Kanchan

9 May

After more than 30y in engineering & 12y in city-building & public service, I’m stepping away for a while. I started to compile a list of projects I’ve helped design, build, shape, launch, or fight for over the years.. there’s a lot missing. Some are big, some small, some visible, some invisible.

18h

I am definitely a fairweather cyclist (I'd much rather walk or take transit on cold/rainy/snowly days). But even with these limited parameters I can still cycle for 78% of the year in Toronto, based on the actual weather data. shifter.info/bike-rideabl...

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15h

2025 winter was harsh. If you apply the same parameters to 2024 weather - I'd be comfortable riding on 84% of the days of the year (308/365) If you make it even more restrictive - no snow/rain, above freezing, and not too hot. It's 72% (263/365) in 2025 and 80% in 2024 Far above "half the year".

18h

If your feed is full of posts about bike lanes, privatizing water, data centers, etc - you are in an echo chamber. Talk to people you know who aren't talking about those things or seeing that information. You don't need to convince the people in your echo chamber who to vote for, or why. #TOPoli

Lanrick Bennett@lanrickbennett.bsky.social

#FYI for #TOPoli “I absolutely believe politics should destroy your relationships. You think abolitionists and slave owners were having dinner together after a day of work?” - Abi Adamson h/t @kayehm.bsky.social

It's just two guys walking, one pushing a baby carriage. What does MapleMAGA think BradBrad will put an end to? Men walking together or taking care of their children? Safer streets? Unclear. He doesn't even live in Toronto, FFS.

Shawn Micallef@shawnmicallef.bsky.social

I see the Shopify guy has ginned up some homo-hate on the other site w his post about a a Toronto safe streets ad that used w two ostensibly gay dads walking their child. What a fucking hateful destructive menace. Just enjoy your money asshole.

Brads commute to/from city hall is mostly on protected cycling infrastructure. As for having a plan, that's the responsibility of the transportation divisions cycling unit and the professionals who work there, not the mayor. Ravine MUTs cost at least 10x more per 100m than building on-road infra.

Matt Elliott@graphicmatt.com

"Look, nobody rides more bikes than I do. I rode 10,000 kilometres last year," brags Bradford. He says he's "the only candidate that has a plan to build new cycling infrastructure — we're just going to do it in our ravine network."

Some context using the West Toronto Rail path as an example, which barely even touches a ravine When a project takes a long time with so many unknowns & parties involved, costs balloon. Unlike on-road infrastructure which is all on trans assets & managed by one team. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

For further context, the annual cycling budget is approx $30m Barely any trails are paid from that, and none paid fully because they are so expensive and time/labour/resource intensive. They can't be designed or built in-house, unlike on-road infrastructure

Matt Elliott@graphicmatt.com

@michaelhoffman.bsky.social

Ravine trails are so expensive that they are typically not even funded by the cycling budget because one trail would use up more than the entire cycling budget and take many years to build. They are typically funded by grants and shared provincial/federal funding, when/if available.

Kanchan reposted

Michael Hoffman

Sugar Maple only got a majority in one ward. End the tyranny of first-past-the-post.

Matt Elliott@graphicmatt.com

A clean sweep for Sugar Maple in Toronto’s first-ever Kids Vote Weekend. Kids in all 25 wards voted to make Sugar Maple the Tree of the Year for 2027. Here’s where the winning tree’s vote came from. More than 10K votes were cast. datawrapper.dwcdn.net/FGnw2/1/

thestar.comThis could be the most polarizing issue in Toronto’s election. Is there any room for common ground?Vote Compass analyzed 23,321 Torontonians’ survey responses to find why bike lanes are the most divisive issue this civic election.

Bikelanes aren't the issue. They're the scapegoat. These projects are never about bike lanes, they're road safety projects, designed and proven to reduce collisions and improve safety for everyone using the street: people driving, walking, taking transit, cycling, and using mobility devices.

