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albertkoehl.bsky.social
Albert Koehl
@albertkoehl.bsky.social
300 followers 300 following 180 posts
Author, Wheeling Through Toronto, A History of the Bicycle and Its Riders (UofT Press); enviro lawyer; road safety advocate, community organizer. Posts @bikewaysto.bsky.social + @crashcoaltion.bsky.social
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albertkoehl.bsky.social
Albert Koehl @albertkoehl.bsky.social · Jul 30
"The advice provided to the govt, both before + after Bill212 was passed, was that removal of the target bike lanes to restore a lane of motor vehicle traffic will not achieve the asserted goal of the law, as it will not reduce congestion" -Justice Schabas #biketo

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Ontario court strikes down Ford government's plan to remove Toronto bike lanes | CBC News
An Ontario court has deemed the province's plan to remove three major Toronto bike lanes unconstitutional. A spokesperson for Ontario's transportation minister said the government will appeal.
www.cbc.ca
Reposted by Albert Koehl
bikewaysto.bsky.social
Today's 'No Faith in Fossil Fuels' rally in front of Toronto office of Environment Minister @juliedabrusin.bsky.social (While other countries soar ahead on renewables, Canada risks becoming a fossil fuel backwater.) #nofaithinfossilfuels
November 10, 2025 at 7:14 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
Funny how cycling in the winter is treated as the bicycle's Achilles' heel.

It's not like motoring fares particularly well. #biketo

www.thestar.com/news/gta/opp...
OPP reports 220 collisions in GTA on first snowy day of the season
In addition, there were another 120 incidents where vehicles were in the ditch or stuck and the OPP were not able to attend.
www.thestar.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:18 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
"Premier Ford is demonstrating his penchant for stomping on rules and bulldozing his opponents when they disagree with his ill-thought-out policies — much the same approach U.S. President Trump has taken to trampling on civil rights."

www.thestar.com/opinion/lett...
On speed cameras, Ontario has taken an awfully Trumpian turn
Star readers weigh in on the Ring of Fire, political advertising in the U.S. and — what else? — speed cameras.
www.thestar.com
November 9, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
seniorsfcan.bsky.social
www.nationalobserver.com/2025/11/07/n...
Ford climate rule rollback won't stop youth court challenge: lawyer
Lawyers representing youth in Ontario’s landmark climate lawsuit say the Ford government’s plan to repeal the province’s legal requirement to set and update greenhouse gas targets will not affect the ...
www.nationalobserver.com
November 7, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
bikebikeyyc.bsky.social
"it’s important to remember that cars are the main structural hazard on our roads" - not people on bikes slowly rolling through stop signs. #roadsafety
theconversation.com/cyclists-may...
Cyclists may be right to run stop signs and red lights. Here’s why
Should cyclists be allowed to treat stop signs as yield signs? This rule from Idaho is divisive, but the scientific data is surprising.
theconversation.com
November 5, 2025 at 1:27 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
“The genocide in Gaza impacts us all... our common bond of shared humanity is tested. I will speak out when children anywhere are feeling pain, violence +hunger.” Thank you @mayoroliviachow.ca [cf reports by UN HumanRightsCouncil + Int'l Assoc of Genocide Scholars] www.thestar.com/news/gta/cit...
Mayor Olivia Chow defends calling Gaza war a genocide
Chow's comments have sparked complaints to both the provincial human rights tribunal and the city's integrity commissioner.
www.thestar.com
November 5, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
bikewaysto.bsky.social
"the ride is a reminder that ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary things ...This whole journey is about reminding people to cherish and look after those wonderfully talented souls who make the world brighter” - Callum Norris after his cross-Canada ride.

www.thestar.com/news/gta/his...
His girlfriend died of cancer at 27. He biked from Vancouver to the GTA to honour her memory
Callum Norris set off from B.C. to GTA to raise money and honour Abbey Maguire. “With the inspiration I had from Abbey, I knew I’d be able to do it.”
www.thestar.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:27 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
“If these guys are so proud of this, why would they hide it in an order that no one knows about?” asked Mary-Margaret McMahon, a Liberal MPP and former city councillor.

“Green roofs are the most cost-effective way to manage stormwater. This makes no sense.”

www.thestar.com/news/gta/dou...
Doug Ford quietly kills Toronto’s green roof bylaw
Since the bylaw came into force in 2009, more than 1,200 green roofs have been installed across the city.
www.thestar.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
lanrickbennett.bsky.social
#IdeasAtWork

'Taking Action for Safe Cycling in the City' on Nov 15th

Panel discussion followed by a Q&A period.

