Liz
@lizofottawa.bsky.social
she/her 🏳️🌈
Ottawa-based pedestrian and transit rider. Mostly here to complain about OC Transpo and car dependency.
(Was lizabeenthere on the other app)
Ottawa-based pedestrian and transit rider. Mostly here to complain about OC Transpo and car dependency.
(Was lizabeenthere on the other app)
Reposted by Liz
Even giving half of the same incentive to people wanting to buy pedal assist bikes and trikes would revolutionize cities in Canada. 🚲🌳
#ebikes #ecargobikes #bicycle #climateemergency
#ebikes #ecargobikes #bicycle #climateemergency
Ottawa considers reviving EV incentives as it finalizes its auto strategy: sources | CBC News
The federal government is considering bringing back consumer incentives for electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids as it finalizes its national automotive strategy, CBC News has learned.
www.cbc.ca
February 3, 2026 at 9:54 AM
Even giving half of the same incentive to people wanting to buy pedal assist bikes and trikes would revolutionize cities in Canada. 🚲🌳
#ebikes #ecargobikes #bicycle #climateemergency
#ebikes #ecargobikes #bicycle #climateemergency
Reposted by Liz
Protected bike lanes = One Weird Trick to Massively Increase Cycling
How a Small Canadian City Tripled Cycling Rates in Just 11 Years
Video: Victoria, Britiish Columbia has rapidly become "the strongest cycling city in North America that isn't widely known for it."
nextcity.org
January 29, 2026 at 1:17 PM
Protected bike lanes = One Weird Trick to Massively Increase Cycling
Reposted by Liz
There's no longer any question: it's time to compensate transit riders for what they're going through. These pictures are heartbreaking - people going to evening shifts, home and family, class.
From the ottawa community on Reddit: Train Evacuation
Posted by WA472P - 136 votes and 43 comments
www.reddit.com
January 28, 2026 at 2:39 AM
There's no longer any question: it's time to compensate transit riders for what they're going through. These pictures are heartbreaking - people going to evening shifts, home and family, class.
Reposted by Liz
There needs to be a mentality shift. Operating a vehicle that can harm and injure is a privilege that many drivers don’t understand as such. #Carcentric culture needs to die…
The reason why cyclists and pedestrians push back against these types of campaigns is not because we think visibility is bad (I wear hig-viz!), but because it's victim blaming that diverts attention from the real issues: dangerous drivers and poor infrastructure
“Where the built environment separates human skin and bone from lorries, cars, and buses, there is no need for our frantic striving to make fragile bodies hyper-visible”
January 27, 2026 at 4:22 PM
There needs to be a mentality shift. Operating a vehicle that can harm and injure is a privilege that many drivers don’t understand as such. #Carcentric culture needs to die…
Reposted by Liz
The reason why cyclists and pedestrians push back against these types of campaigns is not because we think visibility is bad (I wear hig-viz!), but because it's victim blaming that diverts attention from the real issues: dangerous drivers and poor infrastructure
“Where the built environment separates human skin and bone from lorries, cars, and buses, there is no need for our frantic striving to make fragile bodies hyper-visible”
“Anyone who thinks cyclists ‘come out of nowhere’ should not be in control of a vehicle”: Author slams ‘be safe, be seen’ hi-vis cycling campaigns, calls for ‘Look, don’t kill’ slogan; TT tinkering; V...
January is never going to end, is it? And on that cheery note, Ryan Mallon’s back for another cold, wet, and very windy shift rounding up all the latest cycling news on the Tuesday live blog
road.cc
January 27, 2026 at 11:23 AM
The reason why cyclists and pedestrians push back against these types of campaigns is not because we think visibility is bad (I wear hig-viz!), but because it's victim blaming that diverts attention from the real issues: dangerous drivers and poor infrastructure
Reposted by Liz
No timeline for restoring regular train service on O-Train Line 1 after spalling issue discovered
No timeline for restoring regular train service on O-Train Line 1 after spalling issue discovered
OC Transpo staff have laid out an extensive plan to rectify the newly discovered spalling issue on O-Train Line 1 that has caused dozens of train cars to be pulled from service, but it remains unclear when riders can expect a return to regular operations.
bit.ly
January 27, 2026 at 10:30 PM
No timeline for restoring regular train service on O-Train Line 1 after spalling issue discovered
Reposted by Liz
The beauty of the LRT's opaque ownership structure is that it evades accountability so all of the parties can endlessly point fingers to one another and nobody will *ever* be held to account for the failures.
