I’ll say it again. There IS such a thing as “vertical sprawl.” It’s not tall buildings. It’s tall buildings IN CAR-DEPENDENT SPRAWL. If you do tall buildings in walkable, multi-modal urbanism, then it’s VERTICAL URBANISM, not vertical sprawl. Suggesting otherwise means you don’t understand sprawl.

Currently trending on X (formerly Twitter), despite some people's dislike of the platform, is the news that 3D axonometric station diagrams have gone viral. This has sparked a lot of excitement among transport enthusiasts, including a tweet of my own on the subject. 🤯 🚇

My building got this digital notice board thing installed. Initially I thought it's maybe a bit overkill but it showing times for public transit, weather updates etc is quite nice.

For every €1 provided through a Basic Income For Artists pilot program in Ireland, the government got €1.46 back. So it’s being made permanent. Over and over we see it. It saves public money to provide public housing. And it makes public money to provide basic income. We can’t afford to NOT do it.

Excellent episode of The Hatchet with @arshy.bsky.social. The recent police scandal is not “a few bad apples,” the Toronto Police have been operating like organized crime for generations. They act with impunity, refuse reform, and target and punish their critics: podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...

...suggest that lately we've been designing our transport systems with the idea that future winters are going to be milder. Judging from the severity of the 2025/26 season, though, winter isn't done with us yet. I dig deeper in this week's HIGH SPEED dispatch: www.highspeed.blog/winter-what-...

STUDY: “Results show that for every reported professional benefit that scientists once gained from Twitter, scientists can now gain that benefit more effectively on Bluesky than on Twitter.” Follow great scientists here like @michaelemann.bsky.social @peterhotezmdphd.bsky.social @katharinehayhoe.com

A reminder that public transport requires grid capacity, consistent grid capacity, especially high speed rail projects. That electrification comes from clean sources in Canada, like hydro and nuclear as well as wind and solar, which both have a role because hydro and nuclear can meet that baseload.

Cheers to all the single hearts out there

So after some technical issues, the newsletter is finally out This week - EU law on ticketing - Chinese investment in European rail - A bullshit ring line - Good week for Una line - Bad week for Bane NOR that made their own line collapse - And an old picture from Cottbus jonworth.eu/chinese-inve...

I’ve been thinking about Canada’s intention to become more economically independent from the United States, and to connect more with Europe. We should do the same thing with our city-building. Our city-building has always been too influenced by the U.S, especially with car dependency. Thoughts?

Wow, I'm impressed. Bloomberg has the best article on the Sepulveda Line I've seen. No errors, very detailed, pushed back on nimby talking points, centered voices like Matute, Schneider, and Raman, and even mentions an EIFD! Full marks.

All the private jets leaving the super bowl. Paper straws etc

Watch with sound on

I tried to take a photo of a grasshopper on my windshield, but now it looks like a gigantic bug destroying the town.

it's not easy breeding deer for gigantism, but that's why I make the big bucks

Good morning

Stage 2 LRT - East Extension. Status and pathway to opening.

“That non-compliance and how it was allowed to persist, given the very numerous inspections that happened of the rail corridor, is something that we’re talking with TTR about right now” ~ Michael Lindsay, Metrolinx CEO. The tracks have all been repaired. toronto.citynews.ca/2026/02/12/g...

Prepare to be amazed www.thestar.com/sports/hocke...

I present, from the Railexco Contractor Committee, The Ultimate (cursed) Railcar. RDC Slumber Dome RPO Bar Bag Lounge Obs

happy birthday gromit 🥹 🎂 🐶

Today, I learned: Open AI fired its head of safety for objecting to porn -- no, wait, excuse me, for "discriminating against men"; Anthropic's head of safety quit to study the poetry his company hoovered up from the world's library; and Trump said to every stinking factory, smoke em if you got em.

I got carried away digitizing it. anyways here's a significantly better trolleybus doodle :D #transit

My old boss said to me "if you think someone has too much money give them a car" The more we make transit reliable and active transportation safe the less people need to sink into personal vehicle ownership. And that's money that stays in our local economy.

In America they destroy public transit while making you pay billionaires so you can drive each other around in your own cars.

Snow plow tram sighting

HOW DOES THIS GRIFT KEEP WORKING

The opening of the Eglinton Crosstown marked a major expansion of Toronto's transit network after 15+ years of construction! MTSO continues to support implementing active transit signal priority to speed up travel times on the line. In the meantime, here are some photos from the opening day!

Join us on Family Day weekend for crafts and tours. This year CP Cape Race will be open to visitors inside Stall 17 with a DIY train crest activity. All activities are included with admission and are appropriate for ages 3+.

You used to be able to ride a horse through a subway station dressed as a pirate giving out gold chocolate coins but now its all woke

@jenniferkeesmaat.bsky.social @moretransitso.bsky.social I'd spoken with TTC Chair @CllrJamaalMyers last Sept about adding GO lines to the updated TTC system maps. But reading cbc.ca/news/canada/... it's clear their design took over a year. Hopefully TTC will now add GO lines to these maps.

My business uses Canada Post all the time. Great rates and they ship everywhere, literally everywhere, in Canada. UK Royal Mail privatized in 2013 - service tanked, prices went up and it was sold to a foreign billionaire in 2024. We can do better in Canada.

Our directors from Ontario and Quebec are travelling to Ottawa to meet with MPs, and both trains are running late due to freight problems. VIA Rail needs investment and regulatory support to operate its existing service effectively, and ensure the long term future of these routes alongside Alto.

I often take the underfunded & underperforming Ghound bus. This station is right downtown Cleveland & DOESN'T NEED A NEW USE. IT'S THE FUCKIN BUS STATION. Investing in intercity public transportation is what we need. I don't care how this shit gets dressed up, it is just punishing the poor like me.

Your definitive guide to the sports of the Winter Olympics

“…for a long time it wasn’t crazy for Toronto, like Chicago, to have a radial rail network (designed mostly for trips downtown) fed by buses that followed the arterial grid. But it’s crazy now.”

Includes two maps. www.thecollector.com/is-english-a...

On Sunday, Line 5 Eglinton opens! To better understand this corridor, we layered the route alignment relative to surrounding building footprints; space for cars, bikes & pedestrians; zoning; green space; pop. density; household income & senior populations https://ow.ly/ojyb50YaunQ

Toronto's new Eglinton rail line shows the awakening of a new consciousness of what kind of city Toronto is. New from me: humantransit.org/2026/02/toro...

"For almost the first time, the city has made a major investment that recognizes that in a big, dense city, surrounded by dense suburbs, people need to go all directions, all the time."

This is the day that Beavis and Butthead became safe streets advocates and joined The War On Cars.

And if you want to buy it, it's a very local creation! www.transittees.com/el-the-chica...

Beautiful, wonderful, or Toron... www.cbc.ca/news/canada/... I love Canadians! We get excited about mass transit. #cdnpoli

Tomorrow! Join us for our Third Thursday talk on Black Railway Porters in Canada with special guest Channon Oyeniran. www.tickettailor.com/events/toron...

This says it all

I'm glad line 5's stations were built with an abundance of new in-station retail units. it's something i appreciate about the toronto subway in general. one of those units is already leased and open at kennedy station!

Just a reminder that we're retiring our Cars Melt Glaciers t-shirt at the end of February. Get yours before it's gone. the-war-on-cars.myshopify.com/products/car...