Urban Dispatch
@urbandispatch.bsky.social
Safe streets & Transit. People need somewhere to sleep and the sidewalk isn’t it. Believer that better more livable cities are possible. Let's stop letting perfection get in the way of progress.
Anon here but happy to chat/meet up IRL
Hartford, CT
Anon here but happy to chat/meet up IRL
Hartford, CT
The Poop Tunnel is almost ready!
"Jellison said that the pump station and tunnel will prove most effective when it rains heavy in the Hartford region, as all of the overflow will go into the tunnel "instead of going into those streets or the river."
Its Old Saybrook's turn now
"Jellison said that the pump station and tunnel will prove most effective when it rains heavy in the Hartford region, as all of the overflow will go into the tunnel "instead of going into those streets or the river."
Its Old Saybrook's turn now
There's a 200-foot drop under Hartford leading to a 4-mile tunnel
Hartford's new underground tunnel can hold 41 million gallons. Here's why it matters.
www.ctinsider.com
October 4, 2026 at 7:44 PM
The Poop Tunnel is almost ready!
"Jellison said that the pump station and tunnel will prove most effective when it rains heavy in the Hartford region, as all of the overflow will go into the tunnel "instead of going into those streets or the river."
Its Old Saybrook's turn now
"Jellison said that the pump station and tunnel will prove most effective when it rains heavy in the Hartford region, as all of the overflow will go into the tunnel "instead of going into those streets or the river."
Its Old Saybrook's turn now
Not on the HBJ website yet but looks like we'll have another Hartford Stadium project to upgrade the Athletics' stadium to prepare it for higher level soccer play
I'm not even against it, just callous that will suddenly be a top priority while school renovations are canceled by this mayor
I'm not even against it, just callous that will suddenly be a top priority while school renovations are canceled by this mayor
October 4, 2026 at 5:25 PM
Not on the HBJ website yet but looks like we'll have another Hartford Stadium project to upgrade the Athletics' stadium to prepare it for higher level soccer play
I'm not even against it, just callous that will suddenly be a top priority while school renovations are canceled by this mayor
I'm not even against it, just callous that will suddenly be a top priority while school renovations are canceled by this mayor
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
You love to see it. Downtown Bridgeport slowly (painstakingly slowly) stitching itself back together after highways and parking lots devastated it
www.ctpost.com/news/article...
www.ctpost.com/news/article...
Bridgeport to sell long-vacant downtown land for $250,000 for new apartment building
Bridgeport purchased the pair of downtown lots over 25 years ago and until now has been unsuccessful in having then redeveloped.
www.ctpost.com
October 3, 2026 at 10:53 PM
You love to see it. Downtown Bridgeport slowly (painstakingly slowly) stitching itself back together after highways and parking lots devastated it
www.ctpost.com/news/article...
www.ctpost.com/news/article...
Fucking finally... only six?!? I guess it is a start. Long overdue:
"the data showed that 82 to 93% of traffic traveled faster than the posted 25 miles per hour speed limit"
"On Main Street, near S.A.N.D. Elementary School, the plan notes that the top travel speed was 90 miles per hour."
"the data showed that 82 to 93% of traffic traveled faster than the posted 25 miles per hour speed limit"
"On Main Street, near S.A.N.D. Elementary School, the plan notes that the top travel speed was 90 miles per hour."
Hartford to install automatic speed enforcement cameras near six school zones
Fines will begin at $50 and increase to $75 for repeat violations.
www.ctinsider.com
October 2, 2026 at 12:20 PM
Fucking finally... only six?!? I guess it is a start. Long overdue:
"the data showed that 82 to 93% of traffic traveled faster than the posted 25 miles per hour speed limit"
"On Main Street, near S.A.N.D. Elementary School, the plan notes that the top travel speed was 90 miles per hour."
"the data showed that 82 to 93% of traffic traveled faster than the posted 25 miles per hour speed limit"
"On Main Street, near S.A.N.D. Elementary School, the plan notes that the top travel speed was 90 miles per hour."
@ctmirror.org has such an incredible track record of investigative news piece highlights problem -> politicians immediately clamor to change laws to resolve problem
ctmirror.org/2026/10/01/l...
ctmirror.org/2026/10/01/l...
Lamont, lawmakers call for changes to CT prison debt law
Gov. Ned Lamont and leaders from both political parties said they want to change a law that charges people for time spent in prison.
ctmirror.org
October 2, 2026 at 12:15 PM
@ctmirror.org has such an incredible track record of investigative news piece highlights problem -> politicians immediately clamor to change laws to resolve problem
ctmirror.org/2026/10/01/l...
ctmirror.org/2026/10/01/l...