Everyone who signed off on that structure bears responsibility.
Everyone who signed off on that structure bears responsibility.
New bearing problem forcing OC Transpo to take some LRT cars out of service | CBC News
A newly identified problem with the wheel assemblies on Ottawa's Line 1 LRT vehicles is forcing OC Transpo to reduce the number of cars in service, which could exacerbate crowding on trains and platfo...
www.cbc.ca
January 22, 2026 at 3:16 AM
The beauty of the LRT's opaque ownership structure is that it evades accountability so all of the parties can endlessly point fingers to one another and nobody will *ever* be held to account for the failures.
Everyone who signed off on that structure bears responsibility.
Everyone who signed off on that structure bears responsibility.
Reposted by Liz
The current problems plaguing OC Transpo are rooted in bad decisions made by past councils. Cuts to bus service and train frequency this term (all of which I voted against) have only made the problem worse. We need all hands on deck to address this emergency.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
In bad week for bus reliability, these were OC Transpo’s 10 most cancelled routes | CBC News
OC Transpo’s nightmare week for bus cancellations hit some of its busiest routes especially hard. Now, several city councillors are calling for immediate action.
www.cbc.ca
January 22, 2026 at 12:21 PM
The current problems plaguing OC Transpo are rooted in bad decisions made by past councils. Cuts to bus service and train frequency this term (all of which I voted against) have only made the problem worse. We need all hands on deck to address this emergency.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Liz
It’s hard to not feel we’re in a transit death spiral.
This latest cut of 255 trips is the inevitable result of years of inadequate transit support, wrt both budget and policy.
We need significant action to reverse this trend. #OttTransit #OttCity #Ottawa
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
This latest cut of 255 trips is the inevitable result of years of inadequate transit support, wrt both budget and policy.
We need significant action to reverse this trend. #OttTransit #OttCity #Ottawa
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
OC Transpo temporarily cuts 255 trips from schedule amid bus shortage | CBC News
OC Transpo needs about 520 buses to meet its weekday service requirements, but was only able to get an average of 467 on the road last week.
www.cbc.ca
January 16, 2026 at 9:04 PM
It’s hard to not feel we’re in a transit death spiral.
This latest cut of 255 trips is the inevitable result of years of inadequate transit support, wrt both budget and policy.
We need significant action to reverse this trend. #OttTransit #OttCity #Ottawa
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
This latest cut of 255 trips is the inevitable result of years of inadequate transit support, wrt both budget and policy.
We need significant action to reverse this trend. #OttTransit #OttCity #Ottawa
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Liz
File under: no sh*t
The Ford government is making our streets more dangerous
www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
The Ford government is making our streets more dangerous
www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
Ottawa sees dramatic drop in speed compliance after photo radar scrapped
City of Ottawa data from a handful of former photo radar sites show a steep drop in driver compliance through school and community safety zones.
www.ctvnews.ca
January 15, 2026 at 3:40 PM
File under: no sh*t
The Ford government is making our streets more dangerous
www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
The Ford government is making our streets more dangerous
www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
Reposted by Liz
While banning speed cameras was a major mistake by the Province, there's much more we can do to make our streets safer.
Engineering—such as narrowing—is one of the most effective. #Ottawa #OttCity #SafeStreets
ottawacitizen.com/opinion/otta...
Engineering—such as narrowing—is one of the most effective. #Ottawa #OttCity #SafeStreets
ottawacitizen.com/opinion/otta...
If we can't have speed cameras, Ottawa needs narrower streets | Opinion
If we add more curb extensions and roundabouts, it will make speeding feel unsafe. | Opinion
ottawacitizen.com
January 8, 2026 at 8:58 PM
While banning speed cameras was a major mistake by the Province, there's much more we can do to make our streets safer.
Engineering—such as narrowing—is one of the most effective. #Ottawa #OttCity #SafeStreets
ottawacitizen.com/opinion/otta...
Engineering—such as narrowing—is one of the most effective. #Ottawa #OttCity #SafeStreets
ottawacitizen.com/opinion/otta...
