David Trueman
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davidwtrueman.bsky.social
David Trueman
@davidwtrueman.bsky.social
210 followers 530 following 130 posts
I'm Co-Chair of Halifax Cycling Coalition, working hard to make cycling in Halifax safer, more convenient and more joyful. In this role, I focus first and foremost on the 60% of the population who would cycle more if it felt safe.
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davidwtrueman.bsky.social
David Trueman @davidwtrueman.bsky.social · Aug 31
Cycling Guide is free, privacy-forward and available now to help you find low-stress cycling routes around HRM. #bikehfx

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

Download it at CyclingGuide.org and give it a try. Your feedback will help to make it better.
Cycling in Halifax can be intimidating. A new app aims to change that | CBC News
The new Cycling Guide app may help ease the concerns of cyclists in Halifax.
www.cbc.ca
Reposted by David Trueman
affabletoaster.bsky.social
Absolutely delightful I Light Hfx tonight. A little dampness can’t keep Haligonian cyclists from a shiny party.

It was lovely to see so many #BikeHfx people tonight! I managed to chat with more folks than usual tonight but I still missed a bunch of you. Hi!!!
A bike party outdoors on a rainy night in the quad at Dalhousie University. It’s the end of the night and the crowd in the background is starting to dwindle. In the foreground a toddler with red pants and a black raincoat is skipping around a paved area, jumping in puddles. The child is blurry with motion. A peek inside an Urban Arrow cargo bike rain cover. Two children are visible, mostly just their bike helmets. They’re bathed in purple and red light from the LED lights hung inside the canopy. The bike helmet in the foreground is light blue, with bike stickers on. The helmet in the background is orange-red and its wearer is hunkered down, dozing under a yellow Lark bike blanket.
November 9, 2025 at 2:38 AM
Reposted by David Trueman
charlieangus104.bsky.social
The world blew past the dangerous 1.5 degree red line.
Our grandkids will pay the price.
Canada was the outlier in the G7 because of massive oil production expansion.
Mark Carney has decided to go all in on planet burning as a national strategy.

nationalnewswatch.com/2025/11/07/c...
Carney tells business crowd a new pipeline project is 'going to…
National Newswatch: Canada's most comprehensive site for political news and views.
nationalnewswatch.com
November 8, 2025 at 12:44 AM
davidwtrueman.bsky.social
That lonely yellow square is I light HFX 😊

It gives an idea of how much the bike counters can undercount, since there were 110 bikes. No doubt a particularly challenging circumstance to count accurately.
stats.hfx.bike BikeHfx stats @stats.hfx.bike · 1d
491 #BikeHfx bikes counted Sat Nov 8

14/1 C 💧 14.7mm

47 Almon
33 Barrington
21 COLT
29 Dart Cove
22 Gottingen
24 Hollis
131 South Park
155 Vernon
29 Windsor

Missing (last):
Lwr Water (Sep 25)
Uni Arts (May 1)
Heatmap of bikes counted by hour from the Almon, Barrington, Chain of Lakes Trail, Dartmouth Cove, Gottingen, Hollis, Lower Water, South Park, Uni Arts, Vernon, and Windsor counters. The highest hourly count was 57 during the 6 PM hour from the Vernon counter.
November 9, 2025 at 1:34 PM
davidwtrueman.bsky.social
About 110 people on their bikes had a great time at I Light HFX 2025, jointly organized with Dal/Kings Bike Centre. Big thanks to our sponsors, Wagners Law, Halifax Cycles, Giant Halifax and Long Alley Bicycles. Also thanks to the ride marshals, Halifax Bike Party, and all the organizers.
November 9, 2025 at 2:43 AM
Reposted by David Trueman
nickpiers.bsky.social
I didn't hear the headcount, but what an amazing turnout for I Light Halifax tonight. Especially everyone who braved the rain! Thank you so much to everyone for coming!

#BikeHfx #Halifax #Cycling
A massive pack of cyclists, all decked out in lights and reflective gear. I think we were so bright, NASA complained they could see us from space.
November 9, 2025 at 1:07 AM
Reposted by David Trueman
seebo429.bsky.social
A bunch of bikes a whole whack of lights and a lil drizzle for I Light Hlifax
#BikeHFX
Bikes with colorful lights at night on the dal quad in Halifax
November 8, 2025 at 10:05 PM
Reposted by David Trueman
seebo429.bsky.social
So many #BikeHFX folks showed up for the I Light Halifax ride tonight.

