Vallery Lancey
@isthelaststop.com
📸🎞️ Photographer, 🚎 transit advocate, 💻 tech worker. I know way too much about Kubernetes. she/her
Reposted by Vallery Lancey
Greetings from MacArthur BART after the RTM event this morning! Going to a Day of Action event means that not only getting to meet cool people, but you also get some cool swag to show your support!
September 17, 2026 at 5:14 PM
Greetings from MacArthur BART after the RTM event this morning! Going to a Day of Action event means that not only getting to meet cool people, but you also get some cool swag to show your support!
I've done this rant about 50 times at this point. But here's the TL;DR:
Buses are good.
Buses are eco-friendly.
Low emissions buses are good.
Electric buses are also good, if they work reliably and you have the money to deploy them.
They are not *nessesary* and shouldn't be prioritized.
Buses are good.
Buses are eco-friendly.
Low emissions buses are good.
Electric buses are also good, if they work reliably and you have the money to deploy them.
They are not *nessesary* and shouldn't be prioritized.
September 17, 2026 at 3:47 PM
Reposted by Vallery Lancey
Bay Area transit advocates gathered signatures to save transit, and now they're delivering the vote. Want to make a difference for our region? No better place to invest your time than informing voters and networking with future leaders
luma.com/connectbayar...
luma.com/connectbayar...
Connect Bay Area · Events Calendar
View and follow events from Connect Bay Area on Luma. Organizing for the Regional Transit Measure on the November 2026 ballot. Vote Yes on RTM November 3rd! ConnectBayArea.com
luma.com
September 17, 2026 at 12:12 AM
Bay Area transit advocates gathered signatures to save transit, and now they're delivering the vote. Want to make a difference for our region? No better place to invest your time than informing voters and networking with future leaders
luma.com/connectbayar...
luma.com/connectbayar...
Reposted by Vallery Lancey
AC Transit and Director Joel Young thought they could sweep his harassment under the rug by hiding it and then lying about it.
No way were we going to let that happen.
Young isn’t fit for office, and since his colleagues won’t hold him accountable, voters must.
www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...
No way were we going to let that happen.
Young isn’t fit for office, and since his colleagues won’t hold him accountable, voters must.
www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...
AC Transit director harassed female colleague, investigation finds
AC Transit Director Joel Young, a candidate in the November Ward 3 election, was investigated for a complaint of unwanted physical contact against a female director.
www.sfchronicle.com
September 16, 2026 at 2:17 PM
AC Transit and Director Joel Young thought they could sweep his harassment under the rug by hiding it and then lying about it.
No way were we going to let that happen.
Young isn’t fit for office, and since his colleagues won’t hold him accountable, voters must.
www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...
No way were we going to let that happen.
Young isn’t fit for office, and since his colleagues won’t hold him accountable, voters must.
www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...
I work on alignment (getting people to agree with one another).
September 15, 2026 at 11:39 PM
I work on alignment (getting people to agree with one another).
Reposted by Vallery Lancey
This Thursday, we're kicking off the ground game for the Regional Transit Measure, with events in each of the 5 counties. There are 50 days until the election. In that time, we need to convince Bay Area voters to invest in public transit!
In San Francisco? Come rally and then talk to BART riders!
In San Francisco? Come rally and then talk to BART riders!
Yes on RTM Day of Action: Rally in Downtown San Francisco + BART Crawl! · Luma
We're kicking off the Yes on RTM campaign in San Francisco at the Powell St. Cable Car Turnaround! Hear from elected and community leaders about how vital it…
luma.com
September 14, 2026 at 8:52 PM
This Thursday, we're kicking off the ground game for the Regional Transit Measure, with events in each of the 5 counties. There are 50 days until the election. In that time, we need to convince Bay Area voters to invest in public transit!
In San Francisco? Come rally and then talk to BART riders!
In San Francisco? Come rally and then talk to BART riders!
Reposted by Vallery Lancey
Pragmatism is just a scam to make people more dependent on better outcomes.