Eastbound train got stuck at st Laurent and was taken out of service after a few minutes of waiting. Trains now running both directions on the westbound platform. #OttLRT @occtranspo.bsky.social
January 8, 2026 at 1:16 PM
Eastbound train got stuck at st Laurent and was taken out of service after a few minutes of waiting. Trains now running both directions on the westbound platform. #OttLRT @occtranspo.bsky.social
Reposted by Liz
Nods in #OttCity 16-9 vote splits. Reminder that inside greenbelt is 13% of land, +50% of tax revenue and 50% of population yet routinely outvoted and underfunded; last new community centre was more than 20y ago despite overwhelming urban growth, DC funding charges etc
January 4, 2026 at 5:23 PM
Nods in #OttCity 16-9 vote splits. Reminder that inside greenbelt is 13% of land, +50% of tax revenue and 50% of population yet routinely outvoted and underfunded; last new community centre was more than 20y ago despite overwhelming urban growth, DC funding charges etc
Reposted by Liz
I shouldn’t have to “Donate” to my local libraries. But with @mayormarksutcliffe.bsky.social austerity budgets and money badly directed to things like Lansdowne 2.0, I guess that’s where we’re at? No “Donate” button for the Police though?
December 29, 2025 at 1:53 PM
I shouldn’t have to “Donate” to my local libraries. But with @mayormarksutcliffe.bsky.social austerity budgets and money badly directed to things like Lansdowne 2.0, I guess that’s where we’re at? No “Donate” button for the Police though?
Reposted by Liz
In case anyone needed a better visual to show why the bus lane is "empty" and the car lane is "filled".
It's pretty simple. Cars are realllyyyy bad at moving large amounts of people.
They're definitely great for specific uses! But to rely on them for every single trip is where we have failed.
It's pretty simple. Cars are realllyyyy bad at moving large amounts of people.
They're definitely great for specific uses! But to rely on them for every single trip is where we have failed.
December 1, 2025 at 5:07 PM
In case anyone needed a better visual to show why the bus lane is "empty" and the car lane is "filled".
It's pretty simple. Cars are realllyyyy bad at moving large amounts of people.
They're definitely great for specific uses! But to rely on them for every single trip is where we have failed.
It's pretty simple. Cars are realllyyyy bad at moving large amounts of people.
They're definitely great for specific uses! But to rely on them for every single trip is where we have failed.
Reposted by Liz
Ahhh yes, the bus lane moving thousands of people an hour is causing the congestion, and not the car lane that gets backed up with 10 cars filled with a single person each 😭😭😭
Look at the picture, there's probably 15 people total causing this much traffic. Cars have been sold to you as a lie.
Look at the picture, there's probably 15 people total causing this much traffic. Cars have been sold to you as a lie.
Uh oh, Ontario transportation minister Prabmeet Sarkaria liked this IntegrityTO video blaming bus lanes for car congestion…
December 1, 2025 at 2:28 AM
Ahhh yes, the bus lane moving thousands of people an hour is causing the congestion, and not the car lane that gets backed up with 10 cars filled with a single person each 😭😭😭
Look at the picture, there's probably 15 people total causing this much traffic. Cars have been sold to you as a lie.
Look at the picture, there's probably 15 people total causing this much traffic. Cars have been sold to you as a lie.
Reposted by Liz
Bill 60 means that we will not be able to add cycle tracks to Albert and Slater Street or extend the O’Connor bike lane to Wellington Street. It’s an absurd overreach by the Ford government that will make all road users less safe and waste millions. I hate it here.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Ottawa says new provincial bill likely kills at least 3 bike lane projects | CBC News
New provincial legislation prohibiting how municipalities can build bike lanes means three projects in Ottawa likely can't move forward and others will get more expensive, according to a city report.
www.cbc.ca
November 27, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Bill 60 means that we will not be able to add cycle tracks to Albert and Slater Street or extend the O’Connor bike lane to Wellington Street. It’s an absurd overreach by the Ford government that will make all road users less safe and waste millions. I hate it here.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Liz
We design roads for speed. And we get speed. Want better results? Design better.
This is the product of a failed design process.
@brenttoderian.bsky.social
@thewaroncars.bsky.social
@tomflood.bsky.social
This is the product of a failed design process.
@brenttoderian.bsky.social
@thewaroncars.bsky.social
@tomflood.bsky.social
Driver caught at 133 km/h over limit on Ottawa's 'Limebank Raceway' ottawacitizen.com/news/driver-...
November 27, 2025 at 1:38 AM
We design roads for speed. And we get speed. Want better results? Design better.
This is the product of a failed design process.
@brenttoderian.bsky.social
@thewaroncars.bsky.social
@tomflood.bsky.social
This is the product of a failed design process.