The marshals did a fantastic job keeping everyone safe. The organizers pulled off a great event. Thanks @cyclehalifax.ca and everyone that made this happen!
A large group of cyclists at night ahead of me Even more cyclists behind me
November 9, 2025 at 12:29 AM
Reposted by David Trueman
criticalmasshfx.bsky.social
The I Light HFX ride ride tonight is going ahead! @cyclehalifax.ca #bikeHFX
davidwtrueman.bsky.social David Trueman @davidwtrueman.bsky.social · 3d
Don’t miss I Light HFX. The weather is looking warm (by recent standards) but a little damp. But we won’t let that dampen our spirits, we’re Haligonians!

6pm tomorrow (Saturday, Nov 8) at the Dal Quad by the Dal/Kings Bike Centre.

Sign waivers at: cyclehalifax.ca/i-light-hfx-... (once per year)
Poster for the I Light HFX community ride, tomorrow (Saturday, Nov 8) at 6pm at the Dal Quad by the Dal/Kings Bike Centre. Photo in background shows people storing their bikes on bike racks.
November 8, 2025 at 8:05 PM
davidwtrueman.bsky.social
This (gift) article articulates an important concept: people shrug off data privacy concerns (“I don’t have anything to hide”) but it’s about what you lose when you enable sophisticated manipulation based on detailed modelling of your behaviour.

www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/0aaebab...
Cory Doctorow coined the term ‘enshittification.’ And he knows how to stop it
The Canadian technology critic remains hopeful a good internet is possible
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 8, 2025 at 6:47 PM
Reposted by David Trueman
affabletoaster.bsky.social
Extra love to the Halifax Cycles crew who got our bike fixed super fast so we’d be ready for I Light Halifax tonight.

We were prepared to go with the Carrie, but our light game on the Urban Arrow will be stronger.
November 8, 2025 at 6:16 PM
davidwtrueman.bsky.social
Don’t miss I Light HFX. The weather is looking warm (by recent standards) but a little damp. But we won’t let that dampen our spirits, we’re Haligonians!

6pm tomorrow (Saturday, Nov 8) at the Dal Quad by the Dal/Kings Bike Centre.

Sign waivers at: cyclehalifax.ca/i-light-hfx-... (once per year)
Poster for the I Light HFX community ride, tomorrow (Saturday, Nov 8) at 6pm at the Dal Quad by the Dal/Kings Bike Centre. Photo in background shows people storing their bikes on bike racks.
November 7, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Reposted by David Trueman
landofsticks.bsky.social
If these rich assholes want to keep their covenant, the city should slap a "pay through the nose for single family home density downtown" area rate on downtown's mansion district.
Halifax has removed the final hurdle to development in some areas — and neighbours are fighting back | CBC News
A wealthy Halifax neighbourhood with tree-lined streets and grand homes on the Northwest Arm has become one of the latest battlegrounds in the city’s push to build more housing.
www.cbc.ca
November 4, 2025 at 11:06 AM
davidwtrueman.bsky.social
How's this for def'n of a bicycle in new TSA regulations? This is my language. Trying to be inclusive while ruling out more dangerous vehicles. Also borrowing from de facto stds. and other provs. The term "conveyance" is already used in the TSA to cover anything that is not a motor vehicle. #bikehfx
A bicycle is a conveyance propelled primarily by human power with fully operable pedals upon which or in which a person may ride and that has at least one wheel which is 350 millimetres or more in diameter that may have an attached motor driven by electricity not producing more than 500 watts and incapable of providing further assistance when the conveyance attains a speed of thirty-two kilometres per hour on level ground.
November 1, 2025 at 8:21 PM
davidwtrueman.bsky.social
Judging by my solar panel output, weather in October 2025 has been somewhat less favourable than October 2024. I suspect that is why October bike counts are only slightly higher than in 2024.

