iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Ben ✨

Better Columbia @bettercolumbia.ca · 06/10/2026

The BC NDP marked the 25th anniversary of 2001's devastating cuts to the transit networks by proposing a new round of transit funding cuts, observes Michael Hall.

bettercolumbia.ca

The BC NDP's transit cave-in - Better Columbia

The BCNDP celebrates the 25th anniversary of transit funding cuts—by cutting transit funding, again.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

The intention is good but can we stop obsessing with free transit and worry about fixing the existing issues first? A single ride costing $3 less isn't going to help someone get to a night shift job if their bus still doesn't exist after 9pm -- they will still have no choice but to pay for a car.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Almost everyone says they support transit. Actions say otherwise, and lip service means basically nothing. The BCNDP this term has no positive record at all on transit, and while the onus is on them to prove that they intend to do any differently, there doesn't seem to be any urgency to do so.

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Reposted by Ben ✨

Fair Vote Canada 🗳️🍁 @fairvote.ca · 03/10/2026

We analyzed some of Ford’s most controversial Toronto decisions and found they all target safe opposition ridings. Under first-past-the-post, unneeded ridings get sacrificed. Proportional representation ensures votes everywhere build seats, so no community can be steamrolled.

Infographic showing Doug Ford's targeted decisions affecting Downtown Toronto. A map marks bike lanes on Bloor, Yonge, and University, Billy Bishop Airport, and Ontario Place in opposition held ridings. Icons repeat these targets, stating safe opposition seats do not help Ford's majority, so they are sacrificed for suburban swing ridings.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

This is probably the straw that broke the camel's back for me. After a long list of broken 2024 election promises for transit, and now publicly announcing an intention to let TransLink fiscal cliff (at this point the onus is on the NDP to prove otherwise), I can't bring myself to vote NDP again.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

vtpi.org/ccrs.pdf "Traffic congestion is frustrating and wasteful, but misguided solutions are even worse". So of course we must immediately proceed with more misguided solutions such as giving more price incentives towards driving and kill off every other mode while we're at it.

vtpi.org

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Reposted by Ben ✨

Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders @movementyvr.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This morning, both the BC Conservatives and the BC NDP ruled out a vehicle levy to fund public transit in Metro Vancouver. This despite the vehicle levy being commonly used in other cities, including Montreal, Seattle, and the bustling metropolis of Gatineau, Quebec.

a map of potential huge transit cuts from spring 2025 with text overlaid that says "is transit doomed to always be in crisis?"

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Reposted by Ben ✨

A Trains Woman @trainswoman.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

BC Conservatives manufacturing outrage about *checks notes* a plan to prevent transit service being cut by more than 50% which the BCNDP immediately then folds on because they're allergic to actually helping people

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Reposted by Ben ✨

Vision Zero Vancouver @visionzerovancouver.ca · 02/10/2026

More money for drivers, less money for transit. Our "progressive" government hard at work.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

x.com/bcndp/status... Between this and the BC Cons already promising zero tax increases, TransLink's impending fiscal cliff is now ever closer to reality. No one has a credible plan, nor credible intentions to come up with a plan, to avoid a devastating 50% cut. www.translink.ca/-/media/tran...

x.com

BC NDP (@bcndp) on X

Statement from BC NDP Leader David Eby: "Metro Vancouver mayors have told us they need a sustainable funding path for Translink and there have been a number of options discussed as part of that work. ...

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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

READ: If you haven’t seen this yet, please take a look. Motonormativity ("car brain") is a bias that stops people from making rational judgements about driving. This study co-authored by @ianwalker.bsky.social looks at where this bias comes from & how it works. www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Screetshot of study title “Why Do Cars Get A Free Ride?” #CarBrain #Motonormativity

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Sometimes I'm jealous of how good Vancouver has it when even TEAM of all slates is putting out some pro-transit messaging. "Every candidate says they love transit" is not a luxury we have in Victoria. Look at how much traction ripping out and HOV'ing the only bus lane in the region is getting. #yyj

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

So what's on the chopping block? Or rather, a better question might be, what *isn't* on the chopping block?