September 14, 2026 at 1:47 AM
Pragmatism is just a scam to make people more dependent on better outcomes.
It’s tough to position myself as a go-to design reviewer, because very very often my review is “I disagree with the shape of the solution“, or worse, “this problem does not exist”.
*drags on a cigarette* It’s all incentives, you see.
*drags on a cigarette* It’s all incentives, you see.
September 12, 2026 at 12:12 AM
It’s tough to position myself as a go-to design reviewer, because very very often my review is “I disagree with the shape of the solution“, or worse, “this problem does not exist”.
*drags on a cigarette* It’s all incentives, you see.
*drags on a cigarette* It’s all incentives, you see.
This day felt like a tipping point in a long, drawn out, and uneven apocalypse. It profoundly changed my urgency on long-term climate impact.
We have had many better days since.
But this is where we are going.
We have had many better days since.
But this is where we are going.
"First note for historians, looking back on Orange Skies Day: Absolutely none of it was cool."
My OSD retrospective. With shout outs to @jachristian.bsky.social, Barack Obama and "Blade Runner 2049" cinematographer Roger Deakins. Happy(?) sixth anniversary.
🟧🌁🟧
www.sfchronicle.com/culture/arti...
My OSD retrospective. With shout outs to @jachristian.bsky.social, Barack Obama and "Blade Runner 2049" cinematographer Roger Deakins. Happy(?) sixth anniversary.
🟧🌁🟧
www.sfchronicle.com/culture/arti...
The orange skies have faded. But Orange Skies Day is forever
It has been four years since Orange Skies Day in the Bay Area, when wildfires layered with fog and clouds to turn daylight into dystopia. When the day is remembered — and it will be remembered —...
www.sfchronicle.com
September 9, 2026 at 8:14 PM
This day felt like a tipping point in a long, drawn out, and uneven apocalypse. It profoundly changed my urgency on long-term climate impact.
We have had many better days since.
But this is where we are going.
We have had many better days since.
But this is where we are going.
The AC Transit board will be discussing the reliability crisis this Wednesday, September 9 starting at 5 PM. Come tell us your thoughts! actransit.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=...
September 8, 2026 at 12:07 AM
I’m trying to think about how to better share photos, because I’m not anywhere near as online as I used to be, and posting them to social media ad-hoc just isn’t satisfying.
Do I get a Glass account? Do I hop on the newsletter bandwagon?
Do I get a Glass account? Do I hop on the newsletter bandwagon?
September 7, 2026 at 3:49 PM
I’m trying to think about how to better share photos, because I’m not anywhere near as online as I used to be, and posting them to social media ad-hoc just isn’t satisfying.
Do I get a Glass account? Do I hop on the newsletter bandwagon?
Do I get a Glass account? Do I hop on the newsletter bandwagon?
My favourite thing about San Francisco is how easy it is to walk up a hill and suddenly feel like you’re in a separate place from the city.
September 6, 2026 at 4:52 PM
My favourite thing about San Francisco is how easy it is to walk up a hill and suddenly feel like you’re in a separate place from the city.
I think it’s a bit funny and sad that, impact wise, a chunk of nonprofits functionally exist as “We have an email list we can send someone else’s CTA to, and it’s a high-quality mailing list because people had to be interested enough to donate to us”.
September 4, 2026 at 9:50 PM
I think it’s a bit funny and sad that, impact wise, a chunk of nonprofits functionally exist as “We have an email list we can send someone else’s CTA to, and it’s a high-quality mailing list because people had to be interested enough to donate to us”.
Two very different things that bother me in transit stop consolidation discourse:
1. “Do less” appeals to bureaucrats and analysts because it’s easy.
2. Most riders’ #1 problem is slow and lacking transit.
Most discussions feel more ideologically partisan than grounded in what helps riders.
1. “Do less” appeals to bureaucrats and analysts because it’s easy.
2. Most riders’ #1 problem is slow and lacking transit.
Most discussions feel more ideologically partisan than grounded in what helps riders.
