@klasko.bsky.social
Victorian problems require victorian solutions
December 7, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Victorian problems require victorian solutions
Honestly, not the worst idea. Each train would be proceeded by a sacrificial ram.
Finally, a productive use for the emotional support truck.
Finally, a productive use for the emotional support truck.
December 7, 2025 at 4:40 PM
Honestly, not the worst idea. Each train would be proceeded by a sacrificial ram.
Finally, a productive use for the emotional support truck.
Finally, a productive use for the emotional support truck.
My first thought is that this is to allow cars to get used to interacting with the trains, but they've been doing that for a while through testing.
I hope for an incremental speed ramp-up as the TTC becomes more familiar with operating the new line.
I hope for an incremental speed ramp-up as the TTC becomes more familiar with operating the new line.
December 7, 2025 at 4:21 PM
My first thought is that this is to allow cars to get used to interacting with the trains, but they've been doing that for a while through testing.
I hope for an incremental speed ramp-up as the TTC becomes more familiar with operating the new line.
I hope for an incremental speed ramp-up as the TTC becomes more familiar with operating the new line.
The children yearn for the lines
December 7, 2025 at 4:17 PM
The children yearn for the lines
And the Grinch's transport network grew one line larger that day
December 7, 2025 at 4:03 PM
And the Grinch's transport network grew one line larger that day
The politicians can't really be trusted to strip themselves of power or advantage. See: national electoral reform debacle from a decade or more ago.
I agree it should be done, I'm interested to hear plausible pathways to relying less on "personal touch" politics to get positive change enacted.
I agree it should be done, I'm interested to hear plausible pathways to relying less on "personal touch" politics to get positive change enacted.
December 7, 2025 at 4:01 PM
The politicians can't really be trusted to strip themselves of power or advantage. See: national electoral reform debacle from a decade or more ago.
I agree it should be done, I'm interested to hear plausible pathways to relying less on "personal touch" politics to get positive change enacted.
I agree it should be done, I'm interested to hear plausible pathways to relying less on "personal touch" politics to get positive change enacted.
The city is reticent to remove stops, as someone mentioned councillors have a veto to stop removal.
The TTC should be empowered to trial removal of some stops for a month or so, long enough to gather meaningful data & feedback about the impact. Experimentation is necessary or stasis is guaranteed.
The TTC should be empowered to trial removal of some stops for a month or so, long enough to gather meaningful data & feedback about the impact. Experimentation is necessary or stasis is guaranteed.
December 7, 2025 at 4:58 AM
The city is reticent to remove stops, as someone mentioned councillors have a veto to stop removal.
The TTC should be empowered to trial removal of some stops for a month or so, long enough to gather meaningful data & feedback about the impact. Experimentation is necessary or stasis is guaranteed.
The TTC should be empowered to trial removal of some stops for a month or so, long enough to gather meaningful data & feedback about the impact. Experimentation is necessary or stasis is guaranteed.
The design reviews will continue until m̶o̶r̶a̶l̶e̶ aesthetics improve.
November 26, 2025 at 1:48 AM
The design reviews will continue until m̶o̶r̶a̶l̶e̶ aesthetics improve.
The contrast reminds me of writing around Rob Ford's election, possibly including your own. It is a regular theme in Toronto city politics I think.
November 25, 2025 at 8:37 PM
The contrast reminds me of writing around Rob Ford's election, possibly including your own. It is a regular theme in Toronto city politics I think.
A politician focusing on giving taxpayers a good "deal" frames politics in a very transactional & zero sum fashion. Citizens "understand that they are important participants in and responsible for the democratic governance of their society" (Edmund Pries)
November 25, 2025 at 8:36 PM
A politician focusing on giving taxpayers a good "deal" frames politics in a very transactional & zero sum fashion. Citizens "understand that they are important participants in and responsible for the democratic governance of their society" (Edmund Pries)
Or perhaps more accurately, it's easier to put together a team to run than to maintain a marketable facade over time. Eventually actual opinions become clear in who someone aligns with as an incumbent.
Moving into lower energy states over time to minimize work or friction.
Moving into lower energy states over time to minimize work or friction.
November 25, 2025 at 7:58 PM
Or perhaps more accurately, it's easier to put together a team to run than to maintain a marketable facade over time. Eventually actual opinions become clear in who someone aligns with as an incumbent.
Moving into lower energy states over time to minimize work or friction.
Moving into lower energy states over time to minimize work or friction.
Refunds can be found in the secret tunnels under the 401.
November 25, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Refunds can be found in the secret tunnels under the 401.
The difference between following the money you need to campaign vs having actual principles guiding who you affiliate with.
November 25, 2025 at 7:06 PM
The difference between following the money you need to campaign vs having actual principles guiding who you affiliate with.
An example of a slow program plan:
If capacity is consistently underused in an area, convert regularly spaced spots along commercial strips to commercial loading only. Still underused? Convert spaced spots to bike parking.
Unmissed occasionally used spots can become valuable public features.
If capacity is consistently underused in an area, convert regularly spaced spots along commercial strips to commercial loading only. Still underused? Convert spaced spots to bike parking.
Unmissed occasionally used spots can become valuable public features.
November 24, 2025 at 5:13 PM
An example of a slow program plan:
If capacity is consistently underused in an area, convert regularly spaced spots along commercial strips to commercial loading only. Still underused? Convert spaced spots to bike parking.
Unmissed occasionally used spots can become valuable public features.
If capacity is consistently underused in an area, convert regularly spaced spots along commercial strips to commercial loading only. Still underused? Convert spaced spots to bike parking.
Unmissed occasionally used spots can become valuable public features.
If done as one big political sweep, agreed.