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The BCNDP may be paying lip service at best and not actually doing anything meaningful to benefit transit, but the alternative is a party running candidates that have an active track record of being transit hostile and having done actual harm

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Reposted by Ben ✨

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

A British Columbia election is coming. I’m able to separate my anger at BC Premier David Eby for calling an early election, and in general for the bad decisions that have greatly frustrated me, from my absolute certainty that the far right extremist BC Conservative Party would be much, MUCH worse.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Victoria Transit runs some 2.5x as many service hours, peak buses, and ridership compared to Saskatoon -- where's our Downtown bus lane?

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

So I guess Eby is just deciding to let the far right nutjobs that picked KLF decide the next premier - the BC Cons can say whatever they want, I'm not believing for a second that a 2/3 majority of the same members that voted in KLF are going to vote to keep Doerkson over a different far right nutjob

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

vicnews.com/2026/09/22/v... "Scrap all bus lane plans, HOV the only existing bus lane in the region, and make every stop a pullout so cars aren't waiting for buses" Deeply unserious. All runtimes will blow up overnight and force immediate *deep* service cuts (think ~25% of peak service). #yyj

vicnews.com

Victoria businesses call for a pause, shift on bus-only lanes - Victoria News

Douglas Street transit lanes create 'faster, easier commutes' according to BC Transit

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

free health care is cool and all but it should not be normal for it to take 10 hours to see a doctor in the ER

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I probably deserved it for trying to make a 0 min 310-620 connection and then getting done in by that damn McDonalds stop but isn't it kind of a problem that the 310 and 640 are both half hourly and both scheduled to miss the last 620 to each ferry by 0 to 3 minutes

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Reposted by Ben ✨

Ruofan 🚎 王若凡 @ruofan.ca · 17/09/2026

I'm really mad about this decision and decided to elaborate on my thoughts in a long-form blog post. If a judge doesn't overrule the chief electoral officer's stance, the next council can and must take matters into its own hands and order the city clerk to cease enforcing this racist policy.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

www.canada.ca/en/pacific-e... Why do we insist on continuing to burn money studying a useless corridor that some intern at wsp had to hard fudge the numbers for to make it look remotely competitive, and not the corridor that local transit staff and experts had been recommending for *decades* #yyj

canada.ca

Government of Canada announcing Build Communities Strong Fund investment in greater Victoria rail project - Canada.ca

PacifiCan will announce funding in Esquimalt, B.C. through the Local Impact Stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

where are our witches and wizards when we need them most

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

A thought -- it's interesting that people only ever complaints to Transit, despite that Transit usually has no power directly to fix the issue, and those that actually do have power (electeds that control the pursestrings) are insulated and protected and never have to hear the rabble's plight.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

3 crush loaded buses and 2 handydarts stuck in McKenzie Ave traffic, just as nature intended 🙄

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

As someone that knows a little about bus scheduling -- If given a service spec for bus stop balancing, I would not be taking *any* time out of that schedule. Most of the time, it's lower-ridership stops that get taken out, where buses *probably wasn't stopping very often to begin with*.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

man if you were rich enough to be spamming this many trains at 0840 on a Sunday morning how about starting the trains a tad earlier than 8

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Reposted by Ben ✨

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

“The phenomenon is known as induced demand. The result is an endless cycle in which congestion leads to highway expansion, which invites more trips, which brings back traffic…The pattern is so inevitable that economists have dubbed it the iron law of congestion.” Via @slate.com #InducedDemand

slate.com

It’s an American Obsession. It’s Based on a Total Lie. We Have to Stop Before It’s Too Late.

The truth about what's happening on America's roads—and how we can stop it.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

"but bus lanes will gridlock everything and block emergency responses and kill people"!

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Denis Agar (he/him) @denisagar.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Extremely important thread

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

To many users, 15 min service is not a "turn-up-and-go" service. It just happens to be the threshold for Planners and Schedulers to not care about building for connections because traffic variability makes that exercise not worth pursuing.

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Reposted by Ben ✨

Vision Zero Vancouver @visionzerovancouver.ca · 13/08/2026

Wait this doesn't take 8 years of consultation???

