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Rob Attrell

@robattrell.bsky.social
189 followers 233 following 468 posts

Raising kids 🏡 (attrell.ca) Riding bikes 🚲 (@bikeottawa.bsky.social & @visionzeroottawa.bsky.social) Building community 🌳 (@theneworleans.bsky.social, @strongtownsottawa.ca & @cgow.bsky.social)

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Reposted by Rob Attrell
The New Orleans @theneworleans.bsky.social · 17h
Car-dependent design of suburban neighbourhoods and our cities creates a frustrating trade-off. Because driving is built as the default way to get anywhere, any desirable destination automatically becomes a magnet for vehicle traffic and a parking crunch.
theneworleans.ca
Suburbs Are Quiet Because They’re Boring. They Don’t Have To Be
Car-dependent design of suburban neighbourhoods and our cities creates a frustrating trade-off. Because driving is built as the default way to get anywhere, any desirable destination automatically becomes a magnet for vehicle traffic and a parking crunch.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Kidical Mass Ottawa @kidicalmassottawa.bsky.social · 15h
We created an environment where the risk of kids being outside, walking, biking, playing, gaining independence is unreasonably dangerous due to motor vehicles. This can & must be changed. A great listen @activetowns.bsky.social w @playingout.bsky.social, & Tim Gill. podscan.fm/podcasts/act...
podscan.fm
Streets for Play, Streets for Freedom with Alice Ferguson & Tim Gill - Active Towns - Podcast Episode - Podscan.fm
Listen to Streets for Play, Streets for Freedom with Alice Ferguson & Tim Gill from Active Towns (1 hr 12 min) • Published Apr 10, 2026
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Yes if nobody complains it’s very easy. The actual form says it needs to be filled out by someone on the closed street, but its about a 2 minute form.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
City of Ottawa you can request a block party (street by street probably) and don’t need any information from neighbours. Less teeth probably but you can put up barriers with the permit.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
That glorious grid system going east 😍
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The bigger barrier by far in my experience is lack of winter maintenance (for people who want to do it, of course). The weather is way less of a factor. That and total distance does factor in more when it’s colder. As I’m sure you’re well aware.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
I got ski goggles and an actual good balaclava and now I can pretty easily do -20 if I’m otherwise dressed for it. The norm if you have that equipment is probably more like -10 to -15, the biggest barrier is people don’t think they should even try.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
William van Geest @wvangeest.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Made additionally so by the fact that I wasn’t allowed to park my bike to a signpost—but apparently it’s fine to *checks notes* drive a truck through.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Spacing @spacing.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
EXCLUSIVE: Inside the contract to rip out Toronto’s bike lanes Spacing has obtained the RFP for the Ford government's bike lane removal, and it looks even worse than thought. spacing.ca/toronto/2026... #toronto #bikes #torontobike @cycletoronto.bsky.social
spacing.ca
EXCLUSIVE: Inside the contract to rip out Toronto's bike lanes - Spacing Toronto
After the Ontario Court of Appeal (ONCA) shot down CycleTO’s legally innovative charter challenge that sought to stop Doug Ford’s attack on the city’s bike lanes, Queen’s Park wasted little time befor...
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Erik Noonan @eriknoonan.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Bike/pedestrian networks don't take 30 years to build. Stop accepting those timelines in your community. The best practices have been proven & they already exist. Safety should already be the #1 priority. The ROI is unbeatable. The timeline is a moral document and it shouldn't be generational.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Vision Zero Ottawa @visionzeroottawa.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
This week from VZO: ✅Spokane's "Emergency Streets" shows what happens when city leadership treats traffic violence as preventable 🧡Truth & Reconciliation reflections on infrastructure and health equity. 🗳️Election accountability 📊Close Calls campaign update visionzeroottawa.ca/2026/09/28/v...
visionzeroottawa.ca
Vision Zero Ottawa Newsletter 28 Sept 26
Spokane's "Emergency Streets" program shows what happens when city leadership treats traffic violence as preventable. Truth & Reconciliation reflections on infrastructure and health equity. Election a...
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Cassie Smith (she/her) @cassiesmith.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
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.
People on bikes wait at a red light in a bike lane on Elgin StreetA long line of people biking trying to safely cross Colonel By Drive near Bank StPeople on bikes on Rideau St bike lane with lots of people walking in both directions because there is no sidewalk here in the heart of Ottawa (and the underpass alternative is closed)
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
It's me @justmeinottawa.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
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
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Woah, new!
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
andrew.ottawa 🇨🇦 @ottawandrew.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
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/...
cbc.ca
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.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Occasionally Spooky Transpo @occtranspo.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
reddit.com
From the OCTranspo community on Reddit
Explore this post and more from the OCTranspo community
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Toon Dreessen @toondreessen.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
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...
substack.com
The Challenge of Planning
Policies meet reality; it shouldn't be this hard to build housing
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
So basically, "just break the law like I am"?
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
