Cassie Smith (she/her)
LightNews LightNews
banner
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Cassie Smith (she/her)
@cassiesmith.bsky.social
4.4K followers 1.4K following 1.3K posts
Feminist geographer and cargo bike mom.

Volunteer: Bike Ottawa VP, For Our Kids, Kidical Mass championing safe, sustainable, fun, and equitable spaces especially for kids.

Work: Transportation strategy and solutions with EnviroCentre. Views my own.
Posts Replies Media Videos
cassiesmith.bsky.social
We could make this happen again!
A photo of an Urban Arrow e-cargo bike parked on Wellington St in front of Parliament Hill in Ottawa. A teeny pink helmet is barely visible inside the bucket.
November 7, 2025 at 2:13 AM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
I'm at the #CUTA2025 conference in Montreal this week. Great presentation by @jedwinmok.com and @chittimarco.bsky.social about escalating transit costs in Canada. What do the countries with highest costs have in common? English is their primary language.
A screen in a conference room with a graph reads THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING WORLD Capital Cost Distribution in the Anglosphere Every country with a transit project over $1B/km speaks English as its primary language.
November 3, 2025 at 3:31 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Full bike parking at the library on November 1st. #OttBike
6 bikes parked on racks that have single side access
November 1, 2025 at 3:34 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
You can start out with mittens, but if your hands get cold easily pogies are a really great way to go. I usually have light gloves on inside them too.

And it's why I have so few winter cycling pictures. My hands and my phone don't like the cold either. Not worth documenting it, but still biking!
Cassie very frost covered with a helmet, goggles, winter coat, safety vest. A picture of the Urban Arrow cargo bike with sheepskin on the kids seat and a kid in a snowsuit buckled in. Handlebars have big pogie mitts on them. The group has light snow.
October 28, 2025 at 3:36 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
It doesn't have to be all or nothing. Just give it a try.

I am not someone who enjoys being cold - but cycling is often my warmest option especially when you generate body heat. It's better than waiting for a bus or even for my car to warm up! I truly never expected that.
Cassie wearing a coat, scarf, hat, sunglasses, and helmet on her bike at a lightly snow covered intersection.
October 28, 2025 at 3:30 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Thanks to @marvinmacaraig.ca for joining us @bikeottawa.bsky.social's AGM today. Lots of practical ideas and insights for building bike culture in suburban communities.

Some of this work is available online if you are interested, but couldn't join us: www.scarboroughcycles.ca/research/

#OttBike
Marvin and Cassie take a selfie in front of the Bike Ottawa trailer. Marvin stands at a podium on a small stage with a screen behind with a photo of people biking and the title "why suburbs"
October 27, 2025 at 1:23 AM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
I just received a package delivered by FedEx cargo bike and yesterday spotted this small city garbage truck.

Safer, greener fleets on Ottawa's streets!
A small garbage truck passes a car on a street on a cloudy grey day
October 24, 2025 at 5:20 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Ok Naledi is bringing it to Bayview Station! @octranspo.com
October 23, 2025 at 7:34 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
A train ride to Montreal would be lower emission and could be just as effective 😉.
Three people on bikes in a wide bike lane. A flexstake wayfinding sign says REV MTL with a left arrow A group of people biking on shared public space at McGill
October 18, 2025 at 2:09 AM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Very cool to see a @ridecargob.bsky.social on the streets of Montreal for the NABSA Conference. We heard about that system plus the Evolve cargo bike pilot in BC and BIXI trailer in Montreal. And the panel is moderated by an @envirocentre.bsky.social colleague.