September 3, 2026 at 5:39 PM
Two very different things that bother me in transit stop consolidation discourse:
1. “Do less” appeals to bureaucrats and analysts because it’s easy.
2. Most riders’ #1 problem is slow and lacking transit.
Most discussions feel more ideologically partisan than grounded in what helps riders.
1. “Do less” appeals to bureaucrats and analysts because it’s easy.
2. Most riders’ #1 problem is slow and lacking transit.
Most discussions feel more ideologically partisan than grounded in what helps riders.
Header of transit when talking about COVID, the 👏 Chronicle 👏 always 👏 delivers 👏.
Bay Area wastewater data shows COVID continuing to climb into September, part of a nationwide increase now affecting nearly every state.
Bay Area COVID surge may have weeks to go as wastewater levels climb
Bay Area wastewater data shows COVID continuing to climb into September, part of a nationwide increase now affecting nearly every state.
bit.ly
September 2, 2026 at 10:30 PM
Header of transit when talking about COVID, the 👏 Chronicle 👏 always 👏 delivers 👏.
Reposted by Vallery Lancey
Another reminder that firefighter/police/emt opposition to policies like congestion pricing, bike lanes, road diets, pedestrianization, etc. typically have nothing to do with legitimate public safety concerns and everything to do with maintaining personal driving and parking privileges.
Remember when FDNY so vigorously opposed congestion pricing that the union representing New York City’s emergency response teams directed its members to transfer out of Midtown and Lower Manhattan before the toll came into effect?
local2507.com/fdny-and-ems...
local2507.com/fdny-and-ems...
September 1, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Another reminder that firefighter/police/emt opposition to policies like congestion pricing, bike lanes, road diets, pedestrianization, etc. typically have nothing to do with legitimate public safety concerns and everything to do with maintaining personal driving and parking privileges.
Reposted by Vallery Lancey
Yosemite Serenity 🎨 A peaceful scene celebrating wonderful #Yosemite for Friday #Scape. I loved painting this in watercolor, inspired by a summer visit. Prints available in my @fineartamerica.bsky.social shop. 💙 1-elizabeth-kennen.pixels.com
#art #watercolor #nature #California #NationalParks
#art #watercolor #nature #California #NationalParks
August 28, 2026 at 9:19 PM
Yosemite Serenity 🎨 A peaceful scene celebrating wonderful #Yosemite for Friday #Scape. I loved painting this in watercolor, inspired by a summer visit. Prints available in my @fineartamerica.bsky.social shop. 💙 1-elizabeth-kennen.pixels.com
#art #watercolor #nature #California #NationalParks
#art #watercolor #nature #California #NationalParks
Reposted by Vallery Lancey
Every risk register should have an entry that reads “we have misjudged the risks” which is in the “likelihood: high” and “impact: high” region of the risk matrix.
August 26, 2026 at 5:45 AM
Every risk register should have an entry that reads “we have misjudged the risks” which is in the “likelihood: high” and “impact: high” region of the risk matrix.
Reposted by Vallery Lancey
Pallas's cats stalking prey always look like they're trying to get invited to a party but are too shy to just ask if they can come
August 23, 2026 at 5:09 PM
Pallas's cats stalking prey always look like they're trying to get invited to a party but are too shy to just ask if they can come
Reposted by Vallery Lancey
Wrote this one for all the transit kids.
Here’s the story behind @sfmta.bsky.social’s iconic logo — and the people (including Muni and a certain Chronicle columnist) who tried to kill it.
Long live the worm!
🚌🚌🚌
www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/arti...
Here’s the story behind @sfmta.bsky.social’s iconic logo — and the people (including Muni and a certain Chronicle columnist) who tried to kill it.
Long live the worm!
🚌🚌🚌
www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/arti...
This man designed Muni’s ‘worm’ logo. Critics wanted to kill it
In 1975, Walter Landor’s new Muni logo was disparaged and ignored. Fifty years later, it has become the ultimate San Francisco icon.
www.sfchronicle.com
August 22, 2026 at 4:11 PM
Wrote this one for all the transit kids.