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

www.leg.bc.ca/committee-co... Gotta love to see the Province's Budget Committee recommend things like reducing luxury car taxes (lmao what) while continuing to be radio silent on anything to do with transit expansion.

leg.bc.ca

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Bus bunching is a big problem. Potential improvements include: - Adequate recovery time so buses start their trips on time - Transit priority to reduce variability - Properly spaced timing points - timing points are literally the most effective anti bunching measure after active headway management.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

I get hit by this way too often and I don't even live in metro vancouver

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Reposted by Ben ✨

Denis Agar (he/him) @denisagar.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

An absolute transformation for people that don't drive. Every city should aspire to do this. "the biggest changes this year will happen in South King County, where weekend service levels are set to jump by 72% and weekday levels by 51%"

theurbanist.org

King County Metro Adds 3,000 Weekly Trips with Fall Route Adjustments

Bus routes across North, South, and East King County will see adjustments starting August 29, with most intended to improve connectivity with light rail. The biggest changes are set to happen in South...

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

The upcoming election is critical to whether transit in this region will improve. We can elect transit allies who will prioritize expansion and transit priority, or we can elect car-only right-NIMBYs like Save Our Saanich that are intent on slashing services and axing what little infra we have.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Some great points made in here, definitely worth a peek. Plenty of good examples of both the positive ridership feedback loop, as well as the ridership death spiral, to be had within the TSPR.

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Reposted by Ben ✨

Denis Agar (he/him) @denisagar.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

How is it that North Carolina is absolutely smoking BC when it comes to govt-subsidized intercity bus service? 1) They can access federal operating subsidies 2) ????

A map of NC's intercity bus network, showing coloured lines criscrossing the state.

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Nic Laporte @nicthedoor.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

"before you jump into my inbox in all caps, please ask yourself this: If I were to step into a crosswalk and be struck by a vehicle, would I prefer that vehicle to be an e-scooter, or an F-450? Answer that question honestly, and adjust your outrage accordingly" 🎤🫳 www.nsnews.com/opinion/opin...

nsnews.com

Opinion: Cars are the biggest threat on the road, not kids on e-scooters

All the outrage we feel about teens weaving on e-bikes and scooters would be better spent figuring out how to keep massive motorized vehicles away from all other road users

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Reposted by Ben ✨

Annalee Newitz @annaleen.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

I have long wanted to write for the excellent Bay Area publishing collective COYOTE...and they let me write something that honestly no other publication would. All hail independent media!!

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

This can't be repeated enough. The other common change is forcing transfers in the name of "reducing service duplication" and "aligning service to demand". This make productivity KPIs look better, but often completely bricks the usability of the service for anyone not on the remaining "core" route.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Meanwhile in NA, all service duplication and excessive one-seat rides are automatically evil because our transit systems are so underfunded that the only way to run any semblance of a usable frequency is to concentrate resources on an exceedingly small number of routes.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

"Save Our Saanich, which is fielding a slate of six candidates in the District of Saanich, said Thursday that its candidates won’t be filling out Livable CRD’s questionnaire." Not surprising from a slate of right-NIMBYs pushing a American-style car-only agenda.

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David Zipper @davidzipper.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Which vehicles most endanger the drivers of other cars? Giant pickup trucks — and the Dodge Charger Source: www.iihs.org/news/detail/...

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Erik Jensen @eriktakestransit.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Having worked through fiscal cliffs at three different agencies in my career (thankfully all where the agencies averted catastrophe), just going through the act of creating service cut plans is incredibly demoralizing for staff Even if you don’t ultimately cut service, it sticks with you

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Too few are talking about how many more non-BEBs can be bought and put on the road for the same amount versus BEBs, nor how much *less* service a BEB fleet is capable of providing (i.e. service cuts), nor the foregone emissions reductions because drivers aren't switching to a poor transit service.

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Ben ✨ @inparts.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Being anti transit is so distinctively MAGA American at this point that we should be organizing and painting pro transit policies and investment as decidedly patriotically Canadian

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