Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 13h

Was it NABSA?

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 14h

MacNab bus terminal should just not allow vehicles outside buses. Far too confusing, even for me, you drive on the left side of the road there for some reason?

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 14h

"Just put up signs, drivers will follow them" - Doug Ford

Hamilton drivers: "wait the straight arrow in the road, the no right turn, and the one way arrow sign mean don't go in the wrong way down this road?"

2 1 8

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 1d

While I understand there is demand for ground single detached homes, the reality is that they are a luxury, bad for the environment and are subsidized when they do exist. Most would like to live in a Montreal style flat, but they don't know that it's just as good, because they barely exist here.

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 1d

Examples exist in Toronto, and other places, but are sparse because of regulations.

www.thestar.com/real-estate/...

Not sure if these are freehold, but there's no reason they couldn't be.

Tiny condo developments with just four units are coming to Toronto. Will they be a hit?

Multiplex condos are popping up in the city’s development applications. Here’s why they’re becoming more popular for builders and buyers.

www.thestar.com

2

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 1d

Good to SDH Individual flats in multiplexes are a far more sustainable future development style for families and offer pretty much all the benefits of single detached homes. Unfortunately, they're still far too restricted, and freehold units in multiplexes is still too difficult in the anglosphere.

1

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 1d

It's pretty clear to me that the developer here is kind of hoping for these to burn down. They blatantly left large openings for people to access the vacant structure.

Joey Coleman @joeycoleman.ca · 3d

Fire at 33 Hess Street South in a vacant part of the structure.
A Hamilton Police constable on scene says this is now a police "active investigation."
Eyewitnesses showed me video recorded before Fire Department arrived. It was an intense fire with flames shooting out the windows. #hamont

2

Reposted by Chris Ritsma

Dr. Mike P. Moffatt @mikepmoffatt.bsky.social · 3d

Ontario municipalities must submit data each year on important issues like development charges, which helps citizens understand how their money is spent.

2023 data was due in May 2024, yet data for 31 municipalities is still unavailable, including for Hamilton and Cornwall.

1 6 20

Reposted by Chris Ritsma

Oh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 3d

Why This “Anti-Car Labyrinth” Is Actually Brilliant youtu.be/WAhlfWt25sA

Why This “Anti-Car Labyrinth” Is Actually Brilliant

YouTube video by Oh The Urbanity!

youtu.be

6 34 170

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 4d

"pedestrian and cyclists are aware of the rule and it works okay" - not said by anyone currently dead or maimed by a right turning vehicle on red.

1 1

Reposted by Chris Ritsma

Oh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 4d

Fun fact: despite the enormous land mass, the population-weighted density of Canada — basically the density experienced by the average person — is the same as Denmark and close to the Netherlands.

Canada and Denmark are 3,000 people per km², while the Netherlands is 3,400/km².

Mapping Population Density Across the Globe

Explore the detailed geography of population across the globe with interactive mapping and statistics. Identify global megacity regions and the growth and diversity of urban forms. Data is from the Gl...

luminocity3d.org

8 60 330

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 4d

I saw a comment on Reddit that said they were one of the smartest things in traffic engineering. People have no clue, they haven't been outside their little bubble of disorganized normalcy.

8

Reposted by Chris Ritsma

Oh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 4d

Can you believe that most cities in the US and Canada, with only a few exceptions, allow cars to turn right despite having a red light?

30 13 140

Reposted by Chris Ritsma

Oh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 5d

When people say “developers just want to blanket our neighbourhood with apartment towers”, I respond: “that would only happen if your current zoning rules massively limit the supply of housing below demand. Is that the case?”.

(In California, the answer is “yes”.)

alex davis @alexdavistransit.bsky.social · 5d

Now if only we had a photorealistic rendering to illustrate the magnitude of this glorious future:

2 3 69

Reposted by Chris Ritsma

Dr. Mike P. Moffatt @mikepmoffatt.bsky.social · 5d

The province of Ontario is soliciting comments on Provincial Planning Statement implementation, and boy, do we have thoughts...

3 6 29

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 6d

To be fair, people that spend their entire life driving everywhere don't know how to dress for the cold properly.

Car driving friends have not realized how cold you can get walking outside for 20 minutes to a bar, bc they haven't been outside for more than 5 minutes since they got their licence.

2 2 18

Reposted by Chris Ritsma

Oh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 6d

Canadians: “We the north! I love hockey, skiing, and taking my kids sledding. Did you hear about a light dusting of snow shutting down some southern US city?”

Canadians, when you suggest
it’s possible to bike past September: “but what if I get… cold?”

17 20 200

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 6d

Fair, I'm not overly familiar with the material used. I think that's why urbanists sometimes have that not nuanced view mentioned by Reece. Lack of experience means something that is bothersome or doesn't work well "looks nice" when you view it for 2 weeks.

3

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 6d

It never rained while we were there so I didn't experience any issues thankfully, but I could tell it would be an issue if wet. I do love the stone sidewalks, but they should add some texture to reduce slipperiness.

1 1

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 7d

Portugal has some of the worst pedestrian and cycling infrastructure I've ever seen anywhere I've travelled. It also had some pretty cool stuff like raised crosswalks.

1 7

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 7d

Drivers:

3

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 7d

We pay $4522.56 this year. 20' frontage in former city of Hamilton.

So a 4.25% increase will represent an additional $16.00 per month of property tax.

1

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 7d

That's not realistic, to maintain current service levels for services and operations inflation requires increases.

1 6

Chris Ritsma @hambicycleguy.bsky.social · 8d

At a recent delegation, I listened to the concerns of NIMBY neighbours worried that a 12 storey building would cause "privacy concerns", but a 6 storey building would be more appropriate.

1) How is floors 2-6 having a view of your house better than 2-12?

2) .... Curtains?...

3

Reposted by Chris Ritsma

Oh The Urbanity! @ohtheurbanity.bsky.social · 9d

The REV Saint-Denis is great too, but I think this protected bike intersection might be my new go-to recommendation for people visiting Montreal who want to see high cycling volumes in the North American context.

(Rush hour at Bellechasse & Chistophe-Colomb)

10 38 230