@brenttoderian.bsky.social
@thewaroncars.bsky.social
@tomflood.bsky.social
Reposted by Liz
A sad day for cyclists. Bill 60 - which prohibits the conversion of motor vehicle lanes to bike lanes (or any other prescribed purpose) - has passed Third Reading this morning which will kill various cycling projects in Toronto & across Ontario. #shame #BikeTO #BikeSky #TOpoli #ONpoli #VisionZero
November 24, 2025 at 5:39 PM
The TLDR: they expanded off-peak and on-demand service, and it worked. When transit is a reliable and efficient option, people use it!
Plante roughly saying 'everyone's in the same boat with Transit having trouble' and that she couldn't find any cities that are successfully recovering.
15 second Google.
globalnews.ca/news/9477981...
15 second Google.
globalnews.ca/news/9477981...
Bus ridership on Edmonton Transit returns to pre-pandemic levels: city - Edmonton | Globalnews.ca
Edmonton bus ridership reached 100 per cent of 2019 pre-pandemic levels in January 2023, averaging 1.2 million rides per week, the city said.
globalnews.ca
November 24, 2025 at 10:38 PM
The TLDR: they expanded off-peak and on-demand service, and it worked. When transit is a reliable and efficient option, people use it!
@octranspo.com: hmm our ridership numbers keep dropping, how do we fix that? Such a difficult problem
Also @octranspo.com: this should do the trick!
#Autowa #OttTransit
🤦♀️
Also @octranspo.com: this should do the trick!
#Autowa #OttTransit
🤦♀️
OC Transpo is missing its reliability targets, but fares are still set to rise ottawacitizen.com/news/oc-tran...
November 24, 2025 at 10:35 PM
@octranspo.com: hmm our ridership numbers keep dropping, how do we fix that? Such a difficult problem
Also @octranspo.com: this should do the trick!
#Autowa #OttTransit
🤦♀️
Also @octranspo.com: this should do the trick!
#Autowa #OttTransit
🤦♀️
Reposted by Liz
That's all? Do it. Do it immediately. That is a hot hot deal!
Extending OC Transpo transfer window could cost nearly $1 million, staff say
Extending OC Transpo transfer window could cost nearly $1 million, staff say
Extending the OC Transpo transfer window an additional 30 minutes would cost Ottawa’s transit service nearly $1 million in lost revenue, according to staff.
bit.ly
November 24, 2025 at 12:05 PM
That's all? Do it. Do it immediately. That is a hot hot deal!
Today while crossing Bank and Somerset, there was a car sitting halfway into the crosswalk. A visually-impaired pedestrian using a cane nearly walked into it. Seriously drivers, stop behind the stop line. Yes, even if you're waiting to turn right (oh look, another reason to ban RToR!) #Autowa
November 22, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Today while crossing Bank and Somerset, there was a car sitting halfway into the crosswalk. A visually-impaired pedestrian using a cane nearly walked into it. Seriously drivers, stop behind the stop line. Yes, even if you're waiting to turn right (oh look, another reason to ban RToR!) #Autowa
Reposted by Liz
Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY.
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
Closing Central Madrid To Cars Resulted In 9.5% Boost To Retail Spending, Finds Bank Analysis
City of Madrid significantly boosted the takings of its shops and restaurants last Christmas by banning cars from the CBD, finds an analysis by Spain's second largest bank.
www.forbes.com
November 20, 2025 at 6:21 AM
Keep this in mind when people claim cars mean business — closing Central #Madrid to cars over holidays resulted in a 9.5% boost in retail spending on its main shopping street: STUDY.
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
There was also a 71% drop in air pollution.
Via @carltonreid.com in @forbes.com. #citymakingmath #citiesforpeople
Why hasn't @helps.octranspo.com announced this? There are still significant delays on Line 1 (because, as this article explains, repairs won't happen until tonight), but OC Transpo's last message says the issue is "resolved with minor delays" #OttTransit @octranspo.com @occtranspo.bsky.social
O-Train Line 1 service down to single track due to wire system 'defect' ottawacitizen.com/news/o-train...
November 21, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Why hasn't @helps.octranspo.com announced this? There are still significant delays on Line 1 (because, as this article explains, repairs won't happen until tonight), but OC Transpo's last message says the issue is "resolved with minor delays" #OttTransit @octranspo.com @occtranspo.bsky.social