iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Pat Bickerton

It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Shocked. Shocked, I say. How could this have happened? The water main there under O'Connor Street is only 123 years old (1903). Practically brand new! /s I'm sure the city was hoping to kick that can down the road for at least another decade. It's not even on the planned 5 year construction map.

cbc.ca

Broken water main soaks O'Connor and Albert streets in downtown Ottawa | CBC News

A broken water main at a downtown Ottawa intersection filled the vicinity with water and is forcing lane closures on nearby roads on Monday morning.

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Halifax Regional Municipality @hfxgov.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

The Dutch Reach method is a simple habit that could make a big difference for cyclists. When you’re ready to open your car door, use your opposite hand. This naturally turns your body, helping you check your blind spot for cyclists before opening the door. Learn more at: halifax.ca/roadsafety

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It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Wow. Look at how they "fixed" it. What I reported was a clogged drain on the fountain. Rather than actually unclogging the drain they just disconnected the pipe inside so that it leaks out onto the ground.

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It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

The city zoned these homes to allow for commercial use in a residential area and it's just ruined the whole neighbourhood! People are out on a Friday night at the wine bar and eating Vietnamese food on the patio! That patio probably used to be a parking spot that we've now lost forever! Horrifying.

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It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

I'd say lifetime driving ban for crashing though am an elementary school playground. I don't care that it's August.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

This is a great example of data visualization. If you map it, people understand!

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

This morning I participated in a bike ride with my community association. It was awesome. One person commented "Oh so this I how you get to the bike paths. I can bike to work now!" There was also ice cream🍦

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

July 1 flood. Sure, it was unprecedented rainfall but I'm curious whether all storm and wastewater infrastructure worked as intended. I bring this up because @mark-sutcliffe.bsky.social and Council voted to DEFER $2.3-billion of needed water, waste a storm infrastructure over the next 10 yrs!

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Found a lucky penny while opening up a basement wall after the flood. In all seriousness, this is a lucky penny. We only had clean water come in.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

Glad to see the city changing the storm cleanup strategy.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Thank you @thebikinglawyer.bsky.social for supporting the Pedal for Parkinson's ride in West Ottawa.

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It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Oh and I've calculated out the cost to taxpayers needed in each ward to fix up all the roads in their own wards, and @clarkekelly.bsky.social's Ward 5 has the highest cost per household at $32,400

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It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

Councillor Kelly wants to know if this 10 year funding plan will address the backlog in road maintenance by asking a simple question, will the roads be in better or worse condition in 10 years. Staff with a complete non-answer:

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

June is #Bike month. Wishing everyone a fun and safe ride this morning 🚲

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

The City of Ottawa posted the raw speed data from before and after Doug Ford banned speed cameras and the effect is so obvious it's not even necessary put a line marking when that happened. This chart shows the percentage of drivers going 15km/h or more over the posted limit.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

"I’m not a gambling man, but I would wager a hefty sum of money that the CFL doesn’t survive anywhere close to 2075, which is how long the city is projecting on receiving revenue from its deal with OSEG for Lansdowne 2.0" It's okay. The city is on your behalf 🫠

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Glen Gower @glengower.ca · 13/04/2026

The local councillor noted that there used to be an automated speed enforcement camera in the area.

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It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 09/04/2026

It has taken more than 4 years to get a 'pilot project' passed, which actually won't start until next year, and really all that 'pilot project' does is change some signs — we're supposed to be impressed that such a feat was even possible.

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

The bus-ridership and travel-time charts from the Bank Street Active Transportation Study. I've highlighted the times proposed for bus lanes. They're weekday only and only in one direction at a time. See if you can spot periods with high ridership and long delays that could also use bus lanes.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

City staff recommend dedicated bus lanes through the Glebe in both directions, during peak and off-peak hours, and during more Lansdowne events. The same staff have also developed a bus-lane pilot study that does none of these things. The study is set to begin summer 2027.

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Strong Towns Ottawa @strongtownsottawa.ca · 15/03/2026

An amazing member of ours put together this graphic that really encapsulates perfectly the situation on Bank Street. There is only so much space available, and we must use it as efficiently as possible. Parking isn't that. Please sign up to delegate on March 30th in favour of bus lanes!

An OC Transpo #6 bus in a bus lane. Inside of the bus there are multiple people, each with a text showing what they're going to be doing. They say "Grabbing a bite to eat", "Going to Lansdowne", "Getting a haircut", "Bought groceries", and "Can finally fit on the bus". The final one was a user in a wheelchair.

Beside the bus there is a single person in a truck in the regular travel lane. Pointing to him it says "Just driving through". They have a thought bubble coming out from their head saying "That bus lane is going to ruin local business!".

