iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

While the NCC did a lot of consultation on this master plan ... the city has zoning controls, so if you have something to say on this ... our democracy still functions! You can mash the feedback button here -> devapps.ottawa.ca/en/applicati...

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It's like a game of "Where's Waldo?" but for spotting mega-million subsidies for billionaire sports team owners!

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"LeBreton Flats is envisioned to be a vibrant mixeduse community that includes a diverse range of housing, commercial and office space with expansive parkland and open space. The intent is to create a complete community that meets the daily needs of both residents and visitors of LeBreton Flats."

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ottwatch @ottwatch.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

This is the NCC making progress on the LeBreton Flats Master Concept Plan. "Once draft approval is granted ... the NCC will enter into agreements ... to advance the planning and development of portions of the site (likely a block or contiguous cluster of blocks) in development phases."

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Hang on, open mic session? Sounds fun! Can the Audit Committee get one too? Or is this just for Agriculture and Rural Affairs. 🎶

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ottwatch @ottwatch.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

Yeah, this is one to watch. Frustratingly the associated docs are not online yet. The city's map indicates it's multiple parcels

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That said, observer bias. I definitely notice every poorly parked scooter. I am unlikely to notice scooters that are not obstructing me. I think this is good? I regularly move sandwich boards from local businesses out of my way all the time with at least this frequency

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Bad parking of e-scooters is a topic I have a lot of time for. I don't use a wheelchair, and you probably don't either, but we should all imagine an inevitable future where we might. It's a real problem if a scooter blocks any sidewalk for even a minute.

why-u-scooter? Feels like the scooter program - and I would bet another bikeshare program - help contribute to public transit adoption.

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This legit surprised me. Scooter usage dominates 3pm to bar-closing time! The Night Mayor might want to chime in here. And while they are at it, maybe get on the bikeshare file again. How much night-life in the Byward Market/Centretown is related to e-scooters? How much more with a bikeshare?

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Trip distances! The distribution here is so fascinating. Under 500m happens more than over 2km. I feel like that's folks either joyriding (have fun!) or really benefiting from a mobility boost. Then the mass surge: 500m to 2km is much easier by scooter than walking. Then the long-tail to 10km

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The usage heat-map is unsurprising. Byward Market businesses that are holdouts on how walking, biking and now scooters are good for business might want to clue into this report. Want more business? Make it easier for Centretown to get to the market by means other than a car.

Those 1500 trips a day come from a total fleet of 1000 scooters. That feels like a pretty efficient usage ratio.

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Call it 1500 trips a day. That's more than I was expecting, which shows how observation bias is easy to fall into. I mostly notice e-scooters NOT being used, same as drivers mostly notice bikelanes being empty!

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e-scooters up for renewal for another 5 years. I live just outside the zone so I don't have much lived experience here. But the charts are fun!

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Corporations donating to the Ottawa Police Service, for the gala, yay! No, these streams just shouldn't cross. Versaterm, for $10k. "Versaterm ... develops computer... systems for police, fire, and other public safety agencies." We pay taxes, OPS buys stuff, donations come back. No.

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To the emails! You too can send emails: "Ben Guedria, Randa" <randa.benguedria@ottawa.ca>, habib.sayah@ottawa.ca

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Always good to read the financials, even if it's some of the driest stuff around. Yawn. But money talks! Chief bought a fancy camera, for $126k, w/o first seeking board approval. I wonder - why did that had to be done in "special" mode?

Emailed! I can't remember where OPS landed with the Zoom discrimination, and reverting to requiring only in-person delegations. But I'm happy to poke that bear every time. Got thoughts on this agenda item or any other? Email habib.sayah@ottawa.ca, Executive Director of the Ottawa Police Board.

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I was relieved to see they are including KPIs on the topic of improving the "proportionality of discretionary traffic stops and use of force with Black, Indigenous, Middle Eastern and other racialized persons" ... a still ongoing problem within OPS

Ottawa Police Service is adopting "KPI", which are key-performance-indicators, as an additional component to the strategic plan.

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In good news, I love the idea of a new bookmobile serving communities. One of my principles about government spending is really simple: would a kid love it? Bookmobile? Yes, absolutely, a kid would love that. Raw, pure, joy. Enthusiastic yes: buy another BookMobile!