Thanks @stats.hfx.bike for this valuable service.
stats.hfx.bike BikeHfx stats @stats.hfx.bike · 9d
Previous year counts for Oct:

2025: 64,562
2024: 64,426
2023: 55,801
2022: 34,774
2021: 34,612
2020: 6,210
2019: 4,619
2018: 13,068
Bar chart of bikes counted for month Oct over last 8 years. The most recent years's count of 64,562 is about the same as the previous year.
November 1, 2025 at 8:07 PM
Reposted by David Trueman
weatherwest.bsky.social
I wanted to offer some thoughts on the Gates climate memo that has been circulating this week. While I can't directly speak for others, I can say that my own response is one of dismay & deep frustration (and that this view is shared by many climate/Earth scientists). [1/n]
October 30, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Reposted by David Trueman
seebo429.bsky.social
#BikeHFX do these bikes belong to you or someone you know?
October 31, 2025 at 3:18 AM
davidwtrueman.bsky.social
This is one example of how important it is to get right the regulations associated with the new Traffic Safety Act in Nova Scotia. HCC is currently working on this along with CApE and Walk ‘n Roll Halifax.
markster3000.bsky.social Mark Jackson-Brown @markster3000.bsky.social · 12d
Notably, kids riding as passengers on eBikes was legalized by the Ford government (in response to consultation) only to get recriminalized when they simplified the classes of eBikes a couple years later (for unknown reasons)
thebikinglawyer.bsky.social The Biking Lawyer LLP @thebikinglawyer.bsky.social · 12d
We have unfortunate news about passengers under 16 on e-bikes and e-cargo bikes in Ontario. It appears, they are not allowed. Read our blog for a deep dive on the law and what you can do in response:

www.thebikinglawyer.ca/post/e-cargo...
October 29, 2025 at 9:45 PM
davidwtrueman.bsky.social
Don’t miss Critical Mass and Halifax Bike Party, tomorrow (Thursday) starting at The Oval at 6pm. Last chance of the season to reminded our politicians that we deserve better and we’re NOT going away.
criticalmasshfx.bsky.social Critical Mass Halifax @criticalmasshfx.bsky.social · 19d
👻👽🎃 HALIFAX'S SPOOKIEST CYCLING NIGHT RETURNS: the 3rd annual HALLOWHEEL🚲💀
⏰️ Thursday, Oct. 30, 6:00, 6:30 roll out
📍The Oval, Halifax
event poster. text reads: BIKE PARTY x CRITICAL MASS, HALLOWHEEL, THURSDAY, OCT. 30, EMERA OVAL, 6 PM, AFTERPARTY AND COSTUME CONTEST. The image is looking into the jaw of a monster, the outline of the poster is pointy teeth. the centre of the image is black, there is a purple bicycle outline in the middle, with spider webs instead of wheel spokes.
October 29, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Reposted by David Trueman
brenttoderian.bsky.social
IMPORTANT: The Dutch invest €595 million annually on urban biking, resulting in €19 BILLION saved in public health care costs alone. That’s how smart governments do the math on investing in better mobility.

Let’s be clear— it wastes public money to NOT do it.

#CityMakingMath HT @modacitylife.com
Images of creative Dutch biking infrastructure
October 29, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Reposted by David Trueman
terriclarke.bsky.social
The perfect quote from Elizabeth May:
velocanadabikes.bsky.social Vélo Canada Bikes @velocanadabikes.bsky.social · 13d
"Cycling is good for heath, good for the environment and good for the economy."

Thank you @elizabethemay.bsky.social for highlighting Bike Day on the Hill in the House of Commons!
October 28, 2025 at 3:21 PM
Reposted by David Trueman
kwilsonhfx.bsky.social
Hey. Hi. Hello.

In this Halloween Special , I continue HFX By Bike's annual tradition of trying to genuinely scare you using nothing but spreadsheets and graphs.

This year it's all about the city's taxes and why it feels like Halifax can never get ahead.

youtu.be/l8kCed6o4Bc
Built To Fail
YouTube video by HFX by Bike
youtu.be
October 28, 2025 at 7:07 PM
davidwtrueman.bsky.social
Councillor Becky Kent is removing her motion from the agenda.
davidwtrueman.bsky.social David Trueman @davidwtrueman.bsky.social · 14d
My letter to councillors on behalf of Halifax Cycling Coalition. I’ll leave it to @sflkirk.bsky.social to post her email which I reference.
October 28, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Reposted by David Trueman
benmacleod.bsky.social
Oh The Urbanity: "Show me a city with a legally protected mansion district near downtown and I'll show you a city that hasn't really taken the housing crisis seriously."

