Marcus P.
@reluctantaxe.bsky.social
Tabletop gaming enthusiast, urban planning & transit advocate, and Kamcon gaming convention organiser.
The only people that should be allowed to make the ostensibly binary technicall approval of permit and zoning compliance are municipal staff, not independent certified professionals. To do so would destroy local planning, at least according to the UMBC and the local land lift goblin
November 11, 2025 at 7:07 AM
The only people that should be allowed to make the ostensibly binary technicall approval of permit and zoning compliance are municipal staff, not independent certified professionals. To do so would destroy local planning, at least according to the UMBC and the local land lift goblin
Reposted by Marcus P.
The US political system is just baffling viewed from abroad. Utterly baffling.
November 10, 2025 at 12:03 AM
The US political system is just baffling viewed from abroad. Utterly baffling.
Reposted by Marcus P.
Reposted by Marcus P.
New post on inclusionary zoning, for my housing literature review.
IZ requires developers to provide subsidized homes in their new apartment buildings. Without providing compensation to developers, this unfunded IZ is just a tax on new housing.
1/
IZ requires developers to provide subsidized homes in their new apartment buildings. Without providing compensation to developers, this unfunded IZ is just a tax on new housing.
1/
November 3, 2025 at 8:03 PM
New post on inclusionary zoning, for my housing literature review.
IZ requires developers to provide subsidized homes in their new apartment buildings. Without providing compensation to developers, this unfunded IZ is just a tax on new housing.
1/
IZ requires developers to provide subsidized homes in their new apartment buildings. Without providing compensation to developers, this unfunded IZ is just a tax on new housing.
1/
The fact that this isn't considered a huge problem by the TTC and Toronto city council is pathetic.
The difference in the time it takes a streetcar in Amsterdam vs. Toronto to clear an intersection after servicing a nearside stop.
November 2, 2025 at 1:25 AM
The fact that this isn't considered a huge problem by the TTC and Toronto city council is pathetic.
Reposted by Marcus P.
The difference in the time it takes a streetcar in Amsterdam vs. Toronto to clear an intersection after servicing a nearside stop.
October 31, 2025 at 12:45 AM
Reposted by Marcus P.
Disappointing that this isn’t coming with bus stop consolidation. Every stop should have a shelter, but we should not have so many stops. Now we’re investing in some stops that shouldn’t exist, which will make it more difficult to remove them.
November 1, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Disappointing that this isn’t coming with bus stop consolidation. Every stop should have a shelter, but we should not have so many stops. Now we’re investing in some stops that shouldn’t exist, which will make it more difficult to remove them.
The purpose of transit is to actually move people around efficiently, and speed is part of that. Spending billions of dollars for a capacity increase and a bit more reliability should be a huge scandal. I'm so glad that Surrey ended up with the SkyTrain instead of LRT.
Went up to Finch Avenue, a long fear I have had is that the new light rail would be slower than the buses it replaced, and it seems like that may well be the case.
So many decision makers in Toronto are drivers that they don’t realize that people might take public transit because it’s fast
So many decision makers in Toronto are drivers that they don’t realize that people might take public transit because it’s fast
October 30, 2025 at 7:53 PM
The purpose of transit is to actually move people around efficiently, and speed is part of that. Spending billions of dollars for a capacity increase and a bit more reliability should be a huge scandal. I'm so glad that Surrey ended up with the SkyTrain instead of LRT.
Reposted by Marcus P.
Went up to Finch Avenue, a long fear I have had is that the new light rail would be slower than the buses it replaced, and it seems like that may well be the case.
So many decision makers in Toronto are drivers that they don’t realize that people might take public transit because it’s fast
So many decision makers in Toronto are drivers that they don’t realize that people might take public transit because it’s fast
October 30, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Went up to Finch Avenue, a long fear I have had is that the new light rail would be slower than the buses it replaced, and it seems like that may well be the case.
So many decision makers in Toronto are drivers that they don’t realize that people might take public transit because it’s fast
So many decision makers in Toronto are drivers that they don’t realize that people might take public transit because it’s fast
Reposted by Marcus P.
7pm on a sunday in vancouver.
just missed a train while going up the escalator. the next train is now, 2 min, and 5 min. i love being in this city 💜
just missed a train while going up the escalator. the next train is now, 2 min, and 5 min. i love being in this city 💜
October 13, 2025 at 2:02 AM
7pm on a sunday in vancouver.
just missed a train while going up the escalator. the next train is now, 2 min, and 5 min. i love being in this city 💜
just missed a train while going up the escalator. the next train is now, 2 min, and 5 min. i love being in this city 💜
Reposted by Marcus P.