The future of bikeshare is here 💗
An Urban Arrow bakfiets cargo bike with yellow branding that says CargoB and ride me 4 people sit on armchairs on a stage.
October 17, 2025 at 1:12 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Mayor Plante at the NABSA Conference this morning: More than 50,000 students in Montreal benefit from recent school zone safety improvements. What a great measure to talk about these projects!
Mayor Valerie Plante, a woman with dark hair, speaks at a podium with a Bixi bike behind her. Several people are sitting at tables in front of her. A street with an extended curb bioswale to majorly reduce road space. A crosswalk and scoop sign in the distance.
October 16, 2025 at 1:17 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Scoping out the BIXI trailer at the Via Rail station. I'll be back soon with some luggage 👀. Could be fun and practical!
A line of BIXI bikes at a station. The BIXI trailer is first. The view into the bixi trailer
October 13, 2025 at 11:21 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
New lead photo contender - Lego! A main reason for our trip was to come see The Art of the Brick.
A floating dress with pieces and a picture behind made out of Lego A t-rex Skelton made out of Lego A Frida Kahlo self portrait made of Lego in 3D The Mona Lisa in Lego
October 12, 2025 at 3:16 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
In Montreal with my family for the weekend. Will I take more photos of my kids or infrastructure 😂?
A corner with two bioswales A other bioswale An intersection with a traffic garden and reclaimed nature play space Another view of the traffic garden for kids
October 11, 2025 at 7:54 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Bike advocacy can look like:
- meeting politicians and celebrating cycling on Parliament Hill
- going to a rally for safe streets
- biking your kids to school
- biking to work

And sometimes you can do all of them in only 12 hours (🥱)

#OttBike #BikeDayOnTheHill #SafeStreets #BikeBus
The view over handlebars of an orange bike in a green painted left turn bike box A group of people wearing helmets listen to someone in a black jacket and pink hat speaking on a street corner. A group of people including kids wearing backpacks waiting to turn left Cassie, a white woman with bangs, smiles in a selfie with the Peace Tower behind her
October 9, 2025 at 12:58 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Today's #WeekWithoutDriving:

- walk with kids to the small local grocer 💗
- bike to do a few errands
- about to get picked up in a vehicle for a night away at a cottage with friends for a 40th birthday party 🎉. There's 6 adults carpooling and could include involuntary nondrivers. But... 1/2
A tiny grocery store. There's only three aisles. A woman with a white coat is standing at the cash register and a man is preparing to pay. Another customer is behind him looking at shelves.
October 4, 2025 at 4:21 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
100% of people under age 16 are nondrivers. They live in every community and they deserve to be able to get around as much as anybody else.

My only #WeekWithoutDriving trip today was the #DevonshireBikeBus. 1/3
Cassie takes a selfie on her bike wearing sunnies, a purple helmet, and a safety vest. She is riding on a multi-use path that has construction scaffolding around it. A number of kids and adults on bike are behind her
October 3, 2025 at 11:44 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
A lot of biking in today's edition of #WeekWithoutDriving

- walk kids to school
- bike to library, hair salon, & co-working space downtown
- bike to a group ride checking out new infrastructure
- stop for groceries (and sunset) on the bike home

My bike gives me flexibility.
A group of people bike on a path with jersey barriers on one side and a gravel lot on the other. A grocery store is on the left side. Two long tail cargo bikes and a regular bike at a rack outside of Farm Boy grocery store The sun setting over the Ottawa River.
October 3, 2025 at 1:05 AM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
UOSU and CUSA are hosting a 'can you beat the bus' run next week.

They also want to hear from students about their transit experiences: linktr.ee/seuo_uosu?fb...
An Instagram post from seuo-uosu and 3 others. It has a picture of a train and text that says: PEUX-TU BATTRE L'AUTOBUS ? 1/2 CAN YOU BEAT THE BUS? 9 OCTOBRE À 17 h OCTOBER 9 AT 5:00PM UOTTAWA 7KM MARCHER OU COURIR 4KM WALK OR RUN CARLETON 7KM Another instagram screenshot. This one has an illustration of a traffic jam and people waiting (I think? Hard to tell). The text says: DIS-NOUS TES EXPÉRIENCES DE TRANSPORT EN COMMUN LET US KNOW YOUR TRANSIT EXPERIENCES NOUS PRÉPARONS UN RAPPORT SUR LE SYSTÈME DE TRANSPORT EN COMMUN D'OTTAWA AFIN DE NOUS ASSURER QUE LA VILLE ENTENDE VOTRE VOIX. WE ARE CREATING A REPORT ON OTTAWA'S TRANSIT SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THE CITY HEARS YOUR VOICE CARLETON TRANSIT W
October 2, 2025 at 3:36 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
90% of the route to the appt was on 'good for anyone' infrastructure but that last 3% sucked. And that's what most people see and what makes destinations like this seem not bikeable.

