Morning: advocacy ride (h/t Step Thru for organizing, what a route!) Lunchtime: grocery shop by bike Afternoon: @velocanadabikes.bsky.social AGM (& well-deserved celebration of @sflkirk.bsky.social!) There are many ways to get involved & many people doing the work to make places bike-friendly.

I’m sure we’ll see mass, breathless coverage from all the MDs and brain surgeons freaking the fuck out about this too huh?… or maybe cuz most of them own some form of vehicle like this, the in-group / out-group think barrier will be too fucking high for them to cross

Take the Lane (Kevin McLaughlin)@voilakevin.bsky.social · 20h ago

Without a word of context, The Star covers this story as a triumph. And e-bikes are getting so dangerous. What the actual Fuck www.thestar.com/life/autos/r...

For the love of all that is holy can we pretty please de-amalgamate and let the idiots in the suburbs and rurals deal with this and pay for it with their own tax dollars. I live in a city. A lot of folks who live in what’s currently considered my city actually do not. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Mayoral debate shows wide gulf over urban sprawl | CBC News

Ottawa mayoral hopefuls are taking different positions on how far the city should sprawl to make space for hundreds of thousands more residents expected in the coming decades.

cbc.ca

A client spent half a million $ to pursue a site plan approval for a #MissingMiddle infill apt building; 30 months of delay, city fees, expropriations and otherwise killed the project. It stays a parking lot. @shawnmenard.bsky.social 1/ substack.com/@toondreesse...

The Challenge of Planning

Policies meet reality; it shouldn't be this hard to build housing

substack.com

mark-sutcliffe.bsky.social@mark-sutcliffe.bsky.social · 3d ago

We need to make housing more affordable for Ottawa residents. I'll freeze all city-imposed costs on new housing, including permitting fees, rezoning, variances, official plan amendments and development charges.  See my full plan: marksutcliffe.ca/priorities/a...

The pathway to majority governments and what they now have the permission structure to do once they have a majority is fundamentally broken. Doug Ford thinks he has a mandate to be mayor of every fucking city in the province cuz he has a majority

KGE hockey fan 🇨🇦🍁@kbyrd.bsky.social · 4d ago

Considering that he didn’t tell Canadians that he planned to roll back environmental protections and stomp on Indigenous rights while cozying up to oil and gas executives, I don’t think he DOES have a mandate. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...

How awesome the reduction in stress that comes from your commute almost never being impacted by traffic is cannot be overstated.

Scott Edgar@scottedgar.bsky.social · 3d ago

Got home about 20 minutes ago. The whole ride home, I was thinking, "Wow, lots of cars backed up everywhere!" My bike ride took the exact same amount of time it always does.

"The rules that govern your city are mostly fake nonsense held together by inertia and status quo bias" is something that people who want their city to get better have to internalize.

Matt Stickland@landofsticks.bsky.social · 3d ago

White: why do we have traffic lights that tell drivers to turn and pedestrians to walk at the same time Traffic authority: that's just the way we've always done it.

Not much discussion about walking in these clips.

CTV News Ottawa@ctvnewsottawa.bsky.social · 4d ago

Walk My Ward: 2 – Orléans West-Innes

Not doing this as part of stage 2 LRT is such a wasted opportunity. @ncc-ccn.gc.ca and @en.ottawa.ca need to do better to identify such opportunities in the future.

The New Orleans@theneworleans.bsky.social · 4d ago

Residents in Convent Glen Orléans Wood have been proposing what we are calling the Hwy 174 Farm Easement Path for years, if not decades. Let us know what you think about a safe, efficient, and comfortable path along the 174 to connect Orleans to Beacon Hill and beyond.

Residents in Convent Glen Orléans Wood have been proposing what we are calling the Hwy 174 Farm Easement Path for years, if not decades. Let us know what you think about a safe, efficient, and comfortable path along the 174 to connect Orleans to Beacon Hill and beyond.

Just finished @ebu53.bsky.social’s new book (based on context, it sure seems I have the right person) Out on a Limb! Thanks so much for writing it, really interesting to learn a whole lot more about the value of trees and real green cities (not lawns and big open fields). 😊

I moved to Autowa having not touched a bicycle in 25 years. Now, thanks to one friend, I'm indoctrinated into the All Powerful Bike Lobby, and I'm thrilled about it. Go on, ask me how you too could get started biking in the winter. I dare ya.

Sundance@sundance.bikesky.social · last wk.

10 reasons why I think you shouldn’t start riding bikes. Feel free to add your own personal reasons, I’m sure there are like hundreds.

I gave a talk yesterday at a clean tech in incubator, and this was literally my thesis.

fluids_guru@fluidsguru.bsky.social · last wk.

I don’t understand the hand-wringing reaction to claims that nueral networks have a 10% chance of destroying civilisation. Fossil fuel companies have a 100% chance of initiating a mass extinction event. Maybe we could address that?