A Redditor made a graph of the percent of population of US and Canada metro areas over 1 million that live in a given density. When they ordered them by average density the lowest ranked Canadian metro area, Edmonton, was ranked 14th between Miami and Washington. 6 of the top 15 were Canadian metros
October 11, 2025 at 11:24 PM
A Redditor made a graph of the percent of population of US and Canada metro areas over 1 million that live in a given density. When they ordered them by average density the lowest ranked Canadian metro area, Edmonton, was ranked 14th between Miami and Washington. 6 of the top 15 were Canadian metros
Spending elevated SkyTrain money to build a LRT that just improves capacity and maybe beats the old bus at rush hour travel is an achievement.
painful to see slow zones on the finch west LRT before it even opens. this portal has been speed limited to 10 km/h.
thanks to unplanned slow zones and weak, passive signal priority, trains are taking longer to complete trips, and gaps are wider.
multiple cases of 12-15 min waits on line 6 😒😒
thanks to unplanned slow zones and weak, passive signal priority, trains are taking longer to complete trips, and gaps are wider.
multiple cases of 12-15 min waits on line 6 😒😒
September 28, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Spending elevated SkyTrain money to build a LRT that just improves capacity and maybe beats the old bus at rush hour travel is an achievement.
Reposted by Marcus P.
Hi Internet! I'm Drew and THIS IS MY FACE.
If this GIF has ever brought you joy in the past, I humbly ask you to consider making a donation to the National MS Society. It would mean a lot to me and to those I know affected by the disease!
Donate at blinkingguy.com
If this GIF has ever brought you joy in the past, I humbly ask you to consider making a donation to the National MS Society. It would mean a lot to me and to those I know affected by the disease!
Donate at blinkingguy.com
September 26, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Hi Internet! I'm Drew and THIS IS MY FACE.
If this GIF has ever brought you joy in the past, I humbly ask you to consider making a donation to the National MS Society. It would mean a lot to me and to those I know affected by the disease!
Donate at blinkingguy.com
If this GIF has ever brought you joy in the past, I humbly ask you to consider making a donation to the National MS Society. It would mean a lot to me and to those I know affected by the disease!
Donate at blinkingguy.com
Very mild take, Google needs to figure out some heuristics, use some combination of speed and frequency, for what transit service they show. Having the WCE on the map is much less useful than the RapidBuses. The tangel of streetcars in Toronto is less legible and you might as well show all bus lines
September 8, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Very mild take, Google needs to figure out some heuristics, use some combination of speed and frequency, for what transit service they show. Having the WCE on the map is much less useful than the RapidBuses. The tangel of streetcars in Toronto is less legible and you might as well show all bus lines
The BCNDP gave the municipalities a lot of leeway to implement SSMHU regulations in good faith, in response many of them chose to do everything they could to get in the way. Here are a good list of things the province can do to rectify that.
Ok, I've been pondering some of the ways that BC's new housing minister @christineboyle.bsky.social might build on the expansive work championed by @ravikahlon.bsky.social and her previous work as a @cityofvancouver.bsky.social councillor.
So - here's a first draft: 🧵
So - here's a first draft: 🧵
September 5, 2025 at 4:43 AM
The BCNDP gave the municipalities a lot of leeway to implement SSMHU regulations in good faith, in response many of them chose to do everything they could to get in the way. Here are a good list of things the province can do to rectify that.
Reposted by Marcus P.
People question whether building more housing can lower prices, but I think it’s useful to flip that around and ask: are you saying that you can block housing without pushing up prices? Is that plausible?
Can I block the production of other goods or services with no effect on prices?
Can I block the production of other goods or services with no effect on prices?
September 5, 2025 at 12:43 AM
People question whether building more housing can lower prices, but I think it’s useful to flip that around and ask: are you saying that you can block housing without pushing up prices? Is that plausible?
Can I block the production of other goods or services with no effect on prices?
Can I block the production of other goods or services with no effect on prices?
Reposted by Marcus P.
Should we add hundreds of businesses to the rapid transit network, or zero? 🚍
Should we route BRT through Burnaby Heights, or along Boundary Rd?
They're the same question. Tell TransLink that routing rapid transit away from key destinations is a dumb idea 🤦
movementyvr.ca/release-tell...
Should we route BRT through Burnaby Heights, or along Boundary Rd?
