Reposted by Michael D'Costa
Daily reminder that the primary benefit of railway electrification is not to reduce railway emissions.
It is to enable faster acceleration which reduces travel time and thereby increases frequency without adding operating cost.
That then attracts more riders and thereby more revenue.
It is to enable faster acceleration which reduces travel time and thereby increases frequency without adding operating cost.
That then attracts more riders and thereby more revenue.
January 9, 2026 at 1:04 AM
Daily reminder that the primary benefit of railway electrification is not to reduce railway emissions.
It is to enable faster acceleration which reduces travel time and thereby increases frequency without adding operating cost.
That then attracts more riders and thereby more revenue.
It is to enable faster acceleration which reduces travel time and thereby increases frequency without adding operating cost.
That then attracts more riders and thereby more revenue.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
Next time someone asks you about energy and land use, maybe remind them that the ~35 million acres that currently grow corn for ethanol in the US could produce ~15 PWh per year of electricity from solar photovoltaics. That's ~3.5 times more than *total annual generation from all US power plants*.
February 1, 2026 at 8:55 PM
Next time someone asks you about energy and land use, maybe remind them that the ~35 million acres that currently grow corn for ethanol in the US could produce ~15 PWh per year of electricity from solar photovoltaics. That's ~3.5 times more than *total annual generation from all US power plants*.
Next "frequent service" #14 comes in 23 minutes. Thanks, @octranspo.com.
January 30, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Next "frequent service" #14 comes in 23 minutes. Thanks, @octranspo.com.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
A reminder of the risks of relying exclusively on the F35. Trump will use any available leverage to apply pressure, including on America’s closest allies. Derisking is essential.
January 30, 2026 at 1:04 PM
A reminder of the risks of relying exclusively on the F35. Trump will use any available leverage to apply pressure, including on America’s closest allies. Derisking is essential.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
I look forward to Doug Ford setting a Cadillac on fire and swearing to ban sales of GM vehicles in Ontario.
NEW: More than 500 autoworkers in Oshawa, Ont., will be out of a job next week, as GM officially cuts its third shift. Premier Doug Ford says the province has a plan, but critics say he's failing in his promise to protect Ontario. #OnPoli
globalnews.ca/news/1164338...
globalnews.ca/news/1164338...
More than 500 Ontario autoworkers prepare for layoffs to hit as GM cuts shift | Globalnews.ca
The move was first announced in May 2025, with plans to shed a third of jobs originally set for November.
globalnews.ca
January 29, 2026 at 8:30 PM
I look forward to Doug Ford setting a Cadillac on fire and swearing to ban sales of GM vehicles in Ontario.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
As the public, we don't know if or how much OCT staff at junior levels raised issues. We don't know how much Watson suppressed dissenting senior voices (but we know he did suppress dissent at the council table).
The commission / committee provides direct governance. Mayors choose who sits there.
The commission / committee provides direct governance. Mayors choose who sits there.
Many of the people who made these poor decisions are still in roles with the city
I think what frustrates people the most is that there appears to be no accountability
Who should have had their eyes on the long term impacts? Why didn't they? What are we changing to ensure this doesn't happen again
I think what frustrates people the most is that there appears to be no accountability
Who should have had their eyes on the long term impacts? Why didn't they? What are we changing to ensure this doesn't happen again
January 28, 2026 at 9:56 PM
As the public, we don't know if or how much OCT staff at junior levels raised issues. We don't know how much Watson suppressed dissenting senior voices (but we know he did suppress dissent at the council table).
The commission / committee provides direct governance. Mayors choose who sits there.
The commission / committee provides direct governance. Mayors choose who sits there.
Whenever I read Taber, I wonder how much she says applies to Canadian ag.
And whenever I hear about our TFW program, I worry how many of these serious faults it shares.
And whenever I hear about our TFW program, I worry how many of these serious faults it shares.
THREAD
H2A guest worker visas are finally a big enough program that farmers are ready to switch to that instead of undoc'd workers.
That's why they're rounding up undoc'd people.
Farms don't really need them anymore, & they're "too hard to control."
That hasn't changed!
H2A guest worker visas are finally a big enough program that farmers are ready to switch to that instead of undoc'd workers.
That's why they're rounding up undoc'd people.
Farms don't really need them anymore, & they're "too hard to control."
That hasn't changed!
I'm calling bullshit on the media narrative that Trump is "pivoting" and "deescalating" on his ICE raids. The threshold is this: As long as the military occupations and the treatment of US cities as enemy territory continue, there's no pivot. ICE out. 1/
(New piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2057...
(New piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2057...
January 28, 2026 at 7:17 PM
Whenever I read Taber, I wonder how much she says applies to Canadian ag.
And whenever I hear about our TFW program, I worry how many of these serious faults it shares.
And whenever I hear about our TFW program, I worry how many of these serious faults it shares.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
THREAD
H2A guest worker visas are finally a big enough program that farmers are ready to switch to that instead of undoc'd workers.
That's why they're rounding up undoc'd people.
Farms don't really need them anymore, & they're "too hard to control."
That hasn't changed!