SO this is a fun new AI slop
The owner of the large parking lot inside the Hartford wye next to Union Station (which is under the highway) is marketing the site as developable and asking $5M for it which is crazy
The AI rendering they made takes out multiple city streets, lolz
The owner of the large parking lot inside the Hartford wye next to Union Station (which is under the highway) is marketing the site as developable and asking $5M for it which is crazy
The AI rendering they made takes out multiple city streets, lolz
October 2, 2026 at 12:59 AM
SO this is a fun new AI slop
The owner of the large parking lot inside the Hartford wye next to Union Station (which is under the highway) is marketing the site as developable and asking $5M for it which is crazy
The AI rendering they made takes out multiple city streets, lolz
The owner of the large parking lot inside the Hartford wye next to Union Station (which is under the highway) is marketing the site as developable and asking $5M for it which is crazy
The AI rendering they made takes out multiple city streets, lolz
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
The UConn Indoor Air Quality Initiative has been working for a few years on getting CR boxes (which the article doesn't name as such) into CT schools. (I've written about this before; the CT state legislature provided funding for the endeavor.)
"The program is...
🧵
ctmirror.org/2026/09/28/c...
"The program is...
🧵
ctmirror.org/2026/09/28/c...
UConn is giving CT students a science project to address air quality
Student-built air purifiers can partially address poor school air quality, but teachers said CT must focus on a larger, long-term fix.
ctmirror.org
September 30, 2026 at 6:07 PM
The UConn Indoor Air Quality Initiative has been working for a few years on getting CR boxes (which the article doesn't name as such) into CT schools. (I've written about this before; the CT state legislature provided funding for the endeavor.)
"The program is...
🧵
ctmirror.org/2026/09/28/c...
"The program is...
🧵
ctmirror.org/2026/09/28/c...
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
There are essentially 0 electrified freight trucks on the road in the US right now
Good morning with good news: Sales of EV trucks in China skyrocket 80% in H1 2026!
BNEF says EV trucks will be 33% of truck sales in 2026.
But Sinopec Research Institute says EV trucks will be ~50% of sales in 2026!
EV truck exports more than double!
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature... #energysky
BNEF says EV trucks will be 33% of truck sales in 2026.
But Sinopec Research Institute says EV trucks will be ~50% of sales in 2026!
EV truck exports more than double!
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature... #energysky
China Has an 18-Wheel Answer to Soaring Global Diesel Prices
Around a third of trucks sold in China this year will run on electricity, furthering Beijing’s goal of bolstering energy security.
www.bloomberg.com
September 30, 2026 at 12:18 PM
There are essentially 0 electrified freight trucks on the road in the US right now
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
🧵 Drivers have killed 30 pedestrians/cyclists, so far, this year in Connecticut.
The most recent preventable death happened last night on Route 44 in Hartford -- location of the failed "road diet"
kerriana.org/mapping-conn...
The most recent preventable death happened last night on Route 44 in Hartford -- location of the failed "road diet"
kerriana.org/mapping-conn...
September 30, 2026 at 11:26 AM
🧵 Drivers have killed 30 pedestrians/cyclists, so far, this year in Connecticut.
The most recent preventable death happened last night on Route 44 in Hartford -- location of the failed "road diet"
kerriana.org/mapping-conn...
The most recent preventable death happened last night on Route 44 in Hartford -- location of the failed "road diet"
kerriana.org/mapping-conn...
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
The WSJ is complaining that rents are low in Portland due to an “oversupply of new housing.” 😈
www.wsj.com/real-estate/...
www.wsj.com/real-estate/...
September 29, 2026 at 2:16 PM
The WSJ is complaining that rents are low in Portland due to an “oversupply of new housing.” 😈
www.wsj.com/real-estate/...
www.wsj.com/real-estate/...
The kind of thing that is just overwhelmingly obvious with a little bit of thought and yet fails to register across wide swaths of society
"In the states examined in this analysis, a drop of approximately 20% in inflation-adjusted rents—as happened in Austin, Texas, and Minneapolis after those cities made reforms—could reduce poverty by 18% to 26% and child poverty by 21% to 38%." www.pew.org/en/research-...
