Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.
Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?
There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.
This Week's Question: Does anyone have any plans for making Christmas gifts or cards?
If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.
For years, Bay Area residents who traveled to New York, London, Toronto, or many other cities around the globe have marveled at how easy it is to pay a transit fare. In most world-class cities, just tap your credit card on the fare gate reader and they open—no special cards, tickets, or apps required.
“This is an area where we’re finally catching up,” said State Senator Scott Wiener at an event Wednesday morning marking the lunch of Clipper II, which means on Muni, Caltrain, AC Transit, BART, and all but a few of the Bay Area’s transit agencies, it is finally possible to pay directly with a credit card.
“Riding Muni today is even easier,” said SFMTA’s Julie Kirschbaum, who was also at the event. “It’s just in time for holiday tourism. Muni is a great way to get around.”
BART pioneered the move and started on the Clipper II direct-payment system in August. “11 percent of BART riders are now tap-and-ride,” explained BART’s Bob Powers. “It improves the customer experience. Riders say it’s transformational.”
Also transformational: with Clipper II now rolled out across the Bay Area comes significance cost savings. Riders transferring between Bay Area transit operators will save up to $2.85 per transfer. That means a commuter who takes Muni and BART daily, explained Kirschbaum, will now save “$1,500 a year going between Oakland and San Francisco.”
Adina Levin and Sara Barz, Seamless Bay Area founders, were especially jazzed that Clipper II has finally arrived. Photo: Streetsblog/Rudick
Speaking of advocates, Adina Levin, one of Seamless Bay Area’s founders, was jazzed to be at the event. “It’s an exciting day. I’m happy to get the free transfer from Caltrain to Muni.” She added that the new feature will help boost ridership when people don’t have to think as hard about how they’re going pay and how much it will cost to take transit instead of driving.
The launch of Clipper II, built by Cubic Transportation Systems, was not entirely without hiccups however. Officials acknowledged that the Clipper website was overwhelmed by people attempting to upgrade their cards to the new system in order to get the discounts. Reports came in to Streetsblog that users got random error messages when they tried to log in.
“Some customers are having issues with both the Clipper website and the Clipper mobile app. Indications are that customer demand has overwhelmed the system a bit,” explained John Goodwin, spokesperson for the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, which is administering the program. “Our guys—and the Cubic crew—are troubleshooting these issues and working to get the ‘pipeline’ flowing again as soon as possible.”
The website issue only impacts people trying to use their plastic Clipper cards or the Clipper app. As soon as the website is up and running again, they can upgrade it to get the transfer discounts. Until then, riders can either continue to use their Clipper cards as they are (although they won’t get a transfer discount). Or they can just skip that step and use their credit cards or virtual payment systems, such as Apple Pay, and get the transfer discount now.
“Riding the bus should be as easy as buying a cup of coffee, and now it is,” said Wiener. “Getting tap-to-pay off the ground is a great step to ensure Bay Area residents get the world class transit they deserve.”
This isn’t a real post. It’s just me saying that I’m going to Nowhere Bookshop either today or tomorrow to sign books so if you want to order some for presents for yourself or others and have them mailed to you before xmas you can get them here. If you put “go nuts” in theContinue reading "Want a chaotically signed book?"
The Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) Board of Directors is saddened to announce that Erica Frank and Kathryn Soderholm have resigned from their roles as Board Directors for personal reasons. Their resignations are effective as of December 11, 2025.
Erica was elected to her seat in 2024, and her term was set to end in 2027; her seat will be filled in the upcoming election as a one-year term. Kathryn was elected to her seat in 2023, and was already scheduled to be replaced in the upcoming election. In the meantime, both of their seats will remain vacant.
We would like to thank Erica and Kathryn for their service as members of the Board and for their years as OTW volunteers. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
The Organization for Transformative Works is the non-profit parent organization of multiple projects including Archive of Our Own, Fanlore, Open Doors, OTW Legal Advocacy, and Transformative Works and Cultures. We are a fan-run, donor-supported organization staffed by volunteers. Find out more about us on our website.
The Organization for Transformative Works (OTW) Board of Directors is saddened to announce that Erica Frank and Kathryn Soderholm have resigned from their roles as Board Directors for personal reasons. Their resignations are effective as of December 11, 2025.
Erica was elected to her seat in 2024, and her term was set to end in 2027; her seat will be filled in the upcoming election as a one-year term. Kathryn was elected to her seat in 2023, and was already scheduled to be replaced in the upcoming election. In the meantime, both of their seats will remain vacant.
We would like to thank Erica and Kathryn for their service as members of the Board and for their years as OTW volunteers. We wish them all the best in their future endeavors.
"Oh, thank goodness we found you, Santa! ....Santa?"
"AAAAAIIIIEEEEE!!!!"
...FALL ASLEEP.
"He's not real. He's not real. HE'S NOT REAL."
"He's... right behind me, isn't he?
"Great. Juuuuust great."