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 04/03/2026

The city sends mixed messages about the values that inform the design of transportation projects. For each project design, city staff should rank the priority of: * Project cost * Vehicle speed (travel time) * Volume (how many people it moves) * Safety

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Needed infrastructure work is being deferred because of your low tax increases, with the backlog growing every year. There's a $2.6-billion backlog just in road resurfacing. At some point we will need to pay for it, and that ENORMOUS tax increase will be YOUR fault, not a future mayor's.

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It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 26/02/2026

And let's not forget about all the car vs. car collisions that happen because of right turn on red. I've personally seen 6 collisions at Bronson and Catherine in just the past few years, but not a single one since they added a no right on red sign. It's a really stupid maneuver to allow.

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It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Imagine adding onto the cost of every apartment tower going up in the core millions of dollars in DCs to pay for new suburban roads, and then also admitting that those same roads have zero benefit to anybody else in the city except for those suburban growth areas. When are they going to fix this?

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Strong Towns Ottawa @strongtownsottawa.ca · 19/02/2026

One of the more disturbing sections of the city's report on right turns on reds : they say that banning right turns on reds will lead to worse safety because drivers will be impatient and kill/injure people due to being inconvenienced. We can't seriously be hiding behind this right?

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 18/02/2026

The agenda for February's Public Works and Infrastructure Committee is up and still no Bank Street bus lanes. It was supposed to be on the agenda for this meeting, but has been delayed yet again. This "pilot project" has been in the works for over 4 years, and is now over a year behind schedule.

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Taking guesses on how much people think the recently approved Greyhound station redevelopment will need to pay in Development Charges to the city.

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

Shoutout to @stephanieplante.bsky.social for speaking out on unfair transit reliability issues downtown. Thank you for stating your commitment to bus-only lanes and transit priority signals. Let’s speed up the 6, 7 and more urban routes! cc: @arieltroster.com @shawnmenard.bsky.social

Troy Charter
Interim General Manager of OC Transpo
Friday, January 30, 2026
Bus cancellations unfairly impacting downtown core and equity-seeking residents
Mr. Charter,
I don't need to explain to you the issues facing OC Transpo at the moment, and the impacts that these issues are having on the whole city. I know that you are well aware of these problems, and I have appreciated your transparency and knowledge when talking to the media.
I am writing to state more specifically that the cancellations and lack of reliable service has been impacting residents of Ward 12 more than others.
During the first few weeks of January, residents have suffered through some of the worst transit service in recent months. While heavy snowfall has been a complicating factor, it is also more reason that we need reliable transit service, so that residents are not left waiting outside in the cold.
As you noted in your statement to CBC, cancellations and delays impact downtown urban routes disproportionately. Among the most impacted routes, the 6, 7, and 12 all go through Ward 12.
I have been advocating for more bus-only lanes and transit priority signals across the city.
Allowing buses to move first through traffic and intersections will address the domino effect that happens when, for example, traffic on Bank Street causes the route 6 or 7 to be late arriving in Ward 12. I introduced a motion to this effect at the budget meeting of City Council. I look forward to working with you on this.
People who live in Ward 12 are overwhelmingly renters, low-income, students and shift workers. Most do not own a car. These are equity-seeking groups that do not have another option for getting around the city, especially in winter. Unreliable service makes life much harder for these people who already get by with very little. I will be submitting an inquiry at the next Transit Commission on February 12 asking staff to look into how these cancellations and delays affect equity-seeking groups, though I a…

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

Jeff Leiper @jleiper.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

I'll pass on a hold-the-date. Thanks @railfans.ca and @bettertransitottawa.ca for talking transit data with me on February 2. Notez bien cette date. Merci à @railfans.ca et @bettertransitottawa.ca pour nos échanges sur les données de transport en commun le 2 février.

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

bikeview.ca @bikeviewca.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

@mayormarksutcliffe.bsky.social I campaigned on fixing transit CBC: And it’s not fixed, when can you say it will be fixed? Mayor: that’s a great question

Campaign slogan FiX Transit. Not 'Free' Transit.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

This does not give me confidence for the eventual opening of Phase 2 East.

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

Eugenie Waters @eugeniewaters.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

The #ManorPark sidewalk issue is not over yet…. still signs up in the snow! It will come to @en.ottawa.ca Public Works &Infrastructure Committee in Feb - a staff report is expected. @ecologyottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social @horizonottawa.bsky.social @cafesottawa.bsky.social 1/

A manor park street (Braemar St) with no sidewalk and lots of snow making it inaccessible for many. A sign on a front yard says “No Sidewalks - Don’t Pave Paradise”. This road leads directly to Manor Park public School (about 300 metres ahead)

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

Jeff Leiper @jleiper.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Yesterday's memo on bus cancellations asserts hundreds of millions in new spending that at the end of the day has little to do with cancelled buses. Let's separate the spin from the solutions.