Here’s the story behind @sfmta.bsky.social’s iconic logo — and the people (including Muni and a certain Chronicle columnist) who tried to kill it.
Long live the worm!
🚌🚌🚌
www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/arti...
Here’s the story behind @sfmta.bsky.social’s iconic logo — and the people (including Muni and a certain Chronicle columnist) who tried to kill it.
Long live the worm!
🚌🚌🚌
www.sfchronicle.com/totalsf/arti...
I have one secret trick to solve a lot of data scale problems, and that secret is “limit how many elements go into a n^2 process”.
August 19, 2026 at 7:37 PM
I have one secret trick to solve a lot of data scale problems, and that secret is “limit how many elements go into a n^2 process”.
This piece gets at the emotional side of a problem I’ve been flagging: it’s getting harder and harder to tell how much actual thought/effort (and “correctness”) is behind what you read.
It’s easier than ever to spit out something that has the chameleon shape of reasoning and effort and emotion.
It’s easier than ever to spit out something that has the chameleon shape of reasoning and effort and emotion.
I've been unsettled lately when reading messages and papers. It feels like I'm dissociating. Everything seems a bit alien, even if it's completely human. I've had a realization:
When our simulations finally exited the Uncanny Valley, they brought the Uncanny with them.
When our simulations finally exited the Uncanny Valley, they brought the Uncanny with them.
Life on the Uncanny Precipice | Naomi Saphra
We were wrong about the Uncanny Valley.
nsaphra.net
August 10, 2026 at 7:15 PM
This piece gets at the emotional side of a problem I’ve been flagging: it’s getting harder and harder to tell how much actual thought/effort (and “correctness”) is behind what you read.
It’s easier than ever to spit out something that has the chameleon shape of reasoning and effort and emotion.
It’s easier than ever to spit out something that has the chameleon shape of reasoning and effort and emotion.
Been binging @ifbookspod.bsky.social, and I'm enjoying the pattern in bad books that took off:
It's easy to sell a laughably incorrect or harmful argument when it makes the audience feel validated in their worldview, or presents a cheap status-quo-preserving hack to complex socio-enonomic issues.
It's easy to sell a laughably incorrect or harmful argument when it makes the audience feel validated in their worldview, or presents a cheap status-quo-preserving hack to complex socio-enonomic issues.
August 8, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Been binging @ifbookspod.bsky.social, and I'm enjoying the pattern in bad books that took off:
It's easy to sell a laughably incorrect or harmful argument when it makes the audience feel validated in their worldview, or presents a cheap status-quo-preserving hack to complex socio-enonomic issues.
It's easy to sell a laughably incorrect or harmful argument when it makes the audience feel validated in their worldview, or presents a cheap status-quo-preserving hack to complex socio-enonomic issues.
There’s a software engineering joke that:
- Senior engineers are document engineers b/c you own detailed planning
- Staff engineers are spreadsheet engineers b/c you make complex information legible
- Principal engineers are slideshow engineers b/c you align people on macro state/plans
- Senior engineers are document engineers b/c you own detailed planning
- Staff engineers are spreadsheet engineers b/c you make complex information legible
- Principal engineers are slideshow engineers b/c you align people on macro state/plans
August 6, 2026 at 12:16 AM
There’s a software engineering joke that:
- Senior engineers are document engineers b/c you own detailed planning
- Staff engineers are spreadsheet engineers b/c you make complex information legible
- Principal engineers are slideshow engineers b/c you align people on macro state/plans
- Senior engineers are document engineers b/c you own detailed planning
- Staff engineers are spreadsheet engineers b/c you make complex information legible
- Principal engineers are slideshow engineers b/c you align people on macro state/plans
No promotion attached, but I fear today is the day that I’ve graduated into becoming a Slideshow engineer.
August 6, 2026 at 12:00 AM
No promotion attached, but I fear today is the day that I’ve graduated into becoming a Slideshow engineer.