And finally, @en.ottawa.ca City Hall. Drop by at our booth and say hi—and sign a petition! ________ Et enfin, l’hôtel de ville de @fr.ottawa.ca. Passez par notre table et dire bonjour — et signez une pétition !

Me every time an Ottawa municipal candidate brags about low property taxes. *taps the sign*

It’s days like this I wish I lived in Ottawa proper to have it make sense for me to attend.

Kidical Mass Ottawa@kidicalmassottawa.bsky.social · last wk.

Tomorrow! Hope to see there for our kids and their future 🌎🚲 @bikeottawa.bsky.social @visionzeroottawa.bsky.social @forourkidsog.bsky.social @ottawaclimate.bsky.social

Allowing small independent shops within residential neighbourhoods can enhance community livability and sustainability. We need to change zoning rules to foster walkable, vibrant communities while addressing potential concerns about noise and traffic.

Walkable Suburbs Aren’t Enough

Allowing small independent shops within residential neighbourhoods can enhance community livability and sustainability. We need to change zoning rules to foster walkable, vibrant communities while addressing potential concerns about noise and traffic.

theneworleans.ca

Congrats to my friends and colleagues at @envirocentre.bsky.social, @schoolstreetsyow.bsky.social, and @visionzeroottawa.bsky.social as well as the school community and @stephanieplante.bsky.social for keeping this idea alive. I hope there are many more days like this to come!

It's happening! It's happening! School Streets in Ottawa. It was so great to be able to open this street up for kids and families to get to school safely and actively. As one parent I chatted with this morning said, seeing kids prioritized like this - it gives me hope. www.cbc.ca/player/play/...

Elementary school in Vanier closes street to cars during morning drop off

Twice a week during morning drop off, a section of Alice Street outside Trille des Bois Public Elementary School will close to cars as part of a pilot program run by a local non-profit. The CBC’s Jodi...

cbc.ca

Minutes?!

CTV News Ottawa@ctvnewsottawa.bsky.social · last wk.

A colossal bouncy castle has opened just minutes from downtown Ottawa

The entire story frame work of single family homes being the top rung of the housing ladder is a hangover from the faux American dream, that is not sustainable in any way, can’t end soon enough. I love communal living in a big building. Front and back yards are overrated

Ariel Troster@arieltroster.bsky.social · 2w ago

Last night I canvassed in a condo building where a 96 yr old woman lives next door to her son, and where two seniors are dating who live on the same floor. Another woman spoke of raising her two kids in their apartment, which they have lived in since 2001. Community IS possible in a highrise tower.

“Please hold your applause but we do appreciate the enthusiasm very much.” You love to see it.

Better Transit Ottawa@bettertransitottawa.ca · 2w ago

It was nice to see BTO and our bus data mentioned at the Student Mayoral Debate yesterday Transit is an election issue We need to see candidates pushing for a more reliable transit system via transit priority, accurate scheduling, and a system with the resources it needs to make these big reforms

It's crazy how many people see politics as sport and support 'their' team no matter what. I think people had different reasons for voting for Carney, but it's worth it to point out that he's not governing like he promised. How many people knew he'd be this conservative?

Imagine thinking this is a radical thing for a municipal leader to say or a radical stance to take. It is cuz the floor is fucking nonexistent

Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani@mayor.nyc.gov · 2w ago

No New Yorker should lose their life just trying to get around our city. We refuse to accept preventable tragedy as an inevitable part of living in New York.  That's why we’ve announced more than 100 policies to make our streets safer over the next 10 years.

Good. It’s a start. We’re billions behind the 8 ball and our physical and social infrastructure is crumbling due to decades of austerity budgets. @jleiper.bsky.social for mayor.

CTV News Ottawa@ctvnewsottawa.bsky.social · 2w ago

Leiper pledges to add 1% infrastructure levy to property tax increases if elected Ottawa mayor

Legalize retail in residential neighbourhoods. We want local shops and services, not big box stores 5+ km away.

CTV News Ottawa@ctvnewsottawa.bsky.social · 2w ago

Ottawa retail market ‘polarized’ as downtown vacancies persist, suburban space tightens: CRBE

Legalize retail in residential neighbourhoods. We want local shops and services, not big box stores 5+ km away.

CTV News Ottawa@ctvnewsottawa.bsky.social · 2w ago

Retail vacancies scarce in Ottawa’s suburbs

🚲🌎The climate crisis is already affecting kids One solution is to help make it safe for our kids to bike Be a part of the solution. Kidical Mass Ottawa is looking for volunteers, prize and snack sponsors for our Sept 19 ride Interested? visionzeroottawa.ca/events/ #FridaysForFuture #KidicalMass

Events

EVENTS Join our upcoming events and learn how you can make Ottawa streets safer for everyone through advocacy and action Coming EVENTS RIDE THE NIGHT – SEPTEMBER 12TH The NCC Hosts nighttime …

visionzeroottawa.ca