Tejas Kotak

Bus rider. Tweets about transportation policy and nonsense. First name like advantageous.

He/him

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

"Trains are 19th century technology" is such a weird take to oppose transit. As if the timeline of a technology necessarily determines its usefulness.

1) Roads are thousands of years old technology
2) Train tech has continually been upgraded over time

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@JoeCheesecake @MARTAtransit I'm complaining more about the dumb angle these benches are at.

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

MARTA Airport station. These are some of the worst transit seats I've ever sat in. They're angled down and very smooth, so I always was sliding down. The arms are uncomfortable and serve as hostile architecture.

@MARTAtransit, please replace these with more sensible designs.

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@JoeCheesecake @MARTAtransit I want to be able to sit comfortably when my train is 15-20 minutes away.

The homelessness problem in Atlanta is real, and requires a variety of solutions like increased housing, wrap around services, and compassion. Making life harder for regular riders shouldn't be part of it.

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@moonchild23580 Mix of mom, grandma, and YouTube videos. Lots of trial and error until I figured out dishes that taste good, knife skills that worked, and which ingredients and spices to always have on hand.

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@darthlaflare Yes! It is a 1st first world problem.

But I live in the first world, so that's all of my problems.

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@yogeshtwet Because gay people live in his city???

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

Riding Amtrak from ATL-Philly today.
Slow, gentle journey for most of the trip. Time to read, nap, and disconnect for a while. Probably 40mph average at best.

We hit DC, changed to dedicated tracks and electric propulsion, and now we're zooming. Trains need this everywhere.

[Jonathan 'Boo and Vote' Cohn @JonathanCohn]

A+ sign game

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@HowEPhil I would bump up North Avenue BRT to Top 5. That's a lot of negotiation with GDOT to get it done, but needs to start ASAP to get it done. There's so much ridership we can get from that route, and crosstown local routes that would also benefit from bus lanes.

[Darin Givens @atlurbanist]

💯

"I believe that the Beltline is a failure without rail."

— Atlanta City Council member Liliana Bakhtiari, addressing MARTA interim general manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt at Wednesday's Transportation Committee

https://t.co/cxBTWVsnaa

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@jdhughez @HowEPhil The heavy rail trains can be autononomous and run every 3 minutes. Maybe even the light rail.

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

Transit innovation would be figuring out how to deliver Beltline rail at a faster pace so the Eastside, which is most ready for it, and the Southside both get it. And faster builds for safe streets.

Innovate with procurement and delivery. Not with untested technologies.

[Atlanta Beltline @AtlantaBeltline]

Even as timelines and implementation strategies evolve, we remain committed to the long-term vision for transit along the corridor.

Learn more about where we are with transit and where we hope to go below.

https://t.co/DZ8cItQnsY

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@jdhughez @HowEPhil Yes! Agreed. Light rail on the Beltline and expanded MARTA heavy rail.

[Andy Boenau @Boenau]

Driving through a city SHOULD be inconvenient if you're driving at the same time as everyone else.

The issue is geometry, not ideology. There's only so much space.

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@MCxinnovation Excited to try these out soon! I wonder if the gates are tall enough to dissuade fare evaders like the new ones at BART.

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@KelseaBondATL Yes! This, being more careful with tax breaks, and more housing will bring in so much revenue for good things.

Excited this is finally moving forward.

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@barely_th3re @a_bearded_ry @ATLDOT Yes! Was coming here to say the same. Tech campus has a lot of great bike infrastructure that the city and region should copy.

I like the Juniper St bike lane design, too! Just need it to actually open...

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@lymanstoneky @CardmeisterGuy @lawfare podcast had great episode on Ukraine, and part of the drone innovation is that a lot of the advances are made by hobbyists and small groups. Not a big company.

Yes to a drone gigafactory for base models, but let thousands of "regular" people innovate extra things.

[Tejas Kotak @tkotak013]

@Amtrak Come to Atlanta and say that (please)