[child singing]
He sees you when you're sleeping
He know when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good,
So be good...
...OR DIE.
Thanks to Erinn M., Aymara A., Gene H., Ben & Janelle, Chandria D., Zach R., Ann H., & Shannon S., who better watch out, and they better not cry, because wusses get left behind.
Whether it’s a job interview, your first day at a new school, or an audience with royalty, first impressions can be important. But they aren’t always easy! Sometimes everything works out, and it’s love (or job offer) at first sight; other times, you trip on a shoelace you could have sworn wasn’t untied five minutes ago, or stub your toe and say a word you shouldn’t say in front of your boss’s boss’s boss, or a supervolcano erupts and you have to immediately cut the interview short to go suit up and save the world.
What kind of first impressions do your characters make? Good ones? Bad ones? Memorable ones, for all the right or wrong reasons?
Write a story about first impressions.
BONUS GOAL: All Suited Up
If your submission features someone in a suit, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!
Challenge ends Monday, December 15 at 9:00PM EST.
• Post submissions as new entries using the template in the profile • Tag this week's entries as: [#] submission, 283 – first impressions • If you have questions about this challenge, please ask them here
Challenge 283: FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Whether it’s a job interview, your first day at a new school, or an audience with royalty, first impressions can be important. But they aren’t always easy! Sometimes everything works out, and it’s love (or job offer) at first sight; other times, you trip on a shoelace you could have sworn wasn’t untied five minutes ago, or stub your toe and say a word you shouldn’t say in front of your boss’s boss’s boss, or a supervolcano erupts and you have to immediately cut the interview short to go suit up and save the world.
What kind of first impressions do your characters make? Good ones? Bad ones? Memorable ones, for all the right or wrong reasons?
Write a story about first impressions.
BONUS GOAL: All Suited Up
If your submission features someone in a suit, it will earn an extra point to be tallied in voting!
Challenge ends Monday, December 15 at 9:00PM EST.
• Post submissions as new entries using the template in the profile • Tag this week's entries as: [#] submission, 283 – first impressions • If you have questions about this challenge, please ask them here
Congratulations to both of you, and thank you to everyone who took the time to cast their votes! autobotscoutriella will be making this week’s banners, so keep an eye out for those next week.
You may now post your Challenge 282 entries to any additional communities, blogs, archives or sites as you'd like! We also have a FandomWeekly AO3 Collection if you'd like to add your stories there!
(Carter Rubin is a lot of things, including a board member of the California Streets Initiative which publishes Streetsblog California and Santa Monica Next. This article was originally written for Next, but is cross posted with the author’s blessing.)
As a Santa Monica parent, I’ve put over 3,000 miles on my e-bike toting my kid around. It’s revolutionized how I get around town, bringing more smiles to my commutes and errands, saving me money, beating traffic and getting fresh air.
Recently my stalwart e-bike passenger increasingly wants to ride their own bike. So I’ve started paying more attention to what other kids are riding around town. It’s mostly road bikes and mountain bikes, but I’m increasingly seeing e-bikes, and even motorized vehicles that are not, in fact, legal for anyone to ride on city streets, let alone kids.
So, for parents in the final stretch of holiday shopping, here’s my PSA.
What Is a Legal E-Bike?
According to California law, an electric bicycle is a bicycle equipped with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts of power.
Class 1: A low speed pedal-assisted electric bicycle equipped with a motor which provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance when a speed of 20 mph is reached.
Class 2: A low speed throttle-assisted electric bicycle equipped with a motor used exclusively to propel the bicycle and NOT capable of providing assistance when a speed of 20 mph is reached.
Class 3: A low speed pedal-assisted electric bicycle equipped with a speedometer, and a motor which provides assistance only when the rider is pedaling and ceases to provide assistance when a speed of 28 mph is reached.
The operator of a Class 3 electric bicycle:
Must be 16 years old or older.
Must wear a bicycle safety helmet.
It Has To Have Pedals
If it doesn’t have pedals, but it has a motor, then it is not a legal e-bike. It’s either a motorcycle or something not legal to ride on city streets. It doesn’t help that some unscrupulous manufacturers are contributing to this confusion.
If it has a motor putting out more power than 750 watts, then it’s not a legal e-bike.
That means it may be either a motorcycle or a mo-ped, both of which require the driver to be licensed, the vehicle to be registered with the DMV, and the vehicle to have certain equipment like headlights, brake lights and turn signals.
I have seen kids riding electric dirtbikes to school that are not legal street vehicles.
How to Make Sure You’re Buying a Legit E-Bike
My tip? Go to a reputable local bike shop! If you buy online, you may encounter stores that make dubious claims about the legality of their e-powered vehicles to ride on California streets. And by buying local, you’ll have access to mechanics who can help you maintain your e-bike and troubleshoot anything that comes up with the electronics.
So, to sum it up:
Enjoy the fun, affordable mobility of bikes and e-bikes!
Make sure you’re not buying an offroad electric dirt bike.