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

Laine Johnson @lainejohnson.bsky.social · 10/01/2026

Thank you, Ottawa Citizen, for publishing my op-ed today on the financial crisis that municipalities across the country are facing due to aging infrastructure. To read the story, please visit the Ottawa Citizen web site and look for the Opinion section. @OttawaCitizen.com

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

Jacob Loo Dawang @jacobdawang.com · 05/01/2026

We are building near transit. In 2025, a record high of 30% of homes were permitted within 800m or a 15-minute walk of an LRT station. In fact, the entire cumulative distribution of homes is bowed out and to the left, meaning even more homes within a short bus or bike ride.

A line graph showing the cumulative distribution of homes added by their distance from the closest Light Rail Transit (LRT) stop in Edmonton from 2009 to 2025.

X-axis: Distance from the closest LRT stop in kilometers, ranging from 0 to 8 km. A dashed vertical line marks the 800m (0.8 km) threshold.

Y-axis: Cumulative proportion of units added, ranging from 0% to 100%.

Data Lines: Multiple colored lines represent individual years from 2009 to 2025.

Key Trend: The line for 2025 (pale yellow) is significantly higher and further to the left than all previous years. This indicates a record-high proportion of new homes being built closer to transit; specifically, approximately 30% of units in 2025 were added within 800m of an LRT stop, compared to a range of roughly 5% to 20% in prior years.

Overall Distribution: While most years follow a similar diagonal trajectory, the 2025 data shows a distinct upward "bow," reaching nearly 75% of cumulative units within 3 km of a stop.

The chart is attributed to Jacob Dawang using City of Edmonton Open Data and includes existing, under construction, and funded LRT stops.

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Jarrett Walker @humantransit.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

If you don't try to draw a map of a bus network, decision-makers will never see how complicated it is. Our firm often draws an agency's first clear map. Its effect is sometimes to show that the service doesn't make sense, which starts the process of improving it. Apps are helpful but maps matter.

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Reposted by Pat Bickerton

It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

The scary thing is that this pipe is only from 1959 and failed prematurely, a growing trend. There are still pipes downtown from the 1870s to be replaced. We currently replace about 20km of pipe each year, but we laid down 1800km of pipe in the 50s and 60s. 5X our current replacement rate.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

I love a good Strong Townsy speech! #Ottcity councillor and mayoral candidate @jleiper.bsky.social makes the case for financially and environmentally sustainable development patterns. Ottawa's New Zoning Bylaw goes to council for final approval in Jan @strongtowns.org

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Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Barriers.

a child walking in a bike lane in traffic
If youth walked to school our bike lanes, would cities still consider paint a good enough barrier.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 21/12/2025

I wonder how many days after the new year it will take for wine bottle recycling to be first provincial/municipal issue of 2026. Tic...toc...

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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

What does it take to move 1000 people? Smart infrastructure supporting choices that don’t take up so much space (or produce so much emissions/pollution, cost so much public money etc). Mobility in cities is about space. Graphic via @seattlesubway.org based on a Sydney graphic I spread years ago.

Graphic asking “What does it take to move 1000 people? One linked train with four cars, 15 buses, or 625 cars requiring over 5 acres of parking.”

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Strong Towns Ottawa @strongtownsottawa.ca · 14/12/2025

This wonderful piece, about new incremental housing going up, written by Sharon Nyangweso was shared in our group. We really think this couldn't have been said better. We cannot lock our neighbourhoods into stasis if we want them to thrive. We need to be adaptable and allow for incremental growth.

The first page of Sharon Nyangweso's article talking about incremental developments in Beechwood, and how it is necessary to not lock our city's in time by opposing incremental change.

The second page of Sharon Nyangweso's article talking about incremental developments in Beechwood, and how it is necessary to not lock our city's in time by opposing incremental change.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 18/12/2025

@humantransit.bsky.social presents the ridership vs. coverage trade-off facing transit planners. You can't do both. You must choose. Transit enthusiasts often demand high-ridership and frequent service, but this story is a stark reminder of when even infrequent transit is worth protecting.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

🧵 Slides from my delegation as #OttCity considers Draft 2 of the New Zoning Bylaw Ottawa's 2008-250 Zoning Bylaw had 446 core zoning codes (ignoring exemptions and other modifiers).

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It's Jamie @sjamieit.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

Wow, what a terrible motion from Councillor Kitts. WIDER streets in front of schools. The complete opposite of what we need. This needs to be rejected.

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Pat Bickerton @pbickerton.bsky.social · 06/12/2025

Come and warm up from the cold on Saturday night at the Rainbow Bistro with Barry and the Blasters and moi, Ottawa's okay-est trumpet player. All band proceeds are donated to @ottawafoodbank.bsky.social Sat Dec 6 The Rainbow Bistro (76 Murray) Doors 630 Music 730 therainbow.ca

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