What we need is accountability. If engineers and every level of government were held liable when a piece infrastructure kills or hurts someone when they allowed a dangerous design, change would happen quickly. At least victims could get a better payout.
I thought the major parking issue in the city was door zones. My handlebar bias may be showing. :P
CBC had a great episode about parking in downtown! We need to give people good alternatives to driving so that we can get people to where they need to go.
Parking is some of the worst land usage we can have in the downtown core of the city.
www.cbc.ca/listen/cbc-p...
Mark Carney's decision to suspend the federal gas tax was dumb. The positions taken by Pierre Poilievre and Avi Lewis, on the other hand, were downright ludicrous.
We can do better than this, folks. We have to. #cdnpoli
www.nationalobserver.com/2026/04/15/o...
I was in the field with a structural geologist who did not believe in plate tectonics. It was an interesting day. It felt like plate tectonics was an affront to his identity.
This was entirely predictable and to be expected.
Despite that, there are things we can still do as a city to ensure the safety of not just our children, but all of our road users.
We need to build our roads so that safe speeds are what people naturally drive at.
www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
Carney suspending federal gas tax to provide relief to drivers.
Problem: There is physically less oil available now. Cutting taxes doesn’t create more gasoline.
Some way or another, people have to use less. The mechanism that makes that happen is higher prices.
Rather than ticketing we’re talking poster with a delivery cyclist
Education Not Enforcement.
The first session is about to start to connect with App Based Delivery Workers in Toronto.
@thebikinglawyer.bsky.social @cycletoronto.bsky.social
Ontario started paying TOU last year instead of a fixed rate. It's been a great change.
Stuck at St-Laurent due to LRT issues. Passengers going west are asked to wait on the east end of the platform while passengers going east are asked to wait on the west end of the platform. I wish someone would explain the reason why.
Not sure this is what @emmettmacfarlane.com meant as an alternative policy position.
I jumped on before the $40k loan. Being an early adopter had its drawback.
The solar and heat pump cost about $40k total and I got $5k through Greener Homes.
This driver was going so fast that they FLIPPED A CAR in a freaking school zone!!! And collectively, our community shrugs. There wasn't any media coverage beyond this CTV post. In what other domain would we accept this level of recklessness and risk?
I get about 7200 kWh on my 7.5kW system in Ottawa. It more than covers the electricity for my heat pump.
A yellow light for bikes would be great in those types of situations. It could clearly establish right of way in case of collision, while also making sense. This is an example of infrastructure that leads to people on bikes being called scofflaws because of poorly designed infrastructure.
Sounds like astroturfing by a minority who don't want high speed rail. Flights and drives are much better for the fossil fuel and automotive industries that sponsor electoral campaigns.
A social media campaign to hurt bad actors also helps.
For those shopping for ebikes in #Ottawa, beware of Orléans Giant. My father bought a $8000 ebike from Orléans Giant and it is defective. The store won't take it back. Buyer beware. If you get a lemon from them, you are stuck with it.
When I lived in Australia, I was shocked that homes had no HVAC. It was cold in the winter and hot in the summer. There seemed to be a sort of pride that came with being uncomfortable.
I’ve become convinced that making deputations to council and committee is largely pointless. Doesn’t feel like it makes any difference. trying, putting in the effort, taking time out of my day, just doesn’t feel like it’s worth it. 1/
NIMBYs always throw all the reasons to kill a project to see what sticks. I have seen people suddenly care about geotechnical engineering, agricultural experiments, wind flow, and of course, the always ignored until convenient, accessibility.
I hope they do something about the slip lane from St-Patrick to Vanier. That is the most dangerous spot on my route. Unfortunately, it would be a minor inconvenience to drivers so it is unlikely to happen.
“Doug Ford’s personal vendetta against a handful of bike lanes in Toronto has now mucked up infrastructure planning across the entire province. There are infrastructure projects in Ottawa, Mississauga, Hamilton, etc., that are collateral damage.” — @mbonsma.bsky.social
Weakening cities.
A bike rack shaped like a sad gas meter.
Dutch power chair user on multiuse path
Dutch power chair user on multiuse path
Dutch power chair user on multiuse path
Dutch power chair user on multiuse path
Bookmark this post for the next time someone says "bike infrastructure is ableist."
Dutch bike infrastructure, in the form of wide, multiuse paths, is used by countless disabled people every day.
They use the same paths as bicyclists, and are safer than on our broken American sidewalks.
A year ago today, I was on my way to the hospital after being left-hooked on Beechwood while riding to work. I was reflecting on the state of active transportation in Ottawa and decided to write it up.
open.substack.com/pub/orleansf...
Several months ago, I agreed to wade into the morass that this integrated renewal of residential streets in Manor Park has become.
Let your city councillor know today that you support residential sidewalks, especially on school streets.
Since I have fully electrified, I found that I can smell an ICE from a good distance. I can tune out the noise, but the thought of what the fumes are doing to me and my children's health really bothers me.
It's normal since the provincial government has two clear policy objectives: increasing access to booze and forcing people to drive.