It's me @justmeinottawa.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
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
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Terri @terriclarke.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
How awesome the reduction in stress that comes from your commute almost never being impacted by traffic is cannot be overstated.
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Kevin Wilson @kwilsonhfx.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
"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.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Not much discussion about walking in these clips.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Matt Gagnon @orleansfietser.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
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.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
The New Orleans @theneworleans.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
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.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Did they say if it was a train availability thing or a system not ready thing, by chance?
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Charlie Brown and the Football
ALT: Charlie Brown and the Football
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
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). 😊
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Laskinator @laskinator.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
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.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Katharine Hayhoe @katharinehayhoe.com · 19/09/2026
I gave a talk yesterday at a clean tech in incubator, and this was literally my thesis.
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Ecology Ottawa @ecologyottawa.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
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 !
Photo of a large crowd in front of stone buildings.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
I’ve been wondering when they finally finish. It’s smooth now which is nice but no traffic calming means it can turn into a drag strip with someone impatient.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Kim Moir @kmoir.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Me every time an Ottawa municipal candidate brags about low property taxes. *taps the sign*
Venn diagram of stable services low density and low taxes in municipal government - it does not exist.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
It’s days like this I wish I lived in Ottawa proper to have it make sense for me to attend.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
The New Orleans @theneworleans.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
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
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.
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Cassie Smith (she/her) @cassiesmith.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
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!
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
Cassie Smith (she/her) @cassiesmith.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
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/...
cbc.ca
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...
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Dear headline writer:
static.klipy.com
Fred Armisen: Right To Jail. Right Away.
ALT: Fred Armisen: Right To Jail. Right Away.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Minutes?!
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Reposted by Rob Attrell
It's me @justmeinottawa.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
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
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
“Please hold your applause but we do appreciate the enthusiasm very much.” You love to see it.
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KGE hockey fan 🇨🇦🍁 @kbyrd.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
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?
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It's me @justmeinottawa.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
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
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Toon Dreessen @toondreessen.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
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.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Legalize retail in residential neighbourhoods. We want local shops and services, not big box stores 5+ km away.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Legalize retail in residential neighbourhoods. We want local shops and services, not big box stores 5+ km away.
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Vision Zero Ottawa @visionzeroottawa.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
🚲🌎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
visionzeroottawa.ca
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 …
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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Explained a little bit about externalities to my 6-year-old and now he is full of ideas for how to change incentives to get desired outcomes. He has reinvented green technology rebates, congestion pricing, parking reform, all manner of progressive taxes. These ideas ARE common sense.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
They’re definitely paying attention, that’s for sure.
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Rob Attrell @robattrell.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Today on the bike ride home from our community BBQ, unprompted my daughter said she wanted to have less m paths and more bike lanes. I wasn’t trying *not* to radicalize her, but I didn’t expect to come that far that fast.
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Elisabeth @affabletoaster.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
#KidicalMassHfx And to the twit who got mad that we were “bringing the kids into [our] agenda,” behold, the kids’ agenda:
An elementary-age girl is riding her bike in the centre of the lane, with her left fist proudly and powerfully raised over her head. She is wearing a black tutu, teal helmet, and probably high heels. A stuffed penguin is in a doll seat on the back of her bike. She is plainly thrilled.
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