And advocate for safer streets for everyone — especially kids enjoying pedal-powered freedom — by joining our local bike advocacy organization, Santa Monica Spoke.
Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.
Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?
There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.
This Week's Question: Does anyone have any plans for making Christmas gifts or cards?
If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.
A cyclist was nearly run over by an apparently enraged AC Transit operator on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 4, in front of Franklin Elementary on Foothill Boulevard in Oakland.
George, who asked Streetsblog to withhold his last name out of fear of retaliation, said he was riding in the bike lane when he noticed a huge shadow coming from behind him and heard honking. He turned around to see an AC Transit bus in the bike lane tailgating him. He stopped riding and confronted the driver and told them to return to the motor vehicle lane. The bus driver did so, briefly, but then swerved aggressively back into the bike lane in an apparent attempt to crush him with the side of her bus.
“It’s not like she could say she didn’t see me,” explained George.
He saw a marked AC Transit supervisor’s car shortly after the incident and stopped to ask him how to report the driver. However, “he refused to look at the video and refused to talk to me. He threatened to call the sheriff on me for trying to talk to him.”
George reached out to several others at AC Transit but told Streetsblog the only real help he got was from Jean Walsh, AC Transit director for Ward 2 and a cyclist herself. “I forwarded [the video] to our top executive staff and asked them to look into it and provide a response on how they will respond. I haven’t heard back, but I know they’re investigating it,” she explained to Streetsblog.
George added that he’s planning to file a police report against the bus driver.
“Basically, someone can be liable for assault, even if no contact ever occurred, by threatening unlawful contact,” explained Michael Stephenson, an attorney with Bay Area Bicycle Law. “Here, it appears that the bus driver was upset with the cyclist after the altercation and then knowing full well that the cyclist was present in the bike lane, merged into the bike lane to threaten harmful contact with the cyclist. In other words, to scare the cyclist, placing the cyclist in reasonable apprehension of a potentially fatal collision. Luckily, the cyclist was able to avoid the harmful contact, but an assault still took place.”
“The video … was received by our transportation team several days ago and is currently under review,” wrote Robert Lyles, spokesperson for AC Transit. “While we cannot discuss personnel matters or any actions that may result, please know that we take this matter very seriously and are committed to upholding the highest standards of safety and professionalism.”
“Obviously, it’s a serious matter. And I understand these issues from a personal perspective,” added Walsh.
“The bike lane provides some comfort, but in situations like this, I feel it makes me more of a target for rage,” he said.
“The original plan for Foothill in that area was to stripe the bike lane on the left side with a short protected section by the school drop-off zone, specifically to help avoid these types of bike/bus conflicts,” explained Bike East Bay’s Robert Prinz.
“This was eventually dropped from the project due to concerns about where and how the bike lane would switch from the right to the left side, and concerns about conflicts between school drop-off traffic and buses,” he continued. “However, it’s clear that the bike/bus conflicts and school drop-off traffic are still ongoing issues. OakDOT staff are now taking another look at that location to see if there is any follow-up they can do.”
Meanwhile, George told Streetsblog he remains shaken. “While I wear a helmet, I don’t have airbags or a seatbelt, or a protective steel cage. I feel very vulnerable,” he said. “So with dangerous drivers like this, I wonder if I am about to die just biking to work.”
SGV Connect is excited to announce that we’ll be hosting our-now-annual-traditional Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with Felicia Friesema, Director of Marketing and Communications for Foothill Transit. As always, we’re looking for our readers and listeners to feed us questions. So send your best ones to damien@streetsblog.org by noon this Friday, December 12.
Whether you’re following Foothill Transit’s ongoing fleet electrification efforts, want to know what’s next for zero-emission buses, have questions about service reliability, or are curious about how regional transportation funding shifts may impact the next several years.
Some of you have accused me of pulling punches in interviews with Foothill over the years because they advertise on the podcast, so if you fall into that camp here’s your chance to who me what kinds of questions you think I should be asking.
We also welcome questions about broader mobility issues in the SGV: fare policy, bus-only lanes, student pass programs, operator recruitment, safety, technology upgrades, and how Foothill Transit is preparing for increased ridership as major regional projects come online.
If you travel in the Foothill Transit service area, rely on buses for your commute, or are just a transit enthusiast keeping tabs on how agencies are adapting post-pandemic, we want to hear from you. No question is too detailed or too big-picture. For example, last year’s AMA covered these topics:
Foothill Transit Operations: Discussions around new buses and service planning.
Metro A Line Connections: How Foothill Transit connects to the light rail system.
College Connections: Linking campuses like Cal Poly Pomona and San Antonio College to transit.
SGV Connect is supported by Foothill Transit, offering car-free travel throughout the San Gabriel Valley with connections to the new Gold Line Stations across the Foothills and Commuter Express lines traveling into the heart of downtown L.A. To plan your trip, visit Foothill Transit. “Foothill Transit. Going Good Places.”
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