James
@jamesroberts.bsky.social
Maker of wooden things, advocate for climate change solutions and street safety. Dog petter. Retired documentary and radio producer for the CBC in Canada.
In suburbs around Victoria, BC councillors are still painting sharrows on the roads claiming a few gallons of paint is all the cycling infrastructure they want or need.
Dutch Cycling Embassy@dutchcycling.nl · 4d agoThis is the Ann-Arbor-Bridge is Tübingen, Germany This blue bicycle bridge, along with a nearby tunnel, offer a convenient north-south link across the railway and form part of the city's 'Blaue Band' (Blue Ribbon) cycling route. Equipped with a heating system, it ensures year-round accessibility.
'In 1860, an enslaved man named Sheppard Peek was listed among the possessions of William Peek, a white man in Crawfordville. His value was placed at $1,400. More than a century and a half later, Sheppard’s great-great-granddaughter, Keisha Lance Bottoms, was elected governor of Georgia.'
Keisha Lance Bottoms and the long road from Crawfordville to Governor’s Mansion
More than 160 years after her ancestors were enslaved in Georgia, the former Atlanta mayor has made history as the first Black woman elected governor.
ajc.com
Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY. There was also a 71% drop in air pollution. Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
Closing Central Madrid To Cars Resulted In 9.5% Boost To Retail Spending, Finds Bank Analysis
City of Madrid significantly boosted the takings of its shops and restaurants last Christmas by banning cars from the CBD, finds an analysis by Spain's second largest bank.
forbes.com
“When mayors in other cities ask me how #Copenhagen afforded to invest in its cycling networks, I ask them how on earth they have been able to afford highway projects. We invested in bike lanes because that was the cheapest option.” What the world can learn from Copenhagen’s cycling revolution.
Copenhagen Cycling Revolution: Lessons for Cities
Close to two-thirds of the city’s residents commute by bike to school or work every day.
theprogressplaybook.com
A game-changer, not just for civic life in London, but for the idea of street transformations for people all over the world.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan@london.gov.uk · 2w agoI've always believed Oxford Street could be so much more than a road. Today we begin a new chapter as the nation’s high street goes traffic free, creating a place where people can spend time, enjoy the atmosphere and experience the very best of our city.
Never forget, a 13-year study found that protected bike-lanes led to a drastic decline in fatalities for all road users. ALL ROAD USERS. What about painted bike-lanes? No safety improvement at all. For sharrows, it’s actually safer to NOT have them. Via @usa.streetsblog.org @nyc.streetsblog.org
Separated Bike Lanes Means Safer Streets, Study Says — Streetsblog USA
Cities that build protected lanes for cyclists end up with safer roads for people on bikes and people in cars and on foot, a new study of 12 large metropolises revealed Wednesday.
usa.streetsblog.org
@tomflood.bsky.social @sgoodyear.bsky.social
James@jamesroberts.bsky.social · 3w ago"In most wealthy countries the city centre is dominated by car-free walkways, bustling town squares and rapid transit stations; in Canada the car still reigns supreme." GIFT ARTICLE www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/3012a54...
"In most wealthy countries the city centre is dominated by car-free walkways, bustling town squares and rapid transit stations; in Canada the car still reigns supreme." GIFT ARTICLE www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/3012a54...
I spent a year visiting ‘world-class’ cities. Here’s how Canada compares on the global stage
When you go to big city after big city for an entire year, you realize the areas where Canada’s world-class obsessed cities struggle to keep up with the rest of the world
theglobeandmail.com
This organization in Montreal is amazing. GIFT ARTICLE courtesy the Globe and Mail. www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/d64609c...
In its mission to beautify Montreal, MU created a way to celebrate artists and build community with murals
The Montreal mural-painting organization is marking 20 years of public art with new works dedicated to four Quebec cultural icons
theglobeandmail.com
Sure to generate a smile: A column courtesy the Toronto Star. A Naked Gold Trump in the European Parliament. www.thestar.com/gift-redeem?...
Gift-redeem
thestar.com
Now there's two good reasons Canadians should never enter a Starbucks. They're American owned and now they're saying climate standards are not for them.
Jessica Green@greenprofgreen.bsky.social · last mo.Starbucks’ rollback of its climate commitments is just the latest example of why voluntary climate standards like net zero are only useful when coupled w/ credible threats of regulation or (gasp!) *actual* rules on climate action. Mini 🧵
How long do electric vehicle batteries last? That question spooks some potential buyers but it turns out they're lasting longer than drivers expected. arstechnica.com/cars/2026/09...
EV batteries last longer than drivers feared
Study suggests used vehicles can retain about 90% of original usable battery capacity after 150,000 km.
arstechnica.com
So AI is a teenage boy but much much worse. "OpenAI on Wednesday disclosed six new instances in which artificial intelligence systems hid mistakes, made up data and moved files onto the open internet without permission." www.nytimes.com/2026/09/16/t...