They're the same question. Tell TransLink that routing rapid transit away from key destinations is a dumb idea 🤦
movementyvr.ca/release-tell...
September 4, 2025 at 10:11 PM
Should we add hundreds of businesses to the rapid transit network, or zero? 🚍
Should we route BRT through Burnaby Heights, or along Boundary Rd?
They're the same question. Tell TransLink that routing rapid transit away from key destinations is a dumb idea 🤦
movementyvr.ca/release-tell...
Should we route BRT through Burnaby Heights, or along Boundary Rd?
They're the same question. Tell TransLink that routing rapid transit away from key destinations is a dumb idea 🤦
movementyvr.ca/release-tell...
Fare capping is one of the simplest ways to make transit easier to use and equitable for those who can't afford to float a month's transit fares upfront. It was my biggest disappointment that TransLink didn't even give it much more than a foot note in their fare review
This still needs to be voted on and pass at the TTC Board, City Council. Add your name today and tell City Council that you support fare capping in Toronto:
www.ttcriders.ca/farecapping
www.ttcriders.ca/farecapping
Add your name for Fare Capping!
www.ttcriders.ca
August 29, 2025 at 4:13 AM
Fare capping is one of the simplest ways to make transit easier to use and equitable for those who can't afford to float a month's transit fares upfront. It was my biggest disappointment that TransLink didn't even give it much more than a foot note in their fare review
It's telling that the Gilmore routing for the Metrotown-North Shore BRT has no value since the only benefit they can list, other than direct service to the Gilmore area that is a quick 2 minute ride from Brentwood, is connections to 3 buses that it will connect to anyways via the Hastings routing.
August 28, 2025 at 3:37 AM
It's telling that the Gilmore routing for the Metrotown-North Shore BRT has no value since the only benefit they can list, other than direct service to the Gilmore area that is a quick 2 minute ride from Brentwood, is connections to 3 buses that it will connect to anyways via the Hastings routing.
I guess having to have municipal water hookup helps rein in the worst spraw
Surprising Las Vegas of all places seems to have the most "Canadian" of US cities. Las Vegas is around 2.3 million pop. Between Vancouver and Calgary and kinda just fits, just missing a central higher density node.
August 18, 2025 at 3:27 AM
I guess having to have municipal water hookup helps rein in the worst spraw
Reposted by Marcus P.
In which the independent engineering consultants hired by VTA accuse the VTA of sandbagging efforts to trim back the design of the BART-to-San Jose extension. PDF pg 111 -- santaclaravta.iqm2.com/Citizens/Fil...
August 11, 2025 at 8:19 PM
In which the independent engineering consultants hired by VTA accuse the VTA of sandbagging efforts to trim back the design of the BART-to-San Jose extension. PDF pg 111 -- santaclaravta.iqm2.com/Citizens/Fil...
Reposted by Marcus P.
Like really the Toronto subway takes 45 minutes to go the 21km from Vaughn to Union.
Hot take, the Expo line is fast enough for transit out to Langley, 65 minutes to go 40km is perfectly reasonable. You will be at Granville station in an hour. The speed is closer to commuter rail than most other merto or light rail systems.
July 30, 2025 at 11:53 PM
Like really the Toronto subway takes 45 minutes to go the 21km from Vaughn to Union.
Reposted by Marcus P.
“we don't make the rules here in Port Coquitlam!” is what the rule-makers of Port Coquitlam said
The rules are the rules because they’re the rules.
That seems to be the argument Port Coquitlam city council made when they decided last week to delay approving a supportive-housing development.
But that circular logic is why housing remains out of reach for many. @jfatkey.bsky.social writes.
That seems to be the argument Port Coquitlam city council made when they decided last week to delay approving a supportive-housing development.
But that circular logic is why housing remains out of reach for many. @jfatkey.bsky.social writes.
Vulnerable People Need Homes, Not Vacant Parking Stalls | The Tyee
The delay of a PoCo supportive-housing building illustrates the need for more flexibility by local politicians.
thetyee.ca
July 25, 2025 at 5:25 PM
“we don't make the rules here in Port Coquitlam!” is what the rule-makers of Port Coquitlam said
Ok anyone who is advocating for trams/streetcars in Vancouver needs to come with an actual proposal and not just coasing on "trams are cool" vibes.
July 21, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Ok anyone who is advocating for trams/streetcars in Vancouver needs to come with an actual proposal and not just coasing on "trams are cool" vibes.