David Rider@dmrider.bsky.social

New from me: More than 23K responses to our "Vote Compass" tool reveal that the most polarizing issue in this Toronto civic election is ... bike lanes. No other issue had people so firmly for or against, with few in the ambivalent middle www.thestar.com/news/gta/thi...

But when you get people fighting over a bike lane nobody has to talk about speed, collisions, or who is being hurt on our streets. And yes, the point of all of it is to actually reduce car travel speeds so fewer people die. Drivers included.

When bikeways are wide, comfortable and well built, much better, safer workzones are possible. This is also possible on many sections of Bloor and Richmond/Adelaide (amongst others).

Toronto Cycling and Pedestrian Projects@cyclingpedestrian.cityof.toronto.ca

Update: the temporary bi-directional cycle track is now operational on the west side of University Avenue between Armoury Street and College Street.

Isn't it miraculous how filter cloth appeared on the catchbasins today and inspectors were checking the bridge drains.... Some documentation of tonight's happenings.

Kanchan@kayehm.bsky.social

I know no one gives a F about safety or the law when the province is involved - but those workers & police should be wearing PPE for this work. Did they cover the catchbasins? Did they warn residents to close windows? The city would never get away with this. www.gazzolapaving.com/files/employ...

A whole bunch more police cruisers just appeared when the paving machine started up at Royal York ... ✊🏽

Devan Marr@devanmarr.bsky.social

TPS is going to have one hell of a WSIAT file for respiratory issues. At least we slowed them down tonight. It ain’t over till it’s over. And it‘s never over.

So, they didn't cover the catchbasins or protect from debris going into the ravine below. I've seen photos of bitumin and asphalt in the river below the bridge. These are violations of provincial construction and environmental standards. I also didn't see an MTO inspector in site?

There are actual standards & guidelines that should be followed to do this work. There should have been an MTO inspector on site to ensure the pavement structure meets standards and lasts. It should have been sampled They should have covered every drainage structure. goodroads.ca/wp-content/u...

Bring hearing & eye protection if close to the machines. Watch out for flying debris. N95 or better to protect from the dust. Fumes from the asphalt/bitumen are negligible, no worse than pumping gas. They should not be doing this work if they can't keep the public a safe distance away. 🙅🏽‍♀️☠️

The Biking Lawyer LLP@thebikinglawyer.bsky.social

Last night people on bikes stood up against the destruction of safe infrastructure. Tonight, we will return to bear witness and protest decisions that put the public at risk. They will try to take out the last intact lane markings tonight 1/2

The police are out there literally protecting machines and not protecting the public at all. That's not how PDO on construction sites is supposed to work.

youtu.beWhat Is Mill and Overlay?YouTube video by City of Saint Paul

Back to construction Intel. #Bill212 Now that everything has been removed from the road 😡, the next stage is the mill & pave, (aka grind & pave, or shave & pave) The top layer of asphalt will be ground off the road to prep for new asphalt & line markings video explaner: youtu.be/vyDsDbglbkw?...

Kanchan@kayehm.bsky.social

Back to this. #BikeTO What's going to happen next? Now that we know they are going to have a police presence (at whatever cost) and that permits don't matter, they'll likely continue with daytime work instead of overnight. Easier to get police, safer, better weather.

This dust and debris will be fun for all of those businesses to see in the morning. Little one will leave debris to be cleaned up by the bobcat. The water truck is there to try to keep the dust down. Please wear masks or stay upwind. www.allwestcm.com/equipment/w5...

allwestcm.com W50DC

youtu.beHow Are Asphalt Roads Made?YouTube video by History of Simple Things

They should be covering the catch basins to make sure dust and debris don't go into the sewers. They'll likely leave the road milled overnight and pave during the day. The colder it is the faster asphalt hardens and the harder it is to work with (Notes for tomorrow.) youtu.be/ha3EVBmXOM0?...

youtu.beWhat Is Mill and Overlay?YouTube video by City of Saint Paul

Kanchan@kayehm.bsky.social

It's noisy & disruptive Great for businesses trying to operate 🤡 Catch basins need to be protected from debris, utility chambers & valves need to be protected Traffic 🚦 detection loops will need to be reinstated. As for the 100s of steel rods still in the concrete road base at the platforms? 🍿

From the photos I've seen, they have 2 milling machines. The big one needs a dump truck in front of it (be careful of breathing debris, wear masks!) And a little W50DC for milling around CBs and utility covers. It has a water tank on the back to keep dust down. Please wear masks!