OpenAI Discloses Six New Incidents of ‘Concerning' A.I. Behavior
The artificial intelligence company also released a framework for reporting when its systems go wrong.
nytimes.com
Best comment so far on the American Supreme Court's decision to allow mail-in voting.
Jay Willis@jaywillis.net · 2mo agoGenuinely an insane paragraph from Sam Alito. “Voter fraud is real and scary and we have to stop it, so the fact that implementing Trump’s mail ballot rule will disenfranchise millions is legally irrelevant.” Brain melted. A right-wing podcaster in a robe. www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25p...
👀Enslaved African people were seared with hot metal brands bearing the royal crown, according to research by historians who have documented the monarchy’s centuries-long involvement in Britain’s slave trade. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-i...
The royal crown branded on enslaved Africans: Britain’s monarchy and the slave trade
From Elizabeth I’s backing of early voyages to royal investment in trafficking companies, generations of monarchs were central to Britain’s slave trade
theguardian.com
Their book is End Times Fascism, an exploration of what the far right, the tech bros, the billionaires and the Trump regime have in common. Spoiler alert: a society devoid of democracy. They're in conversation here about their book. www.nytimes.com/2026/09/12/m...
Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor Say the End of the World Is Now on the Table
In a new book, the writers argue that a powerful coalition of “end times fascists” is just fine with the earth’s demise.
nytimes.com
The pro-Russian (and pro Nazi) afd in Germany is surging and it's worth noting that this is the party Elon Musk supports in Germany. Bottom line, it's a warning to all of us. GIFT ARTICLE courtesy Globe and Mail www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/d64609c...
Germany’s Merz refuses to work with AfD after far-right party’s landslide victory in state election
Party’s strong showing in Saxony-Anhalt raises the prospect of Germany’s first right-wing populist state government since the Nazi era
theglobeandmail.com
The Doug Ford government is spending $50-million to rip out bike lanes. It won't reduce congestion but it will make Toronto more dangerous for cyclists. FREE COLUMN FROM THE GLOBE AND MAIL'S MARCUS GEE www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/d64609c...
Where is the ‘common sense’ here?
Ripping out Toronto bike lanes is more than just a waste of money
theglobeandmail.com
This is demonstrably, measurably improving the health of the people who live there. Most notably, it increases the respiratory *& cognitive* health of children. They literally do better in school. If this country really gave a shit about children, this would be at the top of the public-policy list.
Daniel Moser@dmoser.bsky.social · 2mo agoPollution levels in London after 10 years of advancing sustainable transport.
No matter what they claim, the REAL “war” that’s been going on in our cities has been a WAR ON WALKING. And it’s been going on for a century. #UrbanTruth
The Trump administration cuts funding for bike lanes and suggests cyclists are dorks. Writing as a proud dork I say to all you city councillors, you know what to do. Get building! Explore this gift article from The New York Times. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/u...
Do D.E.I. Bike Paths Exist? The Trump Administration Says Yes. (Gift Article)
The administration has revoked funding for bike paths, and encouraged removing some. A cycling advocate said it is playing on the idea of “that dork on a bike.”
nytimes.com
A 2,000 foot chunk of glacier snapped off and dropped 4,000 feet in Nepal. The flash flood killed 98 people. 391 tourists are missing. 47 Americans unaccounted for. 19 bridges gone. This isn't a natural disaster. This is climate breakdown.
S.T. is absolutely correct. Take for example the province of Canada I live in. A population of just under 6 million and each year 3,200 pedestrians and cyclists are hit by drivers.
S.T. Bikes KC 🚶🚴 🚌 & 🚎@stbikeskc.bsky.social · 3mo agoThe moral panic being drummed up by the media and adult drivers about kids on scooters and e-bikes being used to distract from the devastation and carnage caused by car dependency and motonormativity has me feeling very burnt out!
It will normalize these on shorter flights first. Maybe improve regional connection more. Then we’ll be used to then when bigger ones arrive. That’s my guess anyway.
Joseph D. Ortiz@earthsciinfo.bsky.social · 3mo agoShort-hop, BEV aircraft are coming. Heart Aerospace completes successful test flight of its experimental 15 passenger X-1 BEV aircraft (27 minutes; $5 worth of electricity for power). 🧪💡🔌☀️💨💧🔋 www.travelpulse.com/news/airline...
GIFT ARTICLE FROM THE TORONTO STAR: a good roundup of how two nations, Australia and the UK manage to offer free clean renewable power to millions. www.thestar.com/gift-redeem?...
thestar.com
Let's build pipelines! Drive pickup trucks to the store! Expand natural gas use in cities! Kneecap clean energy expansion! www.theguardian.com/environment/...
World’s seas have hit hottest temperature on record for July, say scientists
Average sea surface temperature outside polar regions was highest on record for July, beating previous high in 2023
theguardian.com