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Fare enforcement is paid for by the tickets themselves, oi. I'll keep paying for my fare, because I can, and I'm happy to subsidize those that can't. But if you can't, comrade, don't. Riding just the bus on a local route? Your odds are way better than 1-in-30k that you'll get a ticket. Skip it.

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Reminder: Ottawa has fare enforcement staff in order to lift that expectation from operators themselves. Want to get on the bus? Go for it, probably by the back door. Your bus driver just wants to drive and isn't tasked with fare enforcement. That's not their job. They are a union comrade.

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Back to classism. I smell ... some problems with these numbers. Suspicious. When I ride the bus to my workplace I debark at Lyon or Parliament. Downtown business district. White collar. Privileged. Rideau is more representative of everyone. More tickets b/c more evasion? Or more enforcement?

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Also know that fare inspections are overwhelmingly at Rail Stations since they are "fare paid zones" Inspectors chill out and inspect anyone exiting a train: fish, meet barrel. Just riding the bus for groceries? The odds are WAY better. 1-in-a-million? Evade comrade, evade!

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Now, to the Ottawa numbers -> LOL! You have a 1-in-30000 chance of being caught for fare evasion! Personally, I love these odds...

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TTC numbers are pretty easy to parse: you have 1 in 16000 chance of being caught for fare evasion (aka: paying the same for the bus as a driver pays for use of a trip on a road, aka $0) Personally, I like those odds. For the record: I always pay for transit, because I'm not financially struggling.

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Wow. Let me translate this one for you: "Hey seniors and kids, screw you" I'm not a senior yet, but someday I will be. Why are you making it harder for me to ride transit and get my discounted ticket? (Answer: transit death spiral)

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Go comrades! Ottawa's system keeps cutting services and raising fares. Who suffers? Those who can't afford a car -- because seriously, anyone who can afford a car has bought one, such is the crap state of Ottawa's transit system. We should be happy they pay a fare at all! (it should be free)

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Remember folks, if you think you saw someone get on transit without paying, no you didn't. Also, if you get a ticket, remember that ~60% of your peers never bother to pay at all. Why do we bother with the expense of enforcing fares?

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"Fare Compliance Initiative Update" What ID do children carry exactly that proves their age? Ridiculous.

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The end, for now. Here, have a traffic cam.

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March 4th Finance and Corporate Services Committee meeting: ottwatch.ca/meeting/3ac5... "THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the City of Ottawa, and all associated departments, create a plan to suspend all associated X holdings platforms and migrate to alternative platforms." OH HELL YES!!!!!

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WOW. The "Growing food and allowing planters in residential boulevard gardens" report came back in January, and check out the "who participated" breakdown: engage.ottawa.ca/residential-... Results: High level of support for growing food on the city land next to your lawn 👍🏻

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City buzz: Public engagement and communication review The city is reviewing it's social media engagement. I filled this out already asking them to get on BlueSky, and also STOP using Twitter entirely. Because, you know, sovereignty. publicengagement@ottawa.ca to get your submission in (today!)

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Sussex at King Edward Cycling Safety Improvements Public Engagement Period – ends March 5, 2025! #ottbike email caitlyn.prevost@ottawa.ca your submissions engage.ottawa.ca/sussex-at-ki...

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Attention hat nerds! Beyond the Brim! engage.ottawa.ca/beyond-the-b...

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What's new in consultations? ottwatch.ca/announcement... the dump, make it bigger: "the target additional airspace is 5.5 million cubic metres over a corresponding target extended operating period of 15 years (2034 through 2048)" engage.ottawa.ca/trail-waste-... (the garbage bag limit policy!!!)

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Finally, to City Council itself! ottwatch.ca/meeting/09f6... March 8, International Women's Day. (and a lot of things that have already been decided at committee, so we'll just move past those)

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The Delegated Authority report can contain interesting nuggets. In this case, it's a welcome reminder that Ottawa now allows staff to automatically update the winter-maintained cycling service (vs. the old days where it needed to be voted on!) 👍🏻

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four, five, six! (this was some welcome nice things in the reports!)

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🙈 the report continues, and has photos, so yeah I'll just share them now for you 🙈 one, two, three!

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Paint it Up! 2024 Program Results: ottwatch.ca/meeting/a644... Someone please go capture photos of all of these new murals! “Empower Community” 610 Donald Street “Spring Thaw”, 453 Cooper Street “Artistic Voices: A Collaborative Community Project” 16 Rowley Avenue

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