THREAD: I’m going to share this thread here to clearly state my perspective on electric vehicles, car dependency and better cities, for all those who frequently ask me about it, including media, elected leaders and many others. Here goes. Please share it frequently if you think it will help. 🧵#EVS

This is garbage: if you don't follow the rules of the funding, you should have to repay that funding. The feds need to have teeth with the Housing Accelerator Fund. #CdnPoli

There's a bearded bro who shakes his head angrily or yells "slow down" every single time he sees me. IDK if it's just me, all cargo bikes or what but I like to think of him as my personal archvillain going around discouraging family biking and it's my job to outperform him #bikedc

When radio became popular, people worried children would sit around listening to it instead of playing outside. The same happened with TV, the internet and smartphones. But none of those stop children playing outside. Only cars do that.

The double row of trees along the Pandora bike and roll lanes in #VictoriaBC makes the sidewalk and the whole street so much nicer. And these trees are only nine years old. Just wait til they are teenagers! #yyj

Hmm no cars in the general purpose lanes #yyj #yyjbike

Victoria's protected bike and roll network is 9 years old! Beautiful day for a celebration. Kudos to previous Councils for getting Victoria started on safer spaces for people using bicycles, electric wheelchairs, and mobility scooters. #yyj #safety

Still not nearly high enough given the incalculable damage he’s doing to the US and the world, still an indictment of US politics, media, culture, everything.

From the archives

"Public transit needs to be viewed for what it is: a tool that can save someone up to $15,000 per year. There is no other cost saving tool at any government’s disposal as powerful as #publictransit." @michaelhall.bsky.social @movementyvr.bsky.social #bcpoli #bcndp

You wanna know something really wild? E-bikes are already displacing more emissions from autos than electric cars. Wild! Break free from the uncertainty and cost of gas prices - buy an e-bike! www.cbc.ca/news/climate...

Mental health is part of your health. It should be part of our publicly-funded healthcare system. What do we think is worth spending money on in this country? Why does this government have billions available for major projects and for bullets and bombs but not for projects that benefit all of us?

8/ Let’s put a windfall tax on oil & gas companies that are projected to make $90B in profits this year because of Trump’s illegal war in Iran. Then, let’s use that money to fill up the Sovereign Wealth fund — and invest in projects that benefit Canadians instead of a few wealthy investors and CEOs.

7/ Half of Canadians are living paycheque to paycheque. We need our government to step up and actually govern. I have an idea for the Prime Minister: why don’t we pull a Norway?

1/ Today’s spring economic statement fails to meet the moment at a time when Canadians are getting crushed by the rising cost of everything.

Useful clarification

"What’s next, tips for designing effective tinfoil hats?" @sstarkweather.bsky.social "15-minute city concept is... communities of convenience where you aren’t forced into an hour-long driving commute" Dan Fleming www.timescolonist.com/opinion/lett... #yyj #urbantruth #1HourCityConspiracy

Lady parked her SUV and walked toward the store, saw a cart blowing in the wind toward her SUV, stopped it, left it there, and walked in the store. I need to know more about this psychology because I think it might be what's wrong with humanity.

Video from our #EarthWeek Ride and Roll with @seniorsforclimate.bsky.social Victoria. Background info in thread. #yyj #bcpoli #pwd

Discover.

WATCH: Have you heard about the “Carspiracy” that’s brainwashed us into #Motonormativity? Watch this video, and then share and discuss it widely. Addressing it starts with knowing it’s happening. By the Global Cycling Network (who should be on Bluesky) featuring @ianwalker.bsky.social. #UrbanTruth

BANANA (“build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything”) has been around for decades as a more nuclear version of NIMBY, but seems to be seeing a resurgence lately. Other old ones: NOPE - “not on planet earth” CAVE - “citizens against virtually everything” NIMTOO - “not in my term of office”

I think it’s good politics to speak loudly and clearly about the climate crisis. Time to end the climate hushing billmckibben.substack.com/p/lets-talk-...

