Councilor David Hill is over on Twitter joining in on the election trash talking, calling @arieltroster.com and @jleiper.bsky.social radicals.

To appease wealthy residents, The City of Ottawa is spending millions of dollars trying to block the redevelopment of this golf course in Kanata. Compared even to one of the lowest income parts of the city, Kanata Lakes pays very little in property taxes. The city can't afford this.

The Lyon Street 417 on-ramp was supposed to open up today, but an update on the website from yesterday says it has been delayed again. I have no idea why they're still even trying to reopen this ramp. It should stay closed.

The research I do relies on the bound volumes of the bylaws and minutes of the City of Ottawa, dating back over a century. I’ve spent hours in the Main Branch Ottawa Room with these books (pictured). Sadly, this resource was recently “discarded” by the library. It’s a loss for local history.

We're advertising homes outside the boundaries of the City of Ottawa? Surely any advertising revenue we bring in for this is greatly eclipsed by the lost property taxes and development charge revenue.

Occasional Transpo@occtranspo.bsky.social · last wk.

This bus sold out to corporate 😁 Black bus is an interesting stealthy look. Blends in with the urban background.

In true #Autowa fashion, it would seem this "block party" doesn't actually involve any road closures.

City of Ottawa@en.ottawa.ca · last wk.

The countdown is on to celebrate the #Ottawa200 anniversary at the Ottawa Block Party, Saturday, September 26 at Marion Dewar Plaza. Follow @Ottawa200FêteParty on Instagram or Facebook to learn more! There will be a full day and evening of free, family-friendly fun. Details: https://bit.ly/4bfL1ws

I was ambushed on my way home from work yesterday.

"Why close the road for bikes when there's a perfectly good pathway they can use?" Slow and crowded pathway vs. car-free open roadway.

Funny, considering this is what he's said about RTO in the past:

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

Ottawa mayor says public servants aren’t responsible for keeping downtown businesses afloat

Ottawa By-law finally came by, 4 days later, to say there's "no obstructions on the bike lane and the roadways, including no glass, observed [...] no further action required for the service request, and it will be closed." I beg to differ.

It's Jamie@sjamieit.bsky.social · 2w ago

I told 311 that the city should clean it up before someone gets hurt or pops a tire on the broken glass. The agent said they we're going to radio it in. Well, I passed by after work and it's still there, with a toddler rolling through the glass... The city works yard is literally across the street.

This is exactly why I don't like to use the bike lane here. Drivers like this that don't know what a stop sign or stop line is for.

Point 3 in the RTO transportation plan says to ensure cycling infrastructure is well maintained, but point 20 delays the Bay Street renewal another year to reduce the impact on car traffic. I don't see how they're going to be able to do both here on Bay Street.

Here are ring road proposals from 1975 and from 2001. A 50 or 25 year old bad idea is still a bad idea today.

This article could have been written today, but it's actually 25 years old — "the proposed ring will have little to no impact on existing congestion levels. Indeed, by its promotion of urban sprawl, the road would likely create even higher congestion levels within four to five years of completion."

Glen Gower@glengower.ca · 2w ago

I see that the "ring road" has entered Ottawa’s mayoral debate. Some thoughts: 🧵

Point #3 in Sutcliffe's 48 point plan to improve traffic flow: "Ensure pathways, multi-use pathways (MUPs), and cycling infrastructure (including bike lanes) are well maintained, swept and not unnecessarily impacted by nearby construction." Um, shouldn't the city be doing all those things already?

Nice effort, but I'm not sure it's going to work. Most drivers don't seem to know how to read.

I told 311 that the city should clean it up before someone gets hurt or pops a tire on the broken glass. The agent said they we're going to radio it in. Well, I passed by after work and it's still there, with a toddler rolling through the glass... The city works yard is literally across the street.

