I joined a #JanesWalk today with Milena Khazanavicius, who is blind & uses a guide dog. We took it in turns to walk with a blindfold on - a sobering experience. The streets of #HalifaxNS #Kjipuktuk are hostile for anyone with accessibility needs. We need to do better. There's another walk on Sunday May 7 - I'd highly recommend: https://www.janeswalkhalifax.com/schedule

#ZeroVisionHFX
#Accessibility

"“Everyone wants a livable planet. Doesn't everybody want clean air, safe spaces for children to play, spaces that are accessible for people? We can have all of these things, even if we do take space away from cars, because it's been demonstrated over and over again, the cities that support active transportation are safer for everyone, including people who are driving.”

Me, last year!

Read more at: https://www.thecoast.ca/news-opinion/halifax-road-safety-inaction-killing-people-30155376?utm_source=newsletter.thecoast.ca&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=more-ship-delays-in-halifax-harbour-this-week

#ZeroVisionHFX
#VisionZero
#SafeStreets
#TheCoastHFX
#HalifaxNS

"Free parking is the real tragedy of the commons. In a tangible way, we have given up free communal spaces in exchange for free individual spaces. The pattern of making this trade over and over again is what is killing this planet, and even though our politicians talk a big game, they never put their money where their mouth is".

#MattStickland of #TheCoastHFX describing the bizarre doublespeak of @hfxgov.

Read more at: https://www.thecoast.ca/news-opinion/confused-council-passes-hrm-budget-with-climate-tax-and-carbon-subsidies-30690709

#ZeroVisionHFX
#Kjipuktuk
#HalifaxNS

@mbonsma In #ZeroVisionHFX, we couldn't even commit to #VisionZero. Instead the city decided on the uninspiring "Towards Zero" approach. It's embarrassing for a city that touts itself as world class! It's also wholly ineffective.

#HalifaxNS
#RoadSafety

https://www.thecoast.ca/news-opinion/halifax-road-safety-inaction-killing-people-30155376

@philmoscovitch Halifax Council: "Climate Emergency!"

Also Halifax Council: "Come park for free!" and "sorry cyclists, your minimum grid isn't finished yet".

This is #ZeroVisionHFX

Link to story: https://www.halifaxexaminer.ca/government/city-hall/halifax-councillors-back-down-on-saturday-parking-in-last-minute-budget-change/

(please subscribe to this wonderful local news org!)

#ClimateEmergency
#NoFreeParking
#HalifaxNS
#Kjipuktuk

@mbonsma You did what any parent would do including me! I am just back from a walk where a family in front of me reached a crosswalk. As they crossed the child was waving the stupid flags that Halifax deems appropriate to attach to the crosswalk poles. EVEN THEN, two drivers couldn't wait to blow through the crosswalk before the family had reached the other side of the road! It makes my blood boil. As for those flags, @tomflood knows all about them! Clearly they don't help. #ZeroVisionHFX

Pedestrians are third class citizens in #HalifaxNS. OK, the little strip of sidewalk to the right of the crosswalk markings is clear but leaving the snow on the actual crosswalk, which is the most direct route across this 4-lane stroad, speaks volumes to how people walking are considered in this "world class" city. This is also the main route to an elementary school 🤦

One for you @safe_hrm

#ZeroVisionHFX
#CarBrain
#PedestrianSafety

@mattdagley Really? Not one sidewalk ploughed in my west end neighbourhood this morning, even right outside the schools I walked past. Poor transit users were clambering over snow banks to reach unploughed bus stops while the roads are pretty clear. In the words of an ex-councillor who will remain nameless - #Priorities #ZeroVisionHFX #IMPFail

@wayemason Perhaps worth adding that pedestrians should expect to mountaineer since sidewalks have not been ploughed yet and drivers should expect people walking on the streets because the sidewalks are impassable. #IMPFail #ZeroVisionHFX #CarBrain

@inkstainedmags @Rasta No sidewalks have been ploughed yet so not surprised schools are on delayed start in the city. As usual, @hfxgov doesn't care about people who walk, wheel or bus in #ZeroVisionHFX, and clearly cares even less for the segment of the population that can't yet vote. #CarBrain #Motonormativity #IMPFail

@sps @wayemason Oh I agree! Same for not stopping at stop signs or crosswalks etc. It's actually more notable if a driver does follow the rules! #ZeroVisionHFX

@sps @wayemason I would prefer to see #SafeSystems approaches applied, to encourage responsible behaviour from drivers & make things easy & obvious to ensure compliance. But since that approach hasn't yet been fully adopted here, education can't hurt. Case in point, the number of drivers who still go staight on Vernon at the Jubilee intersection ignoring the "bicycle only" signs, or who ignore the "no RTOR" around the South Park Bike Lane. Confused drivers put everyone at risk #ZeroVisionHFX

@Rasta @wayemason @safe_hrm It's classic #ZeroVisionHFX - great ideas, poorly executed. I appreciate you responding Waye and I don't mean to negate the work you and other progressive councillors are doing to move things forward. We all want the same thing but we are running out of time to get it and that scares me. We don't have another 30 years to dither when we know what the solutions are & other cities have already enacted them much faster #ClimateActionNow

@wayemason I'm not sure I understand what you mean by "walking past what you are saying". I understand that councillors have differing views on the issue. But the IMP was unanimously passed, declaring a #ClimateEmergency was unanimous. That suggests consensus. Other cities have taken decisive action much faster. Why not us? I get the labour shortages etc but there are cheaper tactical things that could have been deployed in the interim #ZeroVisionHFX

@wayemason The point I am making is that the IMP committed to a minimum grid by 2022 and that didn't happen despite literally decades of reports saying that it was important plus money committed across 3 levels of govt. With such glacial pace I don't hold out any hope for this city taking the required #ClimateAction that we need in the timeframe that we have. We don't have another 30 years to prevent a #ClimateCrisis #ZeroVisionHFX

@wayemason How much time is reasonable Waye? The IMP is 5 years old and built on other plans like the "Making Connections" AT plan from 2014. I found an interesting report last week, from 1999, called "Active Transportation 2000: A bikeway strategy for the HRM". It references reports from 1991 - over 30 years ago. Is that the sort of timescale you mean? Screenshots below. That's half a lifetime of reports while the planet burns and people die on our streets #ClimateActionNow #ZeroVisionHFX

@safe_hrm @JadeintheNorth I'd highly recommend listening to/reading this #GuardianLongRead from last year that sheds a bit of light on the situation - https://www.theguardian.com/world/audio/2022/dec/05/he-was-fast-he-ran-you-right-over-what-its-like-to-get-hit-by-an-suv-podcast

Also, the latest @TheWarOnCars podcast on #CarBrain #Motonormativity is a good explainer.

TL:DR: Bigger cars, shitty drivers, no repurcussions, political inaction, poor road design but not necessariliy in that order!

#ZeroVisionHFX

@wayemason @TheWarOnCars we also need leadership from councillors and the courage to actually implement the tools you already have, like the Integrated Mobility Plan! #BeBold #ZeroVisionHFX

@wayemason can I add listening to the latest episode of the @TheWarOnCars podcast to your list? It explains an awful lot about the lack of action on the #IntegratedMobilityPlan over the last 5 years in #Kjipuktuk #Halifax. You get it Waye, but many of your colleagues and constituents don’t. There is widespread #CarBrain and #Motonormativity in #ZeroVisionHFX

@mattdagley @safe_hrm The bus shelter on Oxford and Chebucto was also smashed up today. Such mindless vandalism #ZeroVisionHFX