Hey #willowdale drivers, I'm looking forward to cycling even more in vehicle lanes here. Want to come after the Sheppard and Willowdale bike lanes? Go for it. I'll then be on my bike in "your" lane, getting to where I need to go, in traffic, with you. Disclaimer: I'm also a driver.

This iconic Fabian Todorovic cartoon is still one of the best I’ve seen at illustrating the remarkable amount of space we surrender to cars, leaving little space left for everyone and everything else. The text added later makes the bonus point that many drivers still manage to complain about it.

The fight for better Toronto housing options, in meme format...

The Crowd: "We want proof that those cyclists actually ride bikes in our community!" The Frenzied Crowd: "No no! Not that type of real proof!!" #OpenData provided by The City @toronto.ca which you can find here open.toronto.ca/dataset/perm... h/t @cyclingpedestrian.cityof.toronto.ca #BikeTO

Wonder when we'll codify "dismissive wave" law for drivers... Almost hit a pedestrian while you run a red looking at your phone? It's OK, just do a dismissive wave and you're off the hook! Stop in a crosswalk and block people from crossing? Dismissive wave! Door a cyclist? Just wave! #waroncars

We limit the speed of ebikes "for public safety", yet this study shows we'd need to limit SUVs to 5.7 km/h for them to pose the same risk to other people #motonormativity findingspress.org/article/1587...

In local conversations, every time I (or someone else) points out the high # of drivers ignoring stop signs, someone else immediately goes "well I see cyclists do that all the time" and then it becomes a conversation about cyclists and WE NEVER ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT ALL OF THOSE DRIVERS.

It’s alarming that pedestrianization projects—among the most powerful catalysts of public joy practices & expressions—are being viewed so heavily through a policing lens. This approach reveals significant gaps in the City’s thinking & vision as it strives to expand pedestrianization initiatives.

This looks fun. Hoping that Torontonians outside of the core can weigh in here. We have many unique and vibrant neighborhoods in North York, Etobicoke, and Scarborough!

School of Cities@uoftcities.bsky.social · 2mo ago

We teamed up with U of T’s Centre for Analytics & AI Engineering to map the discrepancy between the borders you’d draw of your TO neighbourhood and its official borders. What do you call the 'hood you live in and which streets do you think delineates it? Map it now! https://ow.ly/pJsH50Zf045

If someone chooses to live in a smaller home in the inner city in part to avoid a long commute, they generally don’t pressure society to build them a bigger house with more stuff. So if you choose a bigger stuff-filled house in the suburbs, don’t expect society to build you a fast car commute.

Brent Toderian@brenttoderian.bsky.social · 3mo ago

Don’t forget what REALLY “drives” a lot of regional growth and infrastructure politics. It’s pretty much this. Great drawing via Ian Lockwood.

“Ever found yourself driving to the grocery store or coffee shop even tho it’s a 10-minute walk & perfectly nice day? New research suggests the reason isn’t just distance—it’s how the walk feels…it’s the sights, street life & amenities along the way that strongly shape whether people decide to walk”

Why walkable neighborhoods aren’t just about distance

New research finds that the experience of a walk plays a major role in whether people leave their cars behind.

colorado.edu

The game of multiplex Whac-A-Mole continues. As new multiplexes are built and defy the previous NIMBY claims about them, new claims get made. Often, the suggestions would raise costs or delay and deny new homes. Let's do a quick fact-check to see what claims have been debunked so far. 🧵

Damien Moule@damienmoule.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Councillor Pasternak wants to establish expensive design controls on multiplexes now that they're allowed as-of-right in the zoning by-law. Of course there's no question of whether a similar standard would apply to detached single family homes.

David Zipper@davidzipper.bsky.social · 7mo ago

New research finds negligible benefit from "minimum passing distance" laws requiring drivers to give cyclists space when overtaking them. Protected bike lanes are far more effective. doi.org/10.1016/j.jc...

