Neil Barratt
@neilbarratt.bsky.social
I bike, I cook, I clean up after my kids. I’d like a better Ottawa
Reposted by Neil Barratt
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.
Property taxes have not and will not be able to provide long-term support for these types of developments. We have decades of evidence.
October 15, 2025 at 9:42 PM
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.
Property taxes have not and will not be able to provide long-term support for these types of developments. We have decades of evidence.
Reposted by Neil Barratt
PSA: People on bikes aren’t swerving to annoy drivers, they’re just trying not to die or destroy their mode of transportation.
This is generally what the bike portion looks like of our “shared” roads. Glorious.
This is generally what the bike portion looks like of our “shared” roads. Glorious.
October 11, 2025 at 5:21 PM
PSA: People on bikes aren’t swerving to annoy drivers, they’re just trying not to die or destroy their mode of transportation.
This is generally what the bike portion looks like of our “shared” roads. Glorious.
This is generally what the bike portion looks like of our “shared” roads. Glorious.
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Premium: The AI Bubble's promises are impossible. NVIDIA's customers are running out of money, GPUs die in 3-5 years, most 1GW data centers will never get built, and OpenAI's Abilene data center doesn't won't have the power it needs before 2028 - if it ever does.
www.wheresyoured.at/the-ai-bubbl...
www.wheresyoured.at/the-ai-bubbl...
The AI Bubble's Impossible Promises
Readers: I’ve done a very generous “free” portion of this newsletter, but I do recommend paying for premium to get the in-depth analysis underpinning the intro. That being said, I want as many people ...
www.wheresyoured.at
October 10, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Premium: The AI Bubble's promises are impossible. NVIDIA's customers are running out of money, GPUs die in 3-5 years, most 1GW data centers will never get built, and OpenAI's Abilene data center doesn't won't have the power it needs before 2028 - if it ever does.
www.wheresyoured.at/the-ai-bubbl...
www.wheresyoured.at/the-ai-bubbl...
Reposted by Neil Barratt
This is a vital conversation that City of Ottawa needs to have with residents. Through density and property valuation, we see massive discrepancies in tax revenue/hectare across the city. Organizations like @strongtownsottawa.bsky.social make this clear. But there are other discrepancies, too! 1/
Part of Kent Street is up for renewal, and the City of Ottawa is refusing to bury the power lines, saying it’s too expensive.
Just Kent Street brings in as much property taxes as the entire West Carleton-March Ward.
Our city needs to do a better job of rewarding financially productive communities.
Just Kent Street brings in as much property taxes as the entire West Carleton-March Ward.
Our city needs to do a better job of rewarding financially productive communities.
June 21, 2025 at 1:56 PM
This is a vital conversation that City of Ottawa needs to have with residents. Through density and property valuation, we see massive discrepancies in tax revenue/hectare across the city. Organizations like @strongtownsottawa.bsky.social make this clear. But there are other discrepancies, too! 1/
Hey @ncc-ccn.bsky.social - any news on a reopening of the Ottawa River Pathway behind Parliament? #ottbike
June 12, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Hey @ncc-ccn.bsky.social - any news on a reopening of the Ottawa River Pathway behind Parliament? #ottbike
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Yep. We can no longer accept that the production of new plastic is a matter for the market to decide.
December 30, 2024 at 1:37 AM
Yep. We can no longer accept that the production of new plastic is a matter for the market to decide.
Reposted by Neil Barratt
OK – we need some answers here. A) if the problem is lack of mechanics – Amilcar should say so. B) if the problem is that the buses are just too damn old, well that’s not going to get fixed in 2 weeks. So WHAT is the plan? www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Breakdowns causing more delays for Para Transpo users | CBC News
Para Transpo users are being warned to expect continuing delays over the holidays as the transit service grapples with a rash of breakdowns in its minibus fleet.
www.cbc.ca
December 19, 2024 at 11:49 PM
OK – we need some answers here. A) if the problem is lack of mechanics – Amilcar should say so. B) if the problem is that the buses are just too damn old, well that’s not going to get fixed in 2 weeks. So WHAT is the plan? www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Neil Barratt
This is the balance our city thinks is appropriate. It completely is not. We spend millions on cycling infrastructure and close it for half the year. What if we did this to roads? Shoukd we close Strandherd ($112m) from Dec-April? 1/ @brenttoderian.bsky.social ottawacitizen.com/news/carleto...