The Housing Shortage Is a Major Driver of Poverty
Housing costs are usually the largest item in a household’s budget and can determine a family’s financial stability.
www.pew.org
September 29, 2026 at 5:05 PM
The kind of thing that is just overwhelmingly obvious with a little bit of thought and yet fails to register across wide swaths of society
This is the obviously correct decision and has been clear for a while. CRDA is functioning well for its stated purpose and rather than create a bunch of separate competing redevelopment programs, just give CRDA more firepower
Lots of projects/developers maturing in Hartford, lots of opportunity
Lots of projects/developers maturing in Hartford, lots of opportunity
CRDA seeks to double annual state bond funding to $50M; cites robust development pipeline, rising costs
CRDA state bond funding could double to $50 million annually as the agency seeks more resources to finance Hartford housing development projects.
hartfordbusiness.com
September 28, 2026 at 5:25 PM
This is the obviously correct decision and has been clear for a while. CRDA is functioning well for its stated purpose and rather than create a bunch of separate competing redevelopment programs, just give CRDA more firepower
Lots of projects/developers maturing in Hartford, lots of opportunity
Lots of projects/developers maturing in Hartford, lots of opportunity
IMO UHart needs to do something to reduce the isolation of its campus. It is completely disconnected from near by places and towns, is a primarily residential school with a large commuting population. It is a weird in between of everything
If I were them, I would be trying to create a "main street"
If I were them, I would be trying to create a "main street"
UHart to cut $7M, boost faculty teaching loads as enrollment slides
The University of Hartford is cutting $7 million from its $187 million budget as declining undergraduate enrollment pressures revenue in West Hartford.
hartfordbusiness.com
September 28, 2026 at 3:20 PM
IMO UHart needs to do something to reduce the isolation of its campus. It is completely disconnected from near by places and towns, is a primarily residential school with a large commuting population. It is a weird in between of everything
If I were them, I would be trying to create a "main street"
If I were them, I would be trying to create a "main street"
Damn! Pricing is all relative, even new build "high amenity" apartments in Hartford are an absolute steal compared to WeHa
$6k for a 3 br and $3k for a 1 bedroom? That is crazy talk
www.courant.com/2026/09/27/u...
$6k for a 3 br and $3k for a 1 bedroom? That is crazy talk
www.courant.com/2026/09/27/u...
Upscale apartments are debuting around CT. Here’s where the newest are and what they offer.
In a year when several freshly built upscale apartment buildings hit the market in Connecticut, Continental Properties debuted the third-largest residential complex in a popular town.
www.courant.com
September 27, 2026 at 8:39 PM
Damn! Pricing is all relative, even new build "high amenity" apartments in Hartford are an absolute steal compared to WeHa
$6k for a 3 br and $3k for a 1 bedroom? That is crazy talk
www.courant.com/2026/09/27/u...
$6k for a 3 br and $3k for a 1 bedroom? That is crazy talk
www.courant.com/2026/09/27/u...
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
I keep telling y'all, electric aviation is a dark horse.
The largest all-electric plane ever flew for 27 minutes, on $5 of electricity
Heart's X1 demonstrator flew for 27 minutes from a regional airport in upstate New York, running on battery power the entire time. The aircraft reached 1,100 feet...
www.techspot.com
September 27, 2026 at 8:23 PM
I keep telling y'all, electric aviation is a dark horse.
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
"I’ll catch you outside and rip your face off," one Connecticut judicial marshal allegedly told ICE agents at a state courthouse in Meriden on Wednesday, according to the statement from DHS.
NEW: In a statement Friday, DHS said Connecticut judicial marshals tried to block ICE agents from arresting a man at a courthouse in Meriden this week and even threatened them.
My latest at @ctinsider.bsky.social — www.ctinsider.com/news/article... #nutmegsky
My latest at @ctinsider.bsky.social — www.ctinsider.com/news/article... #nutmegsky
Feds say CT marshals threatened, blocked ICE during courthouse arrest
"One Judicial Court Marshal blocked the elevator and exits and threatened one of the officers," DHS said in a statement.
www.ctinsider.com
September 26, 2026 at 2:15 AM
"I’ll catch you outside and rip your face off," one Connecticut judicial marshal allegedly told ICE agents at a state courthouse in Meriden on Wednesday, according to the statement from DHS.
Can someone tell me what is Southington's deal? Spent time there today for the first time and I need to know more.
What a place
What a place
September 26, 2026 at 11:42 PM
Can someone tell me what is Southington's deal? Spent time there today for the first time and I need to know more.
What a place
What a place
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
I have a confession to make. The townhomes I & others spent most of a decade trying to legalize are popping up all over Oregon & elsewhere...and I love that...but they're a problem in one big way.