Looking at all these contractors with all the police protection.. And wishing we had that sort of #BikeTO protection during the installations when people were yelling at us and drivers tried to run us over.

Robert Zaichkowski@rzaichkowski.bsky.social

All right, folks! Some heavy machinery had been spotted on Bloor west of Islington. If you are able to, come now! #BikeTO #TOpoli #ONpoli #VisionZero

I had him muted in the other place because of years of mansplaining, condescending abrasive comments & directing me to do things that were both impossible & irresponsible. Not unlike who he is endorsing. He did one thing in one place one time when his bro was mayor, & rolled that into a career.

mlongfield.bsky.social@mlongfield.bsky.social

[spits coffee]

youtu.beWhat Is Mill and Overlay?YouTube video by City of Saint Paul

Kanchan@kayehm.bsky.social

Mill and Pave is noisy and very disruptive. The milled material is hauled away in dump trucks, the road is swept and a tack coat is added to prepare for new asphalt. There are temperature requirements for paving. Typically half the road is done at a time to maintain the crown of the road.

Some photos of the Blood Bike Lanes sculpture on Bloor tonight #Bill212 May be the last night with the asphalt still in place. What a waste of time and money.

Kanchan reposted

Replying to @cycletoronto.bsky.social

We offered to help them remove it properly & salvage it. They refused the help. We were internationally recognized for this infra. I've talked to dozens of cities around the world who wanted to learn how to do it from us. And these f'ers are just paying their buddies to rip it out. I'm irate.

Please keep me updated on when the grind and pave happens. I want to see the 🎪 when their grinder hits the hundreds of bolts that are still below the asphalt and anchored into the concrete road base. 🍿 #Bill212

mlongfield.bsky.social@mlongfield.bsky.social

It's a lot of angle grinder action, so assume the answer to the "if they know what they are doing" query is, They don't.

cbc.caPedestrian traffic deaths in Toronto up from last year: police data | CBC NewsToronto is seeing an increase in pedestrian deaths from traffic collisions across the city compared to previous years, according to data by police. But some advocates aren't surprised by the trend, es...

It's not like there wasn't plenty of research, design guidance & data stating that this is exactly what was going to happen when APS was removed. People will die. Did the province wipe themselves of any liability for the consequences of removing APS, like they did for removing bike lanes? #Bill212

Canada Ministry of Pedestrians@minpedca.bsky.social

How's that speed camera ban going in Ontario? - 30 traffic fatalities in Ottawa so far this year, exceeding the 23 total fatalities in 2025 - Toronto on track for a five year traffic fatality high. - Windsor reporting "staggering" number of injury crashes this year www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Meanwhile - there's good #BikeTO stuff happening on University Ave and Queens Park The ActiveTO temp curbs and bikeway will soon be permanent concrete. No Lanes Removed. But much much harder to remove. 🙌🏽😉

Toronto Cycling and Pedestrian Projects@cyclingpedestrian.cityof.toronto.ca

The cycle track on the east side of University Avenue from College Street to Armoury Street is closed during construction until Spring 2027. The west side cycle track has been converted to two-way to accommodate cycling in both directions. toronto.ca/universityqueenspark #BikeTO

You may ask why it's being put back exactly where it was, instead of getting the greenery, etc that is on the west side, further south? #Bill212 prevents the adjacent lane from being removed to add the green, etc. So instead, the size of the bikeway was maximized with robust concrete protection