The Heiltsuk have a saying that, ‘We don’t own the land, we just borrow it from our kids.’ So, here’s my challenge to my fellow MLAs this Earth Day: talk to your kids, make it awkward, and get real about what you’re doing to stop global warming. #bcpoli

Today’s unwanted take: When walking or biking, if a driver properly yields right-of-way, I give the little thank-you wave. No, it’s not required, you do you. Yes, everyone should do the bare minimum. But I believe in positive reinforcement and moments of social connection.

“The power lie is a different kind of deception. People already know it’s not true, so there is no way to contradict it, to persuade people otherwise. The appeal is that, as a believer, you can be part of it, sharing the power by accepting the falsehood is true.” — @caroloff.bsky.social #UrbanTruth

This is my city right here - a city for everyone.

IF YOU BUILD A BIKE LANE THAT DOESN'T CONNECT TO ANOTHER BIKE LANE THEN YOU DIDN'T BUILD A BIKE LANE

We must require ALL data centers and other extremely large corporate users of electricity to generate their own electricity at their own expense If we don't do this, we are either idiots and/or masochists.

Boat Watch

I'm frequently astounded by how seldom #yyj drivers stop for pedestrians at unmarked crosswalks. Good thing that @victoria.ca is adding signalized crosswalks along Cook St in Oaklands (not at this intersection, but nearby).

Big corporations are using AI-powered pricing tools to look at your personal data — and rip you off. We need to stop surveillance pricing before it becomes the norm. Add your name to ban it: ndp.ca/surveillance-pricing

How on earth do people not consider driving dangerous! Just seen a woman driving an X5 BMW, phone tucked under her ear. Putting on lip gloss. 🤦‍♂️ You’re driving a lethal weapon that needs absolute concentration. Your phone call and lippy can wait. Someone’s safety can’t

This definitely means I never told my kids every single day to watch out for drivers. 🙄

Listening to CBS News in the car and they're talking like Trump just magically opened the strait, Iran agreed to everything, and Happy Days are here again. The news media does not handle a habitual liar very well when he is the president of the United States. He'll fuck it up in 2 days.

Archaeologists in the Holy Land just uncovered a 3,000-year-old Israelite tablet… It reads: “Iran is only weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon.”

"They were so lucky I was looking" Ummm no. Stopping in time for a child running onto the street is not heroic/lucky, it is your goddamn obligation as a driver. Cost of entry. Kids are allowed to be unpredictable, you are not.

it's real simple

Today, the Liberals rejected our NDP motion to ban surveillance pricing - a dystopian practice that will drive up costs for Canadians if we allow it to take root. The NDP is the only party fighting to protect you from getting ripped off at the checkout.

There is no solar power crisis. No wind power crisis. No insulation crisis. No heat pump crisis. No e-bike crisis. No electric bus crisis. But there is a #fossilfuel crisis. And a #climatecrisis.

Trying to walk, bike, or take transit in nearly all US cities has been made to be a horrible experience for the last 100 years. It's time to pivot all policies to make driving the most tedious, expensive, inefficient pain in the ass going forward.

Any government that isn't right now accelerating plans to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy is either: a. Incompetent b. In the pockets of people who'd rather they didn't c. a & b

Today, the NDP is calling on the Carney government to implement a national ban on surveillance pricing - before it becomes a predatory new normal in Canadian life. Canadians are already being squeezed by the untenable cost of living. It’s time to stop the practice dead in its tracks.

Corporations have found a creepy new way to rip you off. It's called "surveillance pricing" and it's coming for all of us at the checkout if we don't stop it. Add your name and help stop retailers from price-gouging us with the help of Big Tech: ndp.ca/surveillance-pricing

A recent survey confirms that most older drivers are not prepared for the inevitable day when they have to hang up the car keys. And with the demographic time bomb that's coming, there are going to be millions of them. lloydalter.substack.com/p/many-older...

It doesn’t take a perfect plan. It takes people willing to try. In their neighborhood. With their kids. On their streets. That’s the #BikeBus.

Oil and gas corporations extract all the wealth out of a community, pollute people, the air, and the water while doing it… and then leave the cleanup to taxpayers.