From the Metro Toronto Planning Board's 1959 draft Official Plan (voted down by Metro Council). You could not say something this obvious in Toronto's Official Plan anymore.

Shout-out to all my fellow runners and cyclists with light-up vests! It's so nice to see a splash of rave-like colours on the roads and trails on dark December mornings #running #winter

Sometimes the memes write themselves

Matt Elliott@graphicmatt.com · 9mo ago

Holyday wants to know what it would mean if signal priority gave LRTs priority over left-turning vehicles. "Have you ever played Uno?" Holyday asks. "You ever get a miss-your-turn card? Is that what this is?" Staff say left-turning cars would still get a turn, after the transit has cleared.

This item was basically a request to endorse the directions in the report and move forward to the next stage of engagement. It looks like Committee will defer at Councillor Cheng's request. This would be a deferral on the proposed community engagement until more community engagement is done.

More Neighbours Toronto@moreneighboursto.bsky.social · 10mo ago

If you're interested in making this spine a little chunkier, the latest on the North York Secondary Plan should be at Planning and Housing Committee on December 3rd. No new details available yet but opposition from the low-rise Neighbourhood is expected.

@graphicmatt.com you may be interested to know that the North York Centre Secondary Plan will be deferred at tomorrow's PHC meeting at councillor's Cheng's request. Stated reason is "not enough consultation". There have actually been several rounds of consultations and surveys on it this year.

@ffsafestreets.bsky.social you may want to consider writing in support of planned speed humps on Maxome in Willowdale, on the agenda at NYCC this week. Those of us advocating for these could use the extra help. Some locals are trying to oppose this needed project secure.toronto.ca/council/agen...

Took me years to realize that one of my life goals was to live somewhere where I could be the rightmost example #urbanism #eggs

Neighbourhood retail will be at Planning and Housing Committee on Thursday. Much of Toronto's traditional retail + residential is being considered for heritage protection. Why is it valued and how could we do more of it? Our letter: www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis...

Strava dropped its lawsuit against Garmin! Great news, since if your run isn't uploaded to Strava, does it even exist?

Biggest life change since entering my 40s? Search history is now mostly inflammation relief and inflammation relief accessories

From: @alexbozikovic.bsky.social: "Our building codes require every apartment to have two separate... stairs. If you eliminate that rule... everything changes. Buildings become... less bulky. Apartments gain light and fresh air in every room. This means a dramatic improvement in quality of life."

A dense, urban Canada? It’s possible

A specific, provocative proposal for how Toronto might evolve offers good ideas

theglobeandmail.com

A lot of people talk about European cities, "6 storeys everywhere." The Neptis foundation did the work of looking at the current barriers to making that happen in Toronto. You can find more details in the ebook at Impossible Toronto. impossibletoronto.ca

Impossible Toronto — On the Courtyard — Introduction

impossibletoronto.ca

Burst pipe in my condo building resulted in a few units flooding yesterday. Worked with others on our floor to help move furniture away from wet areas in affected units. Turns out condo dwellers can come together in times of need just like anyone else, despite our councillor's insistence otherwise

I love it when my councillor tells me that my condo, and others like it, have no community. Lily Cheng only sees single family homeowners as "real" residents of Willowdale. The rest of us rabble can get bent, apparently #willowdale #Toronto #housing

Last weekend saw a lot of road closures in Toronto. Great to see ambulances using bike lanes to get people in distress where they need to go quickly. The trope touted by Ford and his like that bike lanes delay EMS response times has been proven false time and time again. #bikelanessavelives

It's like a mini race expo on the Yonge night bus! Good luck to all my fellow racers #torontowaterfrontmarathon

📢DIRECT ACTION ALERT! SHARE WIDELY! Join us to "circle the strollers" around the speed camera at Bloor and Dundas to protest our Premier's reckless attack on road safety. Tens of thousands of kids will be defenseless against speeding drivers in school zones!! More info: www.ffsafestreets.ca/events