Panel speakers:

Dr. Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher @mbonsma.bsky.social @albertkoehl.bsky.social
@ffsafestreets.bsky.social's Jess Spieker
& Bicycle Mayor for Toronto Alison Stewart
#BikeTO
lanrickbennett.bsky.social Lanrick Bennett @lanrickbennett.bsky.social · 21d
#ThIsTorontoDanforth

Taking Action for Safe Cycling in the City

Join for a discussion with cycling advocates working to make Toronto cycling-friendly

Sat, Nov 15, 2025, 2 - 4 pm

eventbrite.ca/e/taking-action-for-safe-cycling-in-the-city-tickets-1797500766179?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1
Taking Action for Safe Cycling in the City Concerned about safe cycling in the city? Join us for a discussion with cycling advocates working to make Toronto cycling-friendly and learn how you can become involved. Panel discussion followed by a Q&A period. Saturday, November 15, 2025, 2 - 4 pm S. Walter Stewart Library eventbrite.ca/e/taking-action-for-safe-cycling-in-the-city-tickets-1797500766179?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1 Panel speakers: Dr. Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher is a postdoctoral fellow in Civil & Mineral Engineering at the University of Toronto studying how safe cycling networks influence the destinations people can access by bicycle in Canadian cities. She is a co-founder of UofT Coders, a group for graduate students to teach each other programming skills in a supportive peer environment. You can find her on Bluesky at @mbonsma.bsky.social or riding around Toronto with her family on her beloved cargo bikes. Albert Koehl is Coordinator of Community Bikeways and the Coalition to Reduce Auto Size Hazards (CRASH). He is the author of Wheeling Through Toronto: A History of the Bicycle and Its Riders, published by the U of T Press. In a career that spans 30 years as an environmental and human rights lawyer he has worked for legal aid clinics, the Ministry of Environment, the United Nations in Guatemala, and the non-profit Ecojustice. He takes particular pride in his role advocating for bike lanes on Bloor Street, which are today part of the city's longest bike lane stretching from Scarborough to Etobicoke. See more at: communitybikewaysto.ca Jess Spieker was nearly killed by a reckless driver who struck her in 2015. Other members of Friends and Families for Safe Streets (FFSS) have suffered the unbearable devastation of having a loved one killed by a motorist. Together, members of the group work to make sure that the loss, anguish and grief inflicted on them never happens to anyone else, ever again. See more at: ffsafestreets.ca Alison Stewart is the second Bicycle Mayor of Toronto, part of a global network that seeks to transform cities through cycling. She is also the founding member of Femme and Friends, a collective of women who seek to build the culture of biking by creating inclusive and supportive spaces for people to bike without the fear of judgment or competition. Alison began her journey as a cycling advocate in 2013 out of frustration with dangerous cycling co
November 4, 2025 at 1:59 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
"That we need more Ernie [Clements] is news to no one, especially in a cultural moment where public discourse is increasingly vicious and where, on the global stage, some recent displays of masculinity have slid right past toxic into rancid territory."

www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Why Blue Jay Ernie Clement is the role model we need today
After Game 7, third baseman Ernie Clement provided a pitch-perfect example of healthy masculinity for all to see — combined, of course, with his general commitment to playing his heart
www.thestar.com
November 4, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
crashcoalition.bsky.social
Safest place for a pickup...is in a cargobike. At EcoFair we asked people to write to new Transport Minister @stevenmackinnon.bsky.social to require safety warnings on pickup ads + for auto-makers to re-design deadly vehicle front-ends. Seven x more likely to kill a child in crash. #oversizeddanger
November 3, 2025 at 11:03 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
brenttoderian.bsky.social
The Toronto #BlueJays gave us arguably the closest #WorldSeries in modern history, and the most fun and inspiring playoff run I can remember in any sport. I LOVE THAT TEAM, and 100% believe #TORONTO should have a HUGE CELEBRATION ANYWAY, to thank the team, fans, city and COUNTRY for a legendary run!
Clement sliding into home like a little boy Springer shrugging after another hit while injured
November 3, 2025 at 9:45 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
"Thank you, beautiful Blue Jays."

Nicely said Rosie DiManno!

www.thestar.com/sports/blue-...
Rosie DiManno: Love for the Blue Jays, and their love for each other, means not having to say they’re sorry
"This group has taught me what a team is," Bo Bichette says. "I think it’s probably the most valuable lesson of my career.’’
www.thestar.com
November 3, 2025 at 6:40 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
"China will soon heavily dominate global electric vehicle production. Would it not make sense to secure an early partnership with the next auto giants?"

