planner, engineer, transport nerd; passions: urban mobility, data analytics, cities; DC by way of Cambridge & Cali, Chicago veteran, Minnesota native
Washington, DC
Joined May 2009
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Ryan Westrom retweeted
Americans have a "revealed preference" for doing less of basically everything except going online and I have serious doubts that this is making us happier.
slowboring.com/p/americans-n…
Chicago is [still] such a clear Midwest magnet. As usual, reports of its death are greatly exaggerated.
"Wisconsin is #2 in the US in what researchers call net “brain drain"...
"More college-educated Wisconsin-born residents are leaving the state than the state is recruiting."
Thanks to @620wtmj @KristinBrey @StephenScaffid1 for their recent conversation about Forum research.
Ryan Westrom retweeted
Haven’t seen anyone talk about this, but the @nytimes made an interactive map called The American Mosaic, showing ancestry groups that make up every U.S. census tract.
There are many interesting communities to explore. You can zoom in and see what makes up your own neighborhood:
nytimes.com/interactive/2026…
Ryan Westrom retweeted
Søren Kierkegaard on the Importance of Walking
“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk. Everyday, I walk myself into a state of well-being & walk away from every illness. I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it. But by sitting still, & the more one sits still, the closer one comes to feeling ill. Thus if one just keeps on walking, everything will be all right.”
This is a fascinating new paper. Big technology companies are bringing new approaches to the transportation industry.
ever wondered if @googlemaps will route different people differently to lower overall congestion?
turns out - they have been experimenting with this based on this recent paper in @NatCities
key line - "For this study, the Google Maps algorithm was modified to prefer alternative routes with similar travel times and segment types, effectively guiding trips away from the pre-selected congested segments."
result?
"Averaged across citie ... a median increase of around 2% in driving speeds"
research.google/blog/the-pow…
Ryan Westrom retweeted
This paper is one of the most astonishing feats of sustained data wizardry I have ever seen. Using data from Uber, they are able to estimate the roughness of every road in America and precisely estimate the value people place on it, and so much more. 1/
Ryan Westrom retweeted
The New York Times:
"Our estimate is that about 200 to 400 pedestrians a year would not have died if vehicles had remained approximately the same size over the past quarter-century."
Fantastic work here from Nik Hunder on the potential for optimizing Chicago's parking meter layout despite the disastrous lease. Such thinking should be commonplace in every major city as they seek to balance economic development, mode share, and access.
citythatworks.substack.com/p…
Quite the milestone! I think micromobility is here to stay.
Breaking!! 🚨 Largest shared micromobility company @limebike is going public and just filed their S1. 🚀
Here is everything you need to know:
👉Revenue grew 29% to $886.7m in 2025, up from $686.6m in 2024 and $522m in 2023.
👉Net loss widened to $59.3m in 2025, vs $33.9m in 2024
👉Geography split (2025 revenue):
- United States: 32% of total (~$284m)
- United Kingdom: 22% (~$195m)
- France: 10% (~$89m)
- Rest of world: 36%
👉Gross profit hit $345.4m in 2025 (39% margin), up from $281m in 2024
👉Adjusted EBITDA reached $218.1m (+42% YoY), with Q1 2026 already up 250% YoY to $7.5m.
👉Operating income turned positive at $70.4m in 2025 vs the $24.6m loss in 2023.
👉19 million riders served globally in 2025, across 230 cities in 29 countries.
👉Globally, Lime is nearly 3× the size of the next largest operator by monthly active users
👉E-scooters + e-bikes operated under an exclusive distribution partnership with Uber, which drove ~14% of total revenue in 2025.
👉Marketing spend: just ~2% of revenue.
👉116% operational fleet retention rate in 2025
👉Accumulated deficit stands at $806m. Working capital is negative $529m.
👉4.3B+ shares in outstanding options and 2.1B+ RSU shares vest at IPO or thereafter.
👉Cash in the bank: $261.3m
👉Senior Secured Term Loan: $114.2m classified as current (due within 12 months). The IPO proceeds are earmarked specifically to repay this in full.
👉2020 Notes outstanding: $209.6m (includes the $85m @Uber Note + $85m Investor Notes plus accrued interest). These convert to equity at IPO and so, not a cash obligation.
👉2021 Notes outstanding: $682.9m will also convert to equity at IPO, not repaid in cash.
👉Total debt converting at IPO: ~$892m, which is a massive equity dilution event for incoming shareholders.
This is a massive milestone for the industry and one which we've been waiting for.
Current debt level is concerning, but if the IPO is successful, most of the debt on the books will either convert or be repaid.
~30% growth at this scale is incredible! We've also seen similar growth numbers at @voitechnology.
Market is still massive and current companies including Lime haven't covered enough. imo, there is much more room for growth.
I'm hoping that the filing will be well received and that they have a successful IPO.
If they do, every company in this segment will reap the rewards and may be many more will go public.
Congrats @wayneting and the entire Lime team 👏
Ryan Westrom retweeted
When simulation becomes the norm, it weakens the human capacity for discernment. As a result, our social bonds close in upon themselves, forming self-referential circuits that no longer expose us to reality. We thus come to live within bubbles, impermeable to one another. Feeling threatened by anyone who is different, we grow unaccustomed to encounter and dialogue. In this way, polarization, conflict, fear and violence spread. What is at stake is not merely the risk of error, but a transformation in our very relationship with truth.
Can’t wait for my favorite TV event of the year tonight. Everyone’s favorite stars finding their spots under the brightest lights. #SelectionSunday #MarchMadness
Ryan Westrom retweeted
In the state of Wyoming in the USA lies a real hydrological oddity. It's a small stream (creek) that is thought to be the only one of very few examples in the world. It is placed so precariously and perfectly that it's hard to believe it is able to exist.
1/n
ALT Source: https://ims.er.usgs.gov/gda_services/download?item_id=5616608
Ryan Westrom retweeted
Good reporting here from @KelseyTuoc in @TheArgumentMag about why Waymo remains stuck in regulatory limbo in D.C., unable to provide passenger service. She even got a set of proposed options @DDOTDC floated for @MayorBowser, but nothing has yet been done: theargumentmag.com/p/red-sta…
Truly shocking: Pedestrian deaths have surged 75% since 2010! 7,500+ lives killed annually. This WaPo report confirms a national safety crisis & a clarion call to action. It's why I do what I do.
washingtonpost.com/business/…
Kinda shocked that in this day in age surface parking is still planned around a new stadium. Do no other owners look at the revenue Cubs owners generate from around the stadium and consider that potential?
The Las Vegas #Athletics renderings have finally dropped. Can see why Manfred thought the stadium was at the MGM.
A postscript to this thread. @espn's Bradford Doolittle discusses this very topic in an article on the process unfolding for the new Royals stadium: espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/4603…
I was affirmed to see that their 'urbanity' ranking of ballparks lined up very closely to mine.
Ryan Westrom retweeted
I’m excited to share our new @Nature paper 📝, which provides strong evidence that the walkability of our built environment matters a great deal to our physical activity and health.
Details in thread.🧵
nature.com/articles/s41586-0…
