jfmezei

jfmezei, 7 months ago to random

Interesting side effect of making streets for pedestrians: (as noted by Urban Caffeine in NYC).
Shop keepers on nearby car-focused streets compllain of reduced business because the human-friendly streets syphon off human shoppers.
https://youtu.be/4jglkyLAgPo?t=409

cc @notjustbikes

jfmezei, 4 months ago to random

@notjustbikes Your much beloved Dodge RAM has got competition in the small sub-compact car category ! The Ford F650

Forget the little girl not tall enough to be seen from Dodge RAM, we're now talking about fully grown adults being invisible and this being pitched as the next fad everyone must get !

Will be a perfect fit in Amsterdam streets !

Only USD $225,000

Video from Toronto: https://youtu.be/3D0nxi-Tkzo

jfmezei, 3 months ago to random

Le Monde has good video on the problem with ever bigger cars in Europe
TLDR: EU rules base allowed emissions on mass, so manufacturer increase mass to be allowed more emissions. le Monde initially blames forced addition of catalytic converter and ABS brakes that add uch weight but then go on to the other reasons.

français 9.40 https://youtu.be/5wdWcQPEGTY

(you can get Mr Google to turn on