Rideau River bridge at Carleton University closed for winter — unexpectedly
Only opened in June, the bridge connecting Carleton University to Vincent Massey Park has been blocked off.
ottawacitizen.com
December 10, 2024 at 5:29 PM
This is the balance our city thinks is appropriate. It completely is not. We spend millions on cycling infrastructure and close it for half the year. What if we did this to roads? Shoukd we close Strandherd ($112m) from Dec-April? 1/ @brenttoderian.bsky.social ottawacitizen.com/news/carleto...
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Well said. Why does maintaining active infrastructure always require a fight in Ottawa? I’m soooo tired. #ottawalkers #ottbike
December 13, 2024 at 5:40 PM
Well said. Why does maintaining active infrastructure always require a fight in Ottawa? I’m soooo tired. #ottawalkers #ottbike
Reposted by Neil Barratt
“Reconsider this word ‘balance.’ Let’s say, for argument’s sake, your goal is balance. Picture a 100-yard dash where you’ve given the car a 90-yard head start. Even if your goal is balance, by definition u have to prioritize the other modes even to just catch up.” — Still key in @usa.streetsblog.org
Brent Toderian: Don’t “Balance” Modes — Prioritize Walking, Biking, and Transit
“I’m capable of saying some pretty harsh things — I’m very un-Canadian that way. But most of the time, I would say that if a city hires me, it’s because they know that the s…
denver.streetsblog.org
December 9, 2024 at 4:56 AM
“Reconsider this word ‘balance.’ Let’s say, for argument’s sake, your goal is balance. Picture a 100-yard dash where you’ve given the car a 90-yard head start. Even if your goal is balance, by definition u have to prioritize the other modes even to just catch up.” — Still key in @usa.streetsblog.org
Hi @glengower.bsky.social today was the second day this week that I walked from Queen St to Lansdowne without a single bus passing me. Does this service justify a fair increase? @occtranspo.bsky.social @otttransitriders.bsky.social @arieltroster.bsky.social @shawnmenard.bsky.social
December 5, 2024 at 10:53 PM
Hi @glengower.bsky.social today was the second day this week that I walked from Queen St to Lansdowne without a single bus passing me. Does this service justify a fair increase? @occtranspo.bsky.social @otttransitriders.bsky.social @arieltroster.bsky.social @shawnmenard.bsky.social
Reposted by Neil Barratt
A quick reminder, bad transit costs money too. I'm hoping that voters will take note of which councillors are advocating for better transit, and which are voting for status quo (transit death spiral). ottawa.ctvnews.ca/dude-where-s...
'Dude, Where's My Bus?' Ottawa man fed up with OC Transpo makes documentary exploring transit troubles
Gio Petti put together a documentary on OC Transpo, asking how we got here. How did a city that was once lauded as an example of how to do transit right, and that boasted some of the highest per capit...
ottawa.ctvnews.ca
November 29, 2024 at 12:22 PM
A quick reminder, bad transit costs money too. I'm hoping that voters will take note of which councillors are advocating for better transit, and which are voting for status quo (transit death spiral). ottawa.ctvnews.ca/dude-where-s...
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Riding south on Trillium pathway, and the way you know you're almost at Dow's Lake, is an ugly concrete behemoth appears before you. Just breath-taking (ly terrible).
#Autowa
#Autowa
If you haven’t been to Dow’s Lake in #Ottawa for a while. How it started and how it is going on this prime lakefront property.
November 29, 2024 at 12:24 AM
Riding south on Trillium pathway, and the way you know you're almost at Dow's Lake, is an ugly concrete behemoth appears before you. Just breath-taking (ly terrible).
#Autowa
#Autowa
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Years ago we had the mayor bike to school with my 6 year old, within the first :30 seconds they were almost hit by a driver on live TV.
Every leader should be required to ride a bike (if able) with a 6 year old before they provide any direction on bike infrastructure.
Every leader should be required to ride a bike (if able) with a 6 year old before they provide any direction on bike infrastructure.
November 28, 2024 at 1:04 PM
Years ago we had the mayor bike to school with my 6 year old, within the first :30 seconds they were almost hit by a driver on live TV.
Every leader should be required to ride a bike (if able) with a 6 year old before they provide any direction on bike infrastructure.
Every leader should be required to ride a bike (if able) with a 6 year old before they provide any direction on bike infrastructure.
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Soaring development taxes punish new renters and buyers, while benefiting existing homeowners as free riders. They must be eliminated, in favour of progressive property wealth taxes and/or conditional transfers from provinces and feds. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...
