www.kpbs.org/news/quality...
30th Street bike lanes in North Park saw record ridership in 2025Bike and scooter trips on 30th Street have jumped 15% since the installation of protected bike lanes in 2021. Foot traffic and business activity also appear to be thriving.www.kpbs.org