But if done slowly by city staff it could be seen as a positive. But both politicians and activists bias towards big gestures of symbolic action, like ribbon cuttings and bans.
But if done slowly by city staff it could be seen as a positive. But both politicians and activists bias towards big gestures of symbolic action, like ribbon cuttings and bans.
November 24, 2025 at 5:09 PM
If done as one big political sweep, agreed.
But if done slowly by city staff it could be seen as a positive. But both politicians and activists bias towards big gestures of symbolic action, like ribbon cuttings and bans.
But if done slowly by city staff it could be seen as a positive. But both politicians and activists bias towards big gestures of symbolic action, like ribbon cuttings and bans.
Seems like this could be an easy plank for a provincial NDP platform?
November 24, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Seems like this could be an easy plank for a provincial NDP platform?
They are beautiful! Even though they are not robust to all conditions, it would be great to have permeable gutter areas more places to reduce storm drain volumes.
I'm curious to see the city's research on how much this reduces infiltration, as they can become clogged with time.
I'm curious to see the city's research on how much this reduces infiltration, as they can become clogged with time.
November 23, 2025 at 2:39 PM
They are beautiful! Even though they are not robust to all conditions, it would be great to have permeable gutter areas more places to reduce storm drain volumes.
I'm curious to see the city's research on how much this reduces infiltration, as they can become clogged with time.
I'm curious to see the city's research on how much this reduces infiltration, as they can become clogged with time.
But breaking that momentum means Toronto stopped pre-zoning areas for growth, which IMO is a shame. Even zoning areas surrounding apartment neighbourhoods to intermediate density would have broken the tall vs sprawl rut Toronto has been in since then.
November 23, 2025 at 4:14 AM
But breaking that momentum means Toronto stopped pre-zoning areas for growth, which IMO is a shame. Even zoning areas surrounding apartment neighbourhoods to intermediate density would have broken the tall vs sprawl rut Toronto has been in since then.
A lot of that growth was in newly designated apartment neighbourhoods. Toronto didn't really prezone new areas for growth after this, at least in the few places I've looked into in greater detail.
In part this made sense with demand moving to the burbs, easing pressure for growth around downtown.
In part this made sense with demand moving to the burbs, easing pressure for growth around downtown.
November 23, 2025 at 4:11 AM
A lot of that growth was in newly designated apartment neighbourhoods. Toronto didn't really prezone new areas for growth after this, at least in the few places I've looked into in greater detail.
In part this made sense with demand moving to the burbs, easing pressure for growth around downtown.
In part this made sense with demand moving to the burbs, easing pressure for growth around downtown.
I don't get the impression that Toronto politicians understand the financial reality of the city. If they did, we'd at least have serious proposals to raise property tax on the lowest density, highest service cost areas and built forms. Instead, taxes are higher on higher density residential forms.
November 22, 2025 at 6:54 PM
I don't get the impression that Toronto politicians understand the financial reality of the city. If they did, we'd at least have serious proposals to raise property tax on the lowest density, highest service cost areas and built forms. Instead, taxes are higher on higher density residential forms.
There are many who don't understand this. And perhaps even if they did they would still want to maximize how much is extracted from new housing to subsidize existing residents, or use fees to slow the rate of change, or all of the above.
November 22, 2025 at 5:31 PM
There are many who don't understand this. And perhaps even if they did they would still want to maximize how much is extracted from new housing to subsidize existing residents, or use fees to slow the rate of change, or all of the above.
Crombie and Sewell created great examples like Trefann Court and the mixed density of the St Lawrence neighbourhood.
Toronto's Reform movement made community consultation a key part of urban change. That has since been hijacked to prioritize ratepayers group's voices, a crippling bias.
Toronto's Reform movement made community consultation a key part of urban change. That has since been hijacked to prioritize ratepayers group's voices, a crippling bias.
November 22, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Crombie and Sewell created great examples like Trefann Court and the mixed density of the St Lawrence neighbourhood.
Toronto's Reform movement made community consultation a key part of urban change. That has since been hijacked to prioritize ratepayers group's voices, a crippling bias.
Toronto's Reform movement made community consultation a key part of urban change. That has since been hijacked to prioritize ratepayers group's voices, a crippling bias.
Good in the short term, while setting the stage for what came later.
Somewhat how Abundance argued that environmental reformers were not wrong for demanding we clear the sky of smog and stop the rivers from burning.
Consulting neighbourhoods rather then demoing them devolved into today's NIMBYism.
Somewhat how Abundance argued that environmental reformers were not wrong for demanding we clear the sky of smog and stop the rivers from burning.
Consulting neighbourhoods rather then demoing them devolved into today's NIMBYism.
November 22, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Good in the short term, while setting the stage for what came later.
Somewhat how Abundance argued that environmental reformers were not wrong for demanding we clear the sky of smog and stop the rivers from burning.
Consulting neighbourhoods rather then demoing them devolved into today's NIMBYism.
Somewhat how Abundance argued that environmental reformers were not wrong for demanding we clear the sky of smog and stop the rivers from burning.
Consulting neighbourhoods rather then demoing them devolved into today's NIMBYism.
Somewhat. There was backlash to the prior great changes like the expropriation and creation of St James Town.
The political reaction to this drastic style of change was to almost freeze out change to neighbourhoods entirely.
The political reaction to this drastic style of change was to almost freeze out change to neighbourhoods entirely.
November 22, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Somewhat. There was backlash to the prior great changes like the expropriation and creation of St James Town.
The political reaction to this drastic style of change was to almost freeze out change to neighbourhoods entirely.
The political reaction to this drastic style of change was to almost freeze out change to neighbourhoods entirely.