Globe editorial: The true cost of soaring development charges on new homes
Ontario cities need to wean themselves from the habit of hiking fees on new builds in order to subsidize low property tax rates for current residents
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 28, 2024 at 1:14 PM
Soaring development taxes punish new renters and buyers, while benefiting existing homeowners as free riders. They must be eliminated, in favour of progressive property wealth taxes and/or conditional transfers from provinces and feds. www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/edit...
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Our parents and grandparents didn't gradually set aside the tax dollars to eventually maintain the assets they built, so we borrow to do it. Politicians are short-term planners and it's always easy to defer setting money aside for maintenance and replacement to keep taxes low.
Opinion - The true cost of soaring development charges on new homes: Ontario cities need to wean themselves from the habit of hiking fees on new builds in order to subsidize low property tax rates for current residents
The true cost of soaring development charges on new homes
Ontario cities need to wean themselves from the habit of hiking fees on new builds in order to subsidize low property tax rates for current residents
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 28, 2024 at 12:15 PM
Our parents and grandparents didn't gradually set aside the tax dollars to eventually maintain the assets they built, so we borrow to do it. Politicians are short-term planners and it's always easy to defer setting money aside for maintenance and replacement to keep taxes low.
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Our leaders fight us for every square inch of bike lane but everywhere you look you can find millions in taxpayer dollars wasted on car travel, the most expensive, inefficient and dangerous form of travel in cities.
November 26, 2024 at 1:43 AM
Our leaders fight us for every square inch of bike lane but everywhere you look you can find millions in taxpayer dollars wasted on car travel, the most expensive, inefficient and dangerous form of travel in cities.
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Ottawa's climate targets rely on 20-30% of all trips in the city to be taken on OC Transpo. Currently it's 8.5%. How do they plan to get there? I'd recommend nurturing young riders - something I spoke about at transit commission today and wrote about here: www.envirocentre.ca/the-future-o...
The future of transit IS kids on the bus - EnviroCentre
The things we learn when we are young stick with us. Can you still remember your childhood phone number and […]
www.envirocentre.ca
November 25, 2024 at 10:31 PM
Ottawa's climate targets rely on 20-30% of all trips in the city to be taken on OC Transpo. Currently it's 8.5%. How do they plan to get there? I'd recommend nurturing young riders - something I spoke about at transit commission today and wrote about here: www.envirocentre.ca/the-future-o...
@octranspo.bsky.social I took the bus to work this morning. The GPS said that two #6 busses were 0 minutes away, and a 7 was eight minutes. But there were no 6s in sight, and a 7 pulled up 3 minutes later. When will the GPS actually work? Who can use a system like this?
November 26, 2024 at 5:50 PM
@octranspo.bsky.social I took the bus to work this morning. The GPS said that two #6 busses were 0 minutes away, and a 7 was eight minutes. But there were no 6s in sight, and a 7 pulled up 3 minutes later. When will the GPS actually work? Who can use a system like this?
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Important 🧵
It’s easy to come up with a budget if you have a magic $36 million floating in the air that some fairy godmother will deliver. But that’s not how reality works. We need to budget conservatively and assume this money isn’t there. Budget in the public interest; we know the solutions 1/
No one has publically asked how the $36 M other governments should fund number was decided. It clearly hasn't moved ahead to a firm commitment yet.
November 25, 2024 at 10:38 PM
Important 🧵
Reposted by Neil Barratt
… to spend half $1 billion subsidizing, private sports teams and franchises? Who has the courage to lead in the public interest and move a budget for people, core services, tourism, reputation, and the sort of city we aspire to be. Who’s willing to lead?
November 25, 2024 at 10:30 PM
… to spend half $1 billion subsidizing, private sports teams and franchises? Who has the courage to lead in the public interest and move a budget for people, core services, tourism, reputation, and the sort of city we aspire to be. Who’s willing to lead?
Reposted by Neil Barratt
Who has the courage to move that to Tewin should be scrapped so that we don’t embed a $600 million initial Cost to permanently subsidize sprawl that we will never be able to afford? Who has the courage to move that Lansdowne 2.0 should be paused until we can actually afford… 3/
November 25, 2024 at 10:30 PM
Who has the courage to move that to Tewin should be scrapped so that we don’t embed a $600 million initial Cost to permanently subsidize sprawl that we will never be able to afford? Who has the courage to move that Lansdowne 2.0 should be paused until we can actually afford… 3/