H2A guest worker visas are finally a big enough program that farmers are ready to switch to that instead of undoc'd workers.
That's why they're rounding up undoc'd people.
Farms don't really need them anymore, & they're "too hard to control."
That hasn't changed!
I'm calling bullshit on the media narrative that Trump is "pivoting" and "deescalating" on his ICE raids. The threshold is this: As long as the military occupations and the treatment of US cities as enemy territory continue, there's no pivot. ICE out. 1/
(New piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2057...
(New piece)
newrepublic.com/article/2057...
Donald Trump Is Frightened
Trump wants to appear eager to minimize out-of-control clashes between government militias and protesters. But he doesn’t want to stop the things causing those clashes in the first place.
newrepublic.com
January 28, 2026 at 1:41 PM
THREAD
H2A guest worker visas are finally a big enough program that farmers are ready to switch to that instead of undoc'd workers.
That's why they're rounding up undoc'd people.
Farms don't really need them anymore, & they're "too hard to control."
That hasn't changed!
H2A guest worker visas are finally a big enough program that farmers are ready to switch to that instead of undoc'd workers.
That's why they're rounding up undoc'd people.
Farms don't really need them anymore, & they're "too hard to control."
That hasn't changed!
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
ARGH! It's so frustrating to advocate for public transit in Ottawa when the LRT is such a mess. I wonder if anyone will ever calculate how much we would have saved if we had bought a better train from the beginning? www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/video...
No timeline for return to full LRT service after latest issue discovered
OC Transpo says a lot of work is required to make sure trains on Line 1 are safe to operate, meaning reduced service for awhile. CTV’s Leah Larocque reports.
www.ctvnews.ca
January 28, 2026 at 2:16 AM
ARGH! It's so frustrating to advocate for public transit in Ottawa when the LRT is such a mess. I wonder if anyone will ever calculate how much we would have saved if we had bought a better train from the beginning? www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/video...
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
Fossil fuels are simply not reliable in winter weather.
Fossil Fuels Failed During Winter Storm Fern
Power plant outages in America's largest grid show we can't depend upon fossil fuels
thepowerline.substack.com
January 27, 2026 at 6:46 PM
Fossil fuels are simply not reliable in winter weather.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
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 Michael D'Costa
@helps.octranspo.com @occtranspo.bsky.social if we're going to consistently cancel a route (like the 7:57 48 Carleton at Playfair Residence) could we just remove the route from the sched. until we're ready to put it back? It would help my morning commute if I knew in advance how early to wake up.
January 27, 2026 at 12:39 PM
@helps.octranspo.com @occtranspo.bsky.social if we're going to consistently cancel a route (like the 7:57 48 Carleton at Playfair Residence) could we just remove the route from the sched. until we're ready to put it back? It would help my morning commute if I knew in advance how early to wake up.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
Cutting taxes to help with affordability is "I couldn't fix your brakes so I made your horn louder", but for politics.
April 18, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Cutting taxes to help with affordability is "I couldn't fix your brakes so I made your horn louder", but for politics.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
This happens everyday at alarming rates. People are spending easy, 200 a month just to get to work on time.
The city is lucky, that people are wealthy enough to have options, and those that are less fortunate, are largely voiceless.
We're really screwing the pooch here.
The city is lucky, that people are wealthy enough to have options, and those that are less fortunate, are largely voiceless.
We're really screwing the pooch here.
Paid my fare to get into Greenboro station. got downstairs. looked at the board. My bus was cancelled. Took an Uber, and out of pocket four bucks for nothing.
#octranspo
#octranspo
January 23, 2026 at 1:11 PM
This happens everyday at alarming rates. People are spending easy, 200 a month just to get to work on time.
The city is lucky, that people are wealthy enough to have options, and those that are less fortunate, are largely voiceless.
We're really screwing the pooch here.
The city is lucky, that people are wealthy enough to have options, and those that are less fortunate, are largely voiceless.
We're really screwing the pooch here.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
But here's the thing: when he gets to the part about Ottawa having Canada's lowest property taxes, the response is typically...nothing. And I've been present for several of these speeches. Occasionally, there's mild applause. I wouldn't call it enthusiastic. Tepid, maybe? 4/
January 22, 2026 at 1:53 AM
But here's the thing: when he gets to the part about Ottawa having Canada's lowest property taxes, the response is typically...nothing. And I've been present for several of these speeches. Occasionally, there's mild applause. I wouldn't call it enthusiastic. Tepid, maybe? 4/
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
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 Michael D'Costa
As the Mayor boasts, he's kept our tax increases lower than any major city in Canada. Okay. So, how's our transit ridership doing? How are your roads looking? Pools staying open long enough for you? The City of Ottawa "garbage can" in my neighborhood is a discarded oil barrel from Turkey. 8/
January 22, 2026 at 1:53 AM
As the Mayor boasts, he's kept our tax increases lower than any major city in Canada. Okay. So, how's our transit ridership doing? How are your roads looking? Pools staying open long enough for you? The City of Ottawa "garbage can" in my neighborhood is a discarded oil barrel from Turkey. 8/
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
It's been 4 YEARS since two LRT trains derailed and we still don't have a fix. We don't even know the root cause of this problem. Where is the accountability on this huge project? More important, when can riders start relying on our LRT system? #ottnews
www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
OC Transpo reducing O-Train Line 1 service after identifying new issue with trains
OC Transpo will be temporarily reducing the number of train cars running on the O-Train Line 1 after an issue was identified with the vehicles.
