Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 3d

The LRT being closed for maintenance on Panda Game weekend is such a confusing and poor decision.

Ottawa consistently forgets to think of the needs of students and transit riders when making decisions.

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 9d

Thanks to everyone who came to yesterday’s Ottawa Urbanism Book Club.

Amazes me that after 2 years we’re still sharing ideas and listening to each other on how we can improve our city.

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 10d

Ahead of tonight’s Ottawa Urbanism Book Club, here’s my favourite quote from Strong Towns.

Meeting at 6:15 pm tonight at Sunnyside Public Library. All welcome, reading not required.

@strongtowns.org @strongtownsottawa.ca

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 13d

CBC Radio joined us at the last Ottawa Urbanism Book Club to talk about how we’re building community and pushing for a better Ottawa.

A book club for people who care about the future of their city www.cbc.ca/listen/live-...

www.cbc.ca

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 17d

The Centretown Community Association has sent a letter to @arieltroster.com supporting a ban on right turns on red in Centretown.

“The lives of pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers are more important than a few seconds saved at a stop light.”

Dear Councillor Troster,

We are writing to express our support for banning right turns on red lights in Centretown. We believe the safety and well being of our neighbours, families, and friends should be the number one transportation priority in Ottawa.

We encourage the City of Ottawa to follow its Road Safety Action Plan’s goal of improving road safety for all users. The lives of pedestrians, cyclists, and other drivers are more important than a few seconds saved at a stop light.

Banning right turns on red on an as needed basis leads to driver confusion, increasing the risk of dangerous collisions. It is wrong to wait until more people are hurt to consider improving the safety of our streets.

Further, we need more education for all road users, including drivers, cyclists, e-scooter users, and pedestrians.

We urge the city to act quickly, and would suggest Centretown as a location for a potential pilot project to test and collect data on banning right turns on red before a rollout throughout the urban core.

Centretown residents and their families deserve to feel safe in their neighbourhood.

Thank you,
Rob Dekker
CCA President

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 17d

I didn't even notice the birds, that's amazing

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 17d

Agreed!

Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 17d

The Berczy Park Dog Fountain in Toronto is a great example of a small improvement leading to big benefits.

For the small price of a fountain we get a more interesting walk and increased foot traffic, a tourist attraction, and an all around more liveable and enjoyable space.

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Reposted by Derrick Simpson

Toon Dreessen @toondreessen.bsky.social · Sep 6

Weeps in Bank Street, Montréal Road, Wellington West tears. @strongtownsottawa.ca @derricksimpson.bsky.social

Rodney 🚧🚇 @chanface.bsky.social · Sep 6

Taking videos of vibrant businesses and patios along St. Clair West for @denisagar.bsky.social at Movement to show that transit only lanes complement low-rise commercial corridors like Burnaby Heights!

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Sep 7

We can and should do better!

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 29

Reliability is the biggest issue, but we don’t talk enough about how unenjoyable OC Transpo can be sometimes.

Yesterday riders waited outside in the rain because the bus shelter was filthy.

If you want people to take transit, it needs to be clean and enjoyable.

2 people holding umbrellas at the bus stop while the shelter sits empty

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 27

An underrated place in Toronto that impressed me was the North York Central Library.

Easy to get to by subway, connected to a mall and a beautiful outdoor square.

Almost the entire outside ring was bookable rooms. Seems amazing for studying or meeting. Every new library should do this.

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 22

Sadly the reality is that most Ottawa residents either don’t pay attention or value low taxes above effective services

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 22

I’m obviously not a fan of Ottawa’s 2026 budget direction.

I just wish we had the honesty to tell people what this budget will really mean.

Transit will get worse, traffic will take longer, life will get more unaffordable for those who can least afford it.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Mayor asks council to limit next year's tax increase to 3.75% | CBC News

Policing and transit remain critical factors that will determine the final balance as the months-long municipal budget process gets underway.

www.cbc.ca

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 18

Thanks to everyone who came out to the @strongtownsottawa.ca meetup this weekend at one of the the Uncommon Event Spaces.

Who would have thought that when you make space for people, people enjoy the space.

Thanks to @markomiljusevic.bsky.social for organizing.

About 15 people standing and talking around street furniture

People standing and sitting in a circle. The ground is painted and there are benches and umbrellas

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 17

I’d say that or Edmonton’s seem to look the nicest from the outside. Unfortunately I have seen neither in person so just guessing

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 17

I visited the North York Library as well and couldn’t believe it (will be posting about later this week.)

Couldn’t believe how many private rooms it had. Every library should do that.

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 17

Finally visited the nicest looking library in Canada, the Toronto Reference Library.

My photos don’t do it justice.

A 5 floor library with an open centre and nice red carpets

A view from the side. There are plants and desks for people to work at

A view from the ground floor. There is a sign that says “ignite minds, not books”

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 16

Spoke with Apartment 613 about the Ottawa Urbanism Book Club and what @strongtownsottawa.ca is doing to push for positive change in Ottawa.

apt613.ca/ottawa-urban...

Ottawa Urbanism Book Club highlights community and urban living

Are you passionate about urban living and making your community a better place for everyone? Then the Ottawa Urbanism Book Club might be for you!

apt613.ca

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 15

Washington, DC is by far the cleanest city I’ve ever visited.

It was so clean that when I visited last summer I wrote about it.

I’d be weary of anyone calling it dirty or saying it needs to be cleaned.

open.substack.com/pub/improvin...

10 things Ottawa can learn from Washington, DC

I’ve recently returned from Washington,DC, which has given me a whole list of ideas and inspiration for how Ottawa can improve, both from and tourism perspective, and for everyday people living in the...

open.substack.com

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 14

I will never understand why Via Rail makes you arrive so early and line up to take the train.

In Europe there’s often no super early arrival or huge lineup for rides between different countries.

Anything we can do to make taking the train more convenient than flying, we should be doing!

Union station in Toronto where dozens of people are lined up to take the train

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 13

Took the 4AM train from Ottawa to Toronto earlier this week. It was 90% full and basically on time.

Good on Via Rail for trying something new and providing more options to riders.

A Via Rial Train in Ottawa. The sky is still dark

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 12

Reliability is a spectrum and it’s all connected. We could remove parking on Bank Street right now and improve reliability and increase ridership.

Bank already has a bus frequency of more than one bus every 10 minutes, making parking less convenient would improve reliability.

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 12

Well said

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Aug 12

What’s your urbanism take that the general public would absolutely hate?

Mine is that making driving or parking less convenient can be incredibly helpful to public transit and active transportation.

Two OC Transpo buses bunched together on Bank Street. A man is walking on the sidewalk

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