Once again, the Mayor boasts about how low our taxes are - we’re not even keeping up with the rate of inflation. But this ideological obsession long pre-dates Sutcliffe. It’s a point of pride in Ottawa, a city with almost the highest median household income in Ontario. 1/
Transparency starts from the top, and it is a culture that needs to be built. You all are accountable to the population of Ottawa. The same goes for any public servant.
Ottawa's transit situation is the result of continuous handwaving and pushing the buck. Five months between meetings is not it.
Suggestion for @glengower.ca: saying it's been "a long day" doesn't make things better for the people that took time out of their day to come speak to you and the rest of the members of the Transit Committee. This is the first change they got in over 5 months.
I'll pass on a hold-the-date. Thanks @railfans.ca and @bettertransitottawa.ca for talking transit data with me on February 2.
Notez bien cette date. Merci à @railfans.ca et @bettertransitottawa.ca pour nos échanges sur les données de transport en commun le 2 février.
Sincerely.
We talk a lot about “value engineering” as responsible cost control.
Too often, it’s really a way to defer decisions and push costs, complexity, and risk into the future.
I wrote about why waiting is rarely neutral in infrastructure, and what it really costs us.
open.substack.com/pub/dbelleri...
We talk a lot about what Canada should build.
This is one of the moments where a real project is on the table and public input actually matters.
The Alto high-speed rail consultation is open and worth a few minutes of your time!
en.consultation.altotrain.ca/shaping-the-...
For what it's worth, I have had the XM3s since fall 2018 and they are still as solid as they were on Day 1. In the meantime I have been through (too) many pairs of Airpods.
If I had to replace them, I'd get the Sony's again, they are so versatile in terms of sound and noise cancellation.
A quiet year-end reflection.
Learning closer to delivery. Listening more. Things starting to align.
open.substack.com/pub/dbelleri...
If the takeaway from Eglinton is “open things faster,” then we learned nothing from the last decade of Canadian transit delivery.
It’s delayed because of bad early decisions, scope changes, and launching construction before risks were resolved, exactly the lesson against rushing projects.
Without a doubt my favourite video to work on each year. There is so much going on across Canada, and even more to come!
Getting it right > Getting it fast.
Yes, it's always disappointing when timeline slips, but this is how we avoid major launch issues.
Going live in 25 minutes!
If you want to share your story, you can call from 12 to 1pm at 1-888-817-8995. I am looking forward to hearing them all!
You can listen to the program via CBC Radio in Ontario or online on the CBC Toronto website!
RFC on CBC Radio today! 🚆
@dbellerive.ca will be on Ontario Today this Tuesday (Dec 23) from 12–1 PM talking train travel in Canada — the good, the bad, and everything in between. Tune in and call with your train stories!
This might be the FINAL Stage 2 East update before trial running and (hopefully) the opening of the extension in early 2026! Exciting times are coming in Ottawa!
Exciting update this morning, just in time for our yearly recap of progress of rail projects across Canada! 😉
Explore McGill REM Station — the network’s second busiest stop after Gare Centrale. Take a walkthrough with us to see its layout, design features, and what riders can expect as they move through this key hub in downtown #Montreal. 🎥 youtu.be/z23j0sY5tl4
Also, I'd love to remind everyone, once more, this whole saga, including the half-measure "solution" brought by some councilors are to "save" 1.6 million dollars.
0.001% of an operational budget.
I am no expert, but isn't it the point of having built an operator-based system to have operators that could manually open the doors by pressing the "open doors" button at station if there A) people with mobility issues B) plenty of people waiting to board and C) to avoid excess door open time?...
Experience the first day of service on Montréal’s Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) Deux-Montagnes branch through a cinematic look at the REM’s newest trains, stations, and the Mount Royal Tunnel.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MLH...
I should mention there is also the following frame!
Shades of red.
#Montreal #REM
Shades of blue.
#REM #DeuxMontagnes
From some rails fans to others! See you on the REM! @milesintransit.com @railfans.ca @remgrandmtl.bsky.social
We keep buying hundred-million-dollar tunnel boring machines like they’re single-use coffee pods.
Canada’s biggest infrastructure problem isn’t technical; it’s continuity. It is time to move beyond projects into programs.
open.substack.com/pub/dbelleri...
Did you know that when Mount Dennis GO opens this Sunday. It'll be 3x faster to get to Union Station than it currently takes. The fastest trips today take around 45 minutes, on Sunday it'll take just 13 minutes. This is the power of regional rail.
Today, Lansdowne 2.0 was passed with a 15 - 10 vote at Council. This is going to be an important issue in 2026, and I hope you'll stay engaged with Council in the coming months.
To improve everyone’s moral, can I interest you in some fluffy agents of chaos?
Just can't help but laugh at this
