Bonus donut holes
On many mornings over the last few weeks in Kerrville, Texas, I have stopped by the Daily Donuts shop and grabbed a breakfast of coffee and a donut. The pastry I ate on every visit might be known to readers in some parts of the country as a custard-filled Long John. It's called an E-clare … Continue reading Bonus donut holes
Maps: Prepping for 2018 Election Analysis
I'm putting together a tool kit for analyzing a narrow slice of the 2018 general election results. I want to see look at two kinds of county-by-county patterns. First, what's the relative strength of Republican and Democratic candidates in statewide races in 2018? Second, how does the strength of statewide candidates in 2018 stack up … Continue reading Maps: Prepping for 2018 Election Analysis
Ann Arbor’s Prop A, adverbs, and DDA tax capture
Voters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, will decide on Nov. 6 whether a publicly owned parcel atop an underground parking structure in the downtown should be reserved in perpetuity as public land and developed as a parklike amenity, a civic commons of sorts. It's Prop A on the ballot. An alternative use for the parcel is … Continue reading Ann Arbor’s Prop A, adverbs, and DDA tax capture
Transit Data: 2018 is on track for record rail ridership through Ann Arbor station
Based on data from the Michigan Department of Transportation, 113,783 passengers got on and off Amtrak trains at the Ann Arbor station in the first three quarters of this year. That's about 5,000 more riders than last year's nine-month total of 108,327. In 2017 the full-year ridership total was 150,176—which was the highest number recorded over the last roughly … Continue reading Transit Data: 2018 is on track for record rail ridership through Ann Arbor station
Guadalupe River Flooding: Most water in the last two decades, or ever? (No.)
Update: Oct. 6, 2018 1:18 p.m. The National Weather Service just tweeted a caution that the Guadalupe gauge in Kerrville has been malfunctioning: NWS Austin/San Antonio @NWSSanAntonio The gauge located at the Guadalupe River at Kerrville has been malfunctioning and did NOT reach record flood level. USGS is currently addressing the issue. The latest reliable reading … Continue reading Guadalupe River Flooding: Most water in the last two decades, or ever? (No.)
On saving a turtle and other unwritten stories
On Sunday, I was pedaling my bicycle south on Bandera Highway outside of Kerrville, Texas, heading for the turnoff to Wharton Road, which would take me to Center Point River Road, across the Guadalupe River—if not so much water was spilling over the two lanes of asphalt that I had to turn around and not … Continue reading On saving a turtle and other unwritten stories
Transit Data: Ann Arbor, MI
Based on numbers from the National Transit Database, ridership on Ann Arbor Area Transportation fixed route buses was down 1.8 percent in 2015 compared to the year before. Ridership recovered in 2016 to match roughly the 2014 total, and showed another increase (3.7 percent) in 2017. The general increase over the last three and a … Continue reading Transit Data: Ann Arbor, MI
Transit Data: Bloomington, IN
Based on data from the National Transit Database, ridership on the public bus system in Bloomington, Indiana, has trended slightly downward in the three years since 2014. After peaking at 3.51 million riders in 2014, the annual figure has slipped to 3.49 million (2015), 3.45 million (2016), and 3.30 million (2017). Ridership grew by 70 … Continue reading Transit Data: Bloomington, IN
Hoosier deer crashes
When I move to another part of the country, I like to gather as much information about the place as I can before I arrive there. (Who doesn't?) Where are the good bars? Where are the laundromats? Where is the grocery store? Where is the barbershop? Where can you get biscuits and gravy for breakfast? … Continue reading Hoosier deer crashes
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