Halifax:
An aerial view of Halifax overlaid with colour blocks and text. It focuses on the South End, noting that the zoning for the area is "Established Residential" and that residents "successfully lobbied the city to neuter a limited upzoning proposal in 2024. Traffic suffers because we prevent students and health-care workers from living in the most walkable part of the city, forcing them to commute. The prevailing zoning does not preserve 'neighbourhood character' because old homes are being redeveloped into mega-mansions on a significant scale anyway". The image highlights major employment centres flanking the South End, including Dalhousie University (6,000 staff, 21,000 students), Saint Mary's University (850 staff, 6,000 students), the IWK Health Centre (4,090 employees), and the QEII Health Sciences Centre (7,700 employees). The image also highlights the South End's proximity to Downtown Halifax.
May 30, 2025 at 5:49 PM
davidwtrueman.bsky.social
My letter to councillors on behalf of Halifax Cycling Coalition. I’ll leave it to @sflkirk.bsky.social to post her email which I reference.
Dear Mayor and Councillors, I will not repeat Sara Kirk's excellent summary (below) of the compelling evidence against targeting people who cycle and others who choose low-environmental-impact means to get around HRM with licensing and insurance requirements. Councillor Kent, in her motion, cites concerns about safety and enforcement. Safety should indeed be a compelling concern, given the presentation of The Road Safety Report 2025, presented by staff at the TSC last Thursday. But people on bicycles and micromobility devices are not the right target. The presentation made it clear that the carnage on our roads is horrendous and getting worse. 2025 will hit record numbers of fatalities and serious injuries (by a wide margin)! This is all over the news e.g. CBC, Saltwire, and Global. Who is public enemy number one? Aggressive drivers! If the real concern is safety, then this is (continued) Who is public enemy number one? Aggressive drivers! If the real concern is safety, then this is where efforts should be focussed. In data provided by HRP (and elicited by persistence of Councillor Morse), enforcement on our streets is about half of what it was in 2018. No wonder aggressive drivers, distracted drivers, and speeders are increasingly wreaking carnage on our streets. This should be your focus. I'll close by reminding you that every person riding a bicycle is: - one less car on the road, thus reducing congestion, pollution, noise and greenhouse gas emissions - one less multi-ton vehicle moving at speed, imperilling all road users - one person reducing pressure on our health system (40% reduction in chronic disease risk) - one everyday person just trying to move around our city Respectfully submitted, David Trueman Co-Chair, Halifax Cycling Coalition https://cyclehalifax.ca
October 27, 2025 at 7:34 PM
Reposted by David Trueman
bikehfxlobby.bsky.social
I’m very tired of sending emails like this, so it wasn’t my most coherent, but I felt I had to tell council not to fucking do a staff report on licensing ebikes & escooters. If you want to, too, you can easily email all of them here: hfx.bike/email-council/
Email says: Dear councillors, I'm writing to urge you to reject the misguided motion being brought to council this week by Councillor Kent. We do not need a staff report on licensing and insuring micromobility users. Bike licensing has been studied ad nauseum and is so wrongheaded that the City of Toronto itself maintains a page about why it is a bad idea. You might try to argue that electric-assisted devices are somehow different and I beg you to see that they really aren't, not in the way that Councillor Kent tries to state in her motion. A road cyclist can easily surpass the speed of an ebike. The speed argument is a red herring. It's a distraction from the true issue, which is safety. The main reason there is any concern about speed or conflict between road users is because Halifax has been dragging its feet on building safe, protected infrastructure that would adequately separate different types of users. The only way to improve safety is to build the infrastructure. Email continues: The way ebikes are different is that they enable people to do so much more by bike. I encourage you to look at daycare drop offs on the peninsula and see the many parents now using electric cargo bikes to transport their kids. Personally, I use my ebike as a mobility aid. I live with debilitating arthritis and my ebike has allowed me to delay joint replacement surgery, and to achieve many activities of daily living that I would otherwise forgo. I'm not alone in this. So, yes, if you try to bring in a policy that would distinguish between bikes and ebikes, you'd be discriminating against a lot of disabled people. And, no, I don't want some special provision for disabled people. I want you to see reason and to be evidence-based decision makers. The city has goals around climate change, active transportation and road safety that would all be threatened by doing anything that makes it even more difficult for people to choose ebikes and escooters. You should be doing everything in your power to facilitate adoption of these devices. To waste public money on another staff report that tells you what a bad idea this is would be a fool's errand.
October 26, 2025 at 7:14 PM