www.ctvnews.ca
January 21, 2026 at 9:20 PM
It's been 4 YEARS since two LRT trains derailed and we still don't have a fix. We don't even know the root cause of this problem. Where is the accountability on this huge project? More important, when can riders start relying on our LRT system? #ottnews
www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
If Canadians, travelling domestically, want to use the "good" security line at the airport, they need a NEXUS card, even if they aren't going to the US. And they need the blessing of Donald Trump's Homeland Security apparatus to get one. I'm calling on Canada to end this absurdity. #Canada #NEXUS
Why we need a Made-In-Canada Verified Traveller Program
YouTube video by Senator Paula Simons
youtu.be
September 25, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
3) Emergency bus lane and transit priority measures need to be enacted on key corridors to ensure our working buses are used as efficiently as possible. We can't have our limited bus fleet standing still in traffic.
January 20, 2026 at 8:45 PM
3) Emergency bus lane and transit priority measures need to be enacted on key corridors to ensure our working buses are used as efficiently as possible. We can't have our limited bus fleet standing still in traffic.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
Even today, some things can be said with absolute certainty. These lines will never cross again. www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations
January 19, 2026 at 9:56 AM
Even today, some things can be said with absolute certainty. These lines will never cross again. www.nathanielbullard.com/presentations
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
Funny. I literally talked with my kid about this last week while waiting for a bus.
He said "but nothing happened..."
And I said "not that I saw...but probably because a lot of people were working to make sure 'nothing happened'".
I felt a little light bulb go in over his head......
He said "but nothing happened..."
And I said "not that I saw...but probably because a lot of people were working to make sure 'nothing happened'".
I felt a little light bulb go in over his head......
to young people: you may at some point have heard about the Y2K problem. some people may have told you it wasn't a big deal
i need you to understand the only reason it wasn't a big deal was that everyone spent loads of time fixing code before it could become a problem, which is why it never did
i need you to understand the only reason it wasn't a big deal was that everyone spent loads of time fixing code before it could become a problem, which is why it never did
January 18, 2026 at 2:02 PM
Funny. I literally talked with my kid about this last week while waiting for a bus.
He said "but nothing happened..."
And I said "not that I saw...but probably because a lot of people were working to make sure 'nothing happened'".
I felt a little light bulb go in over his head......
He said "but nothing happened..."
And I said "not that I saw...but probably because a lot of people were working to make sure 'nothing happened'".
I felt a little light bulb go in over his head......
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
If the law prevents the federal government from acting to stop an obvious emergency, especially when the governments of Ottawa and Ontario had essentially abandoned the city of Ottawa to those hooligans, then the law is the problem, not Trudeau’s actions.
For the late/west coast crowd, my latest for @cba-nationalmag.bsky.social, and the reactions to the Federal Court of Appeal ruling on the use of the Emergencies Act #cdnlaw #cdnpoli
Federal Court of Appeal says use of Emergencies Act was overreach
The invocation infringed on freedom of expression and protection against unreasonable search and seizure
www.nationalmagazine.ca
January 17, 2026 at 12:39 PM
If the law prevents the federal government from acting to stop an obvious emergency, especially when the governments of Ottawa and Ontario had essentially abandoned the city of Ottawa to those hooligans, then the law is the problem, not Trudeau’s actions.
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
Verified should just mean verified. That's it. It should apply to anyone who a social media site is able to verify their account is who they claim it is. It shouldn't cost money, come with benefits, or confer status. Just that the account is verified
Why wouldn't we want the Government Department of Fascist Enforcement verified?
Like... If I'm going to block the GDFE, I want to block the right account.
Verified <> Good. Verified means, yeah, they are who they say they are. Who wouldn't want that?
Like... If I'm going to block the GDFE, I want to block the right account.
Verified <> Good. Verified means, yeah, they are who they say they are. Who wouldn't want that?
January 17, 2026 at 2:33 AM
Verified should just mean verified. That's it. It should apply to anyone who a social media site is able to verify their account is who they claim it is. It shouldn't cost money, come with benefits, or confer status. Just that the account is verified
Reposted by Michael D'Costa
As someone who lives downtown Ottawa and who was living dead centre of the "Red Zone" where I had to literally show ID at a police checkpoint in order to get to my apartment, a huge middle finger to this and what it's about to enable.
Federal government loses Emergencies Act appeal | CBC News
The Liberal government unreasonably invoked the Emergencies Act to clear the convoy protests that gridlocked the capital city and border points nearly four years ago, the Federal Court of Appeal said.
www.cbc.ca
January 16, 2026 at 4:59 PM
As someone who lives downtown Ottawa and who was living dead centre of the "Red Zone" where I had to literally show ID at a police checkpoint in order to get to my apartment, a huge middle finger to this and what it's about to enable.