Plus this ridiculous bike parking 🙃.

2/3
A screenshot of an app that shows a map on the background, a column on the left that's mostly green and a bit of some other colours. A legend is shown over the map. It says: What's this route like? 90% in a green box Good for anyone You'll ride with few or no cars 2% in a blue box Good for most cyclists You'll ride in lighter car traffic 4% in a yellow box Good for confident cyclists You'll ride in more car traffic", 1% in a purple box Good for strong cyclists You'll ride in heavier car traffic 3% in a red box Pedestrian space You may need to dismount here Bike parking at a strip mall plaza. It's a wheelbender rack tucked between two pieces of cement making it nearly useless. A bike is locked to it. My Tern GSD longtail cargo bike is stopped alongside while I decided what to do. Stores are on the right and a paid parking sign is on the left.
October 2, 2025 at 1:10 AM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Busier #WeekWithoutDriving Day 3

- walked kids to school
- biked to a mid-day medical appointment. More on that to follow...
- biked to pick kids up from after-school care (it's further away than school and they are muffins at the end of the day).

1/2
Cassie a white woman with brown hair takes a selfie. She is wearing sunglasses, a sweatshirt, a purple helmet and light knit hat. Behind her is a lot of pavement at a very large intersection where two lanes of SUVs are turning left.
October 2, 2025 at 1:10 AM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Day 2 #WeekWithoutDriving

- walk kids to school
- bike to a meeting and impromptu shopping trip (thanks bungee cord for helping me get 8's new running shoes home).
- walk to swimming lessons
The view of a bike from the back with a shoe box bungeed on the rear rack. It's leaned against a bike parking post. Behind that are brick sidewalks, a bunch of parked cars, speed limit 40km sign, people walking and small local shops.
October 1, 2025 at 12:49 AM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Today is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. In 2017 I helped host a talk by Ry Moran, Director of the NCTR and he brought these small books with the 94 Calls To Action. I've read it at least once a year since. Today on the Chief William Commanda Bridge 1/2
In Cassie's white fingers is a small book (2x3") with an orange cover that says Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action. I'm the background are bushes and a skyline including the Peace Tower at Parliament Hill An old rail bridge with a pathway on it. People in the distance are walking and biking. The water is blue behind with a lot of green trees.
September 30, 2025 at 8:31 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Oldest turned 8 this week and was gifted this cool Lego Tour bus. It came with wide doors and a spot for a stroller (or wheelchair). His custom additions were a toilet, a more comprehensive driver seat, and a bicycle rack that even fits a cargo bike!

He wanted me to share with my 🚲🚉🚌 friends.
A picture of the Lego creation as described. A kid wearing an orange shirt is behind with a big emoji smile face on top.
September 28, 2025 at 1:33 PM
cassiesmith.bsky.social
Speed kills. The most important thing officials can do quickly is reduce the speed vehicles are travelling. If you don't want to pay, follow the rules - side benefit of not killing someone!

Write to your MPP and demand Ford reverse course on speed safety cameras.
An illustration shows the chance of survival for people walking if hit by a vehicles travelling at different speeds. 30km/hr 90% survive, 40km/hr, 70%, 50km/hr 15%, 60km/hr 5%. It also shows the reaction distance and breaking distance for the speeds.
September 27, 2025 at 8:22 PM