(get ready for a twisty thread about the housing report @sightline.org just published)
(get ready for a twisty thread about the housing report @sightline.org just published)
September 25, 2026 at 4:19 PM
I have a confession to make. The townhomes I & others spent most of a decade trying to legalize are popping up all over Oregon & elsewhere...and I love that...but they're a problem in one big way.
(get ready for a twisty thread about the housing report @sightline.org just published)
(get ready for a twisty thread about the housing report @sightline.org just published)
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
Goddamn this graphic is *so* grim and telling
www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/...
www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/...
Connecticut has more homes built before WWII than after 2000
The state's housing stock reflects its development history, from the post-World War II suburban boom to decades of slower building since then.
www.ctinsider.com
September 24, 2026 at 10:22 PM
Goddamn this graphic is *so* grim and telling
www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/...
www.ctinsider.com/connecticut/...
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
Today in WaPo: biggest bang for your buck in climate = @climatecabinet.org
September 24, 2026 at 10:50 PM
Today in WaPo: biggest bang for your buck in climate = @climatecabinet.org
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
Hartford friends🍧
The ice cream at Mezzi's in Statehouse square is next level amazing. Homemade from scratch on site. Same people as have the little stand at theatreworks. Y'all gotta try this
www.mezziesicecream.com
The ice cream at Mezzi's in Statehouse square is next level amazing. Homemade from scratch on site. Same people as have the little stand at theatreworks. Y'all gotta try this
www.mezziesicecream.com
Mezzie's Ice Cream and Coffee
Artisan Ice Cream in Hartford, CT
www.mezziesicecream.com
September 21, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Hartford friends🍧
The ice cream at Mezzi's in Statehouse square is next level amazing. Homemade from scratch on site. Same people as have the little stand at theatreworks. Y'all gotta try this
www.mezziesicecream.com
The ice cream at Mezzi's in Statehouse square is next level amazing. Homemade from scratch on site. Same people as have the little stand at theatreworks. Y'all gotta try this
www.mezziesicecream.com
Hartford friends🍧
The ice cream at Mezzi's in Statehouse square is next level amazing. Homemade from scratch on site. Same people as have the little stand at theatreworks. Y'all gotta try this
www.mezziesicecream.com
The ice cream at Mezzi's in Statehouse square is next level amazing. Homemade from scratch on site. Same people as have the little stand at theatreworks. Y'all gotta try this
www.mezziesicecream.com
Mezzie's Ice Cream and Coffee
Artisan Ice Cream in Hartford, CT
www.mezziesicecream.com
September 21, 2026 at 3:27 PM
Hartford friends🍧
The ice cream at Mezzi's in Statehouse square is next level amazing. Homemade from scratch on site. Same people as have the little stand at theatreworks. Y'all gotta try this
www.mezziesicecream.com
The ice cream at Mezzi's in Statehouse square is next level amazing. Homemade from scratch on site. Same people as have the little stand at theatreworks. Y'all gotta try this
www.mezziesicecream.com
Perfection, 10/10, no notes
Opponents of AI Data Centers using AI to generate opposition and organizing materials
(I know nothing of this alleged project or plan)
Opponents of AI Data Centers using AI to generate opposition and organizing materials
(I know nothing of this alleged project or plan)
The threat of a data center being built has proven so unpopular with residents that they’re objecting even before any formal proposal comes forward.
CT town turns against data centers: ‘Yes, please’ becomes ‘No way’
www.courant.com
September 21, 2026 at 1:25 PM
Perfection, 10/10, no notes
Opponents of AI Data Centers using AI to generate opposition and organizing materials
(I know nothing of this alleged project or plan)
Opponents of AI Data Centers using AI to generate opposition and organizing materials
(I know nothing of this alleged project or plan)
Reposted by Urban Dispatch
The Bloomington (Indiana) City Council has voted 5-3 to end parking mandates in the city, joining South Bend. The vote accompanied a slew of zoning changes intended to lower housing costs.
September 21, 2026 at 1:13 PM
The Bloomington (Indiana) City Council has voted 5-3 to end parking mandates in the city, joining South Bend. The vote accompanied a slew of zoning changes intended to lower housing costs.
With more offshore wind coming on line, over 10% of all the power being consumed in New England is from wind turbines. That's pretty cool
September 21, 2026 at 1:14 PM
With more offshore wind coming on line, over 10% of all the power being consumed in New England is from wind turbines. That's pretty cool