The Kerrant

Rational Reflections from Dallas

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Seattle Spent $99 Million on Bike Infrastructure. Bike Commuting Fell.

September 14, 2026 By Nicholas Kerr Leave a Comment

Seattle spent roughly $99 million on bicycle infrastructure over a decade, adding more than 76 miles of bike lanes and greenways. Yet between 2014 and 2023, while the city’s population grew about 13 percent, the number of people commuting by bicycle fell from roughly 14,157 to 12,600. Bike commuting’s share of commuters dropped from 3.7 percent to 2.7 percent. Portland saw an even steeper decline. It’s a striking reminder that infrastructure spending is an input. What matters is whether people actually change their behavior as intended.

Filed Under: Policy Rants Tagged With: seattle

Articles that caught my eye – February 2022

February 19, 2022 By Nicholas Kerr Leave a Comment

How the CDC Abandoned Science – Tablet Magazine “The CDC is, in part, a scientific agency—they use facts and principles of science to guide policy—but they are also fundamentally a political agency… “Throughout this pandemic, the CDC has been a poor steward of that balance, pushing a series of scientific results that are severely deficient. […]

Filed Under: Random Rants Tagged With: COVID-19, mask mandates, P.J. O'Rourke, seattle

When voters don’t keep extremism in check

October 29, 2020 By Nicholas Kerr Leave a Comment

Extremism on either end of the political spectrum has been with us forever. However, it’s usually kept in check by voters. A Seattle Times editorial described what has become of the left in Seattle this week. In Seattle, [Mayor Jenny] Durkan was targeted at home recently with homophobic and misogynistic messages by left-wing protesters. Individuals […]

Filed Under: Random Rants Tagged With: Jenny Durkan, Kshama Sawant, seattle

Farewell Seattle

August 3, 2020 By Nicholas Kerr

It’s with heavy hearts that my wife and I have made the unexpected decision to leave Seattle for Texas. We’ve each called this city home for 15+ years. Here we met, married, bought our first home, and have been raising two kids. While we have heavy hearts and hadn’t seriously contemplated this move until a […]

Filed Under: Random Rants Tagged With: education, school, seattle, Texas

Reopen schools for the sake of our children

June 4, 2020 By Nicholas Kerr

<This was first published in the Washington Examiner on June 3, 2020> No one should fault our leadership for closing schools in March, given the uncertainty and limited information about COVID-19 available then. Three months later, we now have ample evidence about the risks of the virus to weigh against the short- and long-term harm […]

Filed Under: Policy Rants Tagged With: Coronavirus, COVID-19, education, school, seattle

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About the Author

Nicholas Kerr is a Dallas-based marketing and loyalty executive, currently leading loyalty and CRM marketing for Chili's Grill & Bar and Maggiano's Little Italy at Brinker International. Previously, he led Microsoft Rewards and held senior leadership positions in consumer marketing and loyalty.

Raised in New Zealand, Nicholas writes The Kerrant, sharing his perspectives on economics, public policy, business, technology, and life. His commentary has appeared in National Review, The Washington Examiner, The Australian, The Australian Financial Review, and New Zealand newspapers including the Otago Daily Times. He has also addressed Chambers of Commerce, think tanks, and other organizations in Seattle and Dallas.

The views expressed on The Kerrant are entirely his own and do not necessarily reflect those of Brinker International, his employers (past or present), or any other organization with which he is affiliated. Read More…

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© 2026 Nicholas Kerr · The Kerrant
All opinions expressed on this website are my own and should not be attributed to Brinker International, my past or present employers, or any other organization with which I am affiliated.