It's Jamie@sjamieit.bsky.social · 2w ago

This crew from 'Patch and Seal' blew a bunch of loose dirt, sand, and broken glass from the parking lot onto the bike lane and sidewalk and then left. They told me "it's the city's problem now." Well, they've been reported to the city, let's see what they think about that.

Meanwhile, in Ottawa, recent road projects have been putting in solid concrete bulbouts rather than even doing the ones with pavers that can be removed and made into gardens. The city doesn't want to have to look after gardens, or pay extra for pavers, so we get this instead.

Oh The Urbanity!@ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 2w ago

There’s a lot of space for greenery on our streets if you just reallocate a bit from cars.

This crew from 'Patch and Seal' blew a bunch of loose dirt, sand, and broken glass from the parking lot onto the bike lane and sidewalk and then left. They told me "it's the city's problem now." Well, they've been reported to the city, let's see what they think about that.

My kid's really digging Tralala right now. It's a new preschool show on CBC. This scene was great. They're trying to bake a cake, don't have sugar, so they JUST BIKE OVER TO THE SHOP and buy some. Imagine.

May 14, 1970 "He is toying with the thought of a week-long parkway shutdown to convince Ottawa and area municipalities how much they rely on the federal government to move their traffic. "More people will have to use public transport, he declares, or the automobile will strangle Centre Town."

November 21, 1969 "NCC chairman Douglas Fullerton's suggestions to relieve downtown traffic congestion [...] higher parking fees, higher charges for government parking spaces and bus-only routes during rush hours"

Things that will do the opposite of improving traffic downtown: Making it easier to drive downtown. Providing more parking downtown.

Councillor foresees RTO traffic 'hell' despite city transportation plan | CBC News

City council has passed a $29 million transportation plan it hopes will get public servants to and from the office an extra day a week, some east-end city councillors says the new measures aren't enou...

cbc.ca

I just got a list of the projects being deferred until 2027 to improve traffic flow. Nicholas Street Guide Rail and Road project Bay Street Integrated Project Transit Structures (Somerset Bridge) project Fisher Avenue–Meadowlands Drive intersection improvements

It's Jamie@sjamieit.bsky.social · 3w ago

They also suggest pausing a number of road construction projects. The identified projects were never publicly disclosed, but councilors were told about the projects in their own wards in private. It's just an excuse for more deferred maintenance.

I mapped the "key downtown corridors" targeted for expanded traffic measures during peak-hours. 76,000 additional trips in and out of downtown with RTO4. The traffic measures passed by council yesterday will have a huge impact on our neighbourhood, but our councillor didn't even ask any questions.😵

One of the recommendations passed at council today is a restriction on road or lane closures for special events downtown, to only weekends. No clear definition of "downtown" in this and hardly any councilors asked questions about this item at council.

Wow... People complain to Bylaw about kids playing in the street. Even crazier is that Bylaw actually opens a ticket for that instead of just telling the caller to stop wasting their time.

Google Maps has the Lyon Street 417 on-ramp opening tomorrow, but it won't actually open until the end of the month. Gonna be lots of confused drivers. They should keep this ramp closed for good.

And here's where the city plans to spend the $478 million from the Feds and province: Suburban arterial roads, intersections, and a parking lot make up 54%. A rec center for Riverside South, 38%. And a couple sewer projects, 8%.

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

We must do everything possible to build more homes and the infrastructure to support them. That includes cutting our development charges to lower the cost of homes while still investing in critical roads, transit, water, and wastewater infrastructure.

Even if developers just pocket the money, this should at least incentivize them to finally build some of the 69,000 housing units already approved. They only have until March 2030 for occupancy or they don't qualify for the reduction. The $692 million project list leaves a lot to be desired though.

Jeff Leiper 🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈🎈@jleiper.bsky.social · 3w ago

Development charge reductions will likely flow to developers' bottom lines instead of directly reducing housing prices. We'll see if that has the intended outcome of getting shovels in the ground. Funding not-for-profit housing would be a more direct way to ensure affordability.