For the cars we actually need --- which is far fewer than we have --- this makes sense.

www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Robin V. Sears: As Trump tries to destroy Canada’s auto industry, perhaps we should launch a partnership with China
China will soon heavily dominate global electric vehicle production. Would it not make sense to secure an early partnership with the next auto giants?
www.thestar.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:11 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
ohtheurbanity.bsky.social
When Canada’s public broadcaster asks: “is America becoming a police state?”
ICE raids and fear tactics: Is America becoming a police state?
YouTube video by CBC News: The National
youtu.be
October 29, 2025 at 2:36 AM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
IBM building in Markham keeps killing migratory birds ... despite available remedial measures for its windows.

www.yorkregion.com/news/ibm-can...
IBM Canada’s building in Markham keeps killing migratory birds. An environmental group and IBM employees want to see that stop
Environment and Climate Change Canada looking into Fatal Light Awareness Program (FLAP) Canada bird safety complaint about 8200 Warden Ave.
www.yorkregion.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
dvdham.bsky.social
Gotta appreciate that they are pricing by size.
munchaj6.bsky.social Melissa Acosta- Jensen @munchaj6.bsky.social · 14d
Price gouging at the World Series!
Thanks Frank McCourt
October 27, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
spacing.bsky.social
Are we focusing on the wrong EVs? @albertkoehl.bsky.social looks at the history of electric vehicles in Toronto - beginning with some of the first cars - noting that streetcars and subways have been providing EV transportation all along (and remember trolley buses?). spacing.ca/toronto/2025...
OP-ED: Electric Vehicles and the Federal Sales Standard - Spacing Toronto
Electric cars are in the news, though it’s hard to call them new. Torontonians were impressed when they first saw an electric car on city streets … in 1896. And it’s easy to forget that other types of...
spacing.ca
October 27, 2025 at 2:12 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
"Electric cars are in the news, though it’s hard to call them new. Torontonians were impressed when they first saw an electric car on city streets … in 1896."

The EVs that have moved far more people, far more efficiently in TO are streetcars, buses + subways.

spacing.ca/toronto/2025...
October 27, 2025 at 1:24 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
"implementing a system of proportional representation would be the ultimate nation-building project. It would do more for Canada than any pipeline or port ever could, making govt more effective and efficient while also mitigating partisan hostility."

Hear, hear!

www.thestar.com/opinion/lett...
Forget pipelines. Here’s a better ‘nation-building project’
As the federal government talks infrastructure, Star readers get behind electoral reform.
www.thestar.com
October 25, 2025 at 12:29 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
"It’s not quite an example of the concept of induced demand, as the province didn’t add new lanes, but it’s close enough ...

Has the Ford government learned a valuable lesson from this blunder? Of course not."

www.thestar.com/opinion/cont...
Scott Stinson: Take it from a suburban GTA driver: Doug Ford’s toll-free Highway 407 is just not working
Ford's own policies have made traffic worse — so naturally, the premier is doubling down.
www.thestar.com
October 21, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
rzaichkowski.bsky.social
The first of two public consultations for Kingston Road is happening virtually TONIGHT at 7 PM following @cycletoronto.bsky.social's Bill 212 one year anniversary rally. There will also be an in-person consultation on Monday, October 27. #BikeTO #ScarbTO #TOpoli www.toronto.ca/community-pe...
A Safer Kingston Road
Attend the public events on October 21 or 27 and complete the survey by November 3. View meeting materials in the Public Consultation tab below.   The City of Toronto is proposing changes to approxima...
www.toronto.ca
October 21, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
bikewaysto.bsky.social
"if you take the emphasis away from moving more cars, you can move more people — and build better neighbourhoods, too" - the lesson we learned from traffic czar Janette Sadik-Khan in NYC.

www.thestar.com/opinion/star...
Edward Keenan: There are two key lessons Toronto’s traffic czar should take from New York City
Here's how Janette Sadik-Khan got the Big Apple moving as transportation commissioner.
www.thestar.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:06 PM
Reposted by Albert Koehl
bikewaysto.bsky.social
Sign the petition ...

c.org/DTR9kg6RqQ
Have you seen this petition yet?
Reverse the decision on speed cameras in Ontario
c.org
October 20, 2025 at 3:10 PM
albertkoehl.bsky.social
Retired Police Chiefs from Peel, Halton, Niagara, Ottawa + beyond say that speed cameras, introduced by Ford’s govt in 2019, are:

“highly effective at changing dangerous driving behaviours and reducing collisions and serious injuries at problem locations.”

#onpoli

www.thestar.com/news/gta/for...
Former Ontario police leaders urge Doug Ford government to ditch plan to ban speed cameras
The Ford government is expected to table legislation banning automated speed cameras in Ontario.
www.thestar.com
October 20, 2025 at 1:54 PM