Author | Lightnews

Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 1d

Thanks for sharing, will have to go through the list

Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 2d

Hard to use sale price without massively punishing new buyers. Someone who bought 50 years ago would be receiving a huge discount.

Prop 13 in California has done that and to my limited knowledge it's been disastrous.

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 4d

I agree!

bsky.app/profile/derr...

Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Jun 3

It looks like the next open house for for the Bank Street Transit Study won't be until Fall 2025, a full year after the original scheduled date.

Even seemingly easy things are taking forever to do in the City of Ottawa.

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

The Bank Street bus lanes delay proves the City of Ottawa can’t even do easy things

The Bank Street Transit Study is over a year behind schedule

open.substack.com

Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 4d

I'm not a fan of Lansdowne 2.0, but if it's going to happen, we should make it so as many people as possible can enjoy it

It makes sense both from a financial perspective and for maximizing the public good

Not making it easy to get to is shooting the project in the foot before it's even started

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 4d

The City bending over backwards to present Lansdowne 2.0 info with white gloves, make special financial exceptions, and then do absolutely nothing to meaningfully improve the transit and traffic situation on Bank Street is incredibly disappointing.

mayormarksutcliffe.bsky.social @mayormarksutcliffe.bsky.social · 4d

We’re moving Ottawa forward! Lansdowne 2.0 is a smart, responsible plan that invests in one of the city’s biggest attractions, while protecting taxpayers and reducing risk. This project will give us a better, more accessible Lansdowne, and new opportunities for events, sports, and public gatherings.

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Reposted by Derrick Simpson

Strong Towns Ottawa @strongtownsottawa.ca · 4d

Lansdowne 2.0 passes 15-10.

As a group dedicated to financial transparency and smart investments in community infrastructure, we had concerns around the reporting process and special financial treatment given to Lansdowne 2.0, as well as the lack of tangible transit improvements.

@alex-is.online

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Reposted by Derrick Simpson

Strong Towns Ottawa @strongtownsottawa.ca · 4d

What a wonderful turnout for our first ever monthly meeting, where we discussed preparing for the 2026 Budget, and how to give delegations!

Look forward to our upcoming monthly meetings to get involved if you couldn't attend this one! Thank you to St. Peter's Lutheran Church for the space! #Ottawa

Members discussing around tables at the 2025 October Monthly Meeting for Strong Towns Ottawa

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Reposted by Derrick Simpson

Marko @markomiljusevic.bsky.social · 4d

You would think the mayor was being ironic here when he says that we can't acquiesce to demands of wealthy sports owners, right before he says we need to be careful we don't lose the other wealthy sports owners in the same stadium 🤣🤣

#Ottawa #Lansdowne2.0

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Reposted by Derrick Simpson

David Reevely @davidreevely.bsky.social · 9d

The contempt the city has shown for this expensive and genuinely impressive piece of art it bought and proudly installed is just perfectly symbolic of how it treats both the public realm and its own investments.

ottawacitizen.com/news/artist-...

Artist fears Lansdowne installation may become '$2 million of scrap metal'

The final Lansdowne 2.0 report recommends decommissioning the art installation Moving Surfaces because there's no budget to restore it.

ottawacitizen.com

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Reposted by Derrick Simpson

Ariel Troster @arieltroster.com · 10d

I have been relatively quiet on here this week, because my office has been dealing with a barrage of email from people who attend a particular church, upset about the addition of paid parking on Saturdays nearby. BTW: there 525 free parking spots within the 400m zone (and 202 spots within 200m).

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 9d

As an occasional attendee of that church, it disappoints me to see the hate and criticism directed at you.

Thank you for speaking up for facts and data.

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 9d

Thank you!

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Reposted by Derrick Simpson

Ecology Ottawa @ecologyottawa.bsky.social · 10d

It was a joy to join @strongtownsottawa.ca for this month’s Urbanism Book Club and to honour @derricksimpson.bsky.social for his 2025 Eco Award for Active & Accessible Champion.

Congratulations, Derrick, and keep up the excellent work!

#Ottawa #EcoAward #Community #Environment

Photo of two people in a room with people in background. One is sporting a Blue Jays shirt and holding a certificate.

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Reposted by Derrick Simpson

Parking Reform Network @parkingreform.org · 18d

Turns out the real political spectrum is just how people feel about free parking 😂

Tag yourself!

A political compass chart titled "Parking Reform Political Compass." The horizontal axis is labeled "Pro-Free Parking" at the top and "Pro-Parking Reform" at the bottom. The vertical axis is labeled "right wing" on the right and "left wing" on the leftmost border. The chart is divided into a grid of 25 boxes, each featuring a persona and a humorous quote representing different viewpoints on parking policy. On the left side of the compass, personas range from "Free Parking Revolutionary" and "Anti-Capitalist Car-User" at the top left corner, to "Anarcho-Urbanist" and "YIMBY Keyboard Warrior" at the bottom right corner. On the right side, personas range from "Conspiracy Theorist" to "Freedom Loving Business Owner." In the middle are personas like "Burt-Out," with the quote: "We'll form a committee to study the committee that studied the parking reform study. The report will be due never." Overall, this political compass satirizes perspectives across the political spectrum, including left-wing, right-wing, centrist, libertarian, and niche cultural stances like "Anti-Gentrification Warrior" and "Data-Driven Dad."

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 22d

Is it regular procedure to have a press conference ahead of a report release?

If not, why the special treatment in this case?

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 22d

A bigger issue is they weren’t given the opportunity to review the report ahead of the press conference.

Can’t push back or questions things if you don’t have the relevant information

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 23d

Spoke with the Centretown Buzz about the (not so great) proposal for bus lanes on Bank Street, and the need to put people before parking.

centretownbuzz.ca/2025/10/be-b...

“Be bold!” Crowd asks city to improve bus lane proposal for Bank Street – Centretown BUZZ

centretownbuzz.ca

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · 24d

The musical acrobatics event in the Byward market last night was a great example of the potential of our neighbourhoods when we pedestrianize streets and prioritize people.

More space for people, more business, more fun.

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Reposted by Derrick Simpson

Strong Towns Ottawa @strongtownsottawa.ca · 27d

We heard from many groups today about the Tewin development. This is unfortunately going to be a development that further entrenches us into unsustainable sprawl.

Property taxes have not and will not be able to provide long-term support for these types of developments. We have decades of evidence.

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Reposted by Derrick Simpson

draglikepull @draglikepull.bsky.social · Oct 10

"Bettors lose billions of dollars a year on parlays ... and operators bring in far more revenue for every dollar wagered on these bets than they do straight bets. In most of the states that publish the relevant data, parlays account for between half and two-thirds of the operators’ revenue."

Americans can’t stop betting parlays. Sportsbooks are cashing in.

As betting booms, parlays are accounting for an increasing share of the money wagered on sports, according to a Washington Post analysis of state data.

wapo.st

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Derrick Simpson @derricksimpson.bsky.social · Oct 5

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 · Sep 30

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 · Sep 29

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 · Sep 26

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 · Sep 22

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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