Updated photos from today courtesy of @lanrickbennett.bsky.social

The people of Ontario gave you no such mandate. You got votes from 13% of the population, 300k total votes in Toronto What you're doing will make congestion worse. So, what exactly are you doing? Why do you need more of our money to do it if you're such a good businessman? #Bill212

Mark Shaw 🇨🇦✌️🇪🇺@markshawtoronto.bsky.social

😔 The transportation minister assures me I’m next though

youtube.comDoug Ford’s attack on Toronto’s bike lanes is part of a global right-wing playbookYouTube video by The Breach

It's never been about the bike lanes. It's so much bigger than that. If it was *just* about bike lanes, the province would have jumped at the city's much less expensive proposal to add back a traffic lane and keep the bike lanes. But they rejected it. #Bill212

Negro Frolics @desmondcole.bsky.social

Doug Ford’s war on bike lanes isn’t about traffic—it’s part of a global right-wing backlash to vilify urban residents and defend fossil fuel interests. @breachmedia.ca dove into the politics of cycling, and debunked some myths along the way www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoCz...

We can't get money for healthcare, but we can get a bottomless budget to remove accessible infra that people in this area voted for. When a privileged minority over-ride the needs of the majority and get police protection to do it - you have to question who the police are here to protect #Bill212

I hate how police intentionally don't look at people. The people in this area did not vote PC. A privileged few donated some money and a construction company donated more money, and here we are. Blowing tens of millions of $$ to make a street worse for everyone But no money for healthcare.

When you need police protection to remove infrastructure used by people with disabilities, you know you are on the wrong side of history. #Bill212

Tom Flood@tomflood.bsky.social

Toronto is not having it.

Kanchan@kayehm.bsky.social

Some construction background info so y'all are equipped: Paving and line marking have limited temperature windows. Ideally it's above 5-7C and dry (the hotter and dryer the better). Anything below that and the materials don't work so good. Overnight work is best due to traffic management, but..

There is a huge question about what happens if there is a collision or fatality while this is all happening. Even if a car is damaged, who is responsible? The province has wiped themselves of any liability. The city isn't doing the work and didn't create the plans... so who is responsible?

If you haven't read #Bill212 - this is essentially why they can do whatever they want. The wording is wild. Something you'd use to defend the ability to save lives, in war time, etc. But no, this is for the removal of bike lanes www.ola.org/sites/defaul...

I've taken this free bystander intervention training several times.and highly recommend it. Practical advice, real world examples. Information you can use right away to be a better bystander - and a better human.

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When we were installing the (also) Cabbagetown cycling project a few people recorded us & said they'd report us. (To who, for what? Also creepy!) They said bikeways, stop bars & crosswalks were ruining the historic character of the neighbourhood. I filmed them back & asked "what about the cars"? 🙄

Shawn Micallef@shawnmicallef.bsky.social

During the Cabbagetown daycare wars, where a daycare didn't "fit the historic character/use" etc (nor did a playground shade structure) I wrote that all cars parked along the street were also not inline with heritage character so parking should be eliminated. No no no...not that. Not that.

Here they are. Standing next to these late model heritage cars

The kids have them to ride to school safely. Why not have bike busses for everyone.

Bloor Street Bike Bus@bloorstreetbikebus.bsky.social

I made this account (anonymous for now) to discuss an idea I've had about how to push back against Doug Ford's war on Toronto cyclists. Here's the gist: We organize groups to travel down the section of Bloor without bike lanes, taking the lane and ensuring safety in numbers.

Kanchan@kayehm.bsky.social

All traffic will be on the other side as they do this. They'll likely do it during the day because night time temps are not favourable for paving. Once asphalt is back, they'll put the lines back - this could happen at night because they'll use cheap paint, not the good stuff (that won't stick).

They'll need to remove all of the Zicla platforms before they can grind. While this is happening, the signage should be changing at the same time. Removals, new signs, etc. Bylaws are not going to match the signs. So good luck enforcing anything. No idea how this will be cleaned up and by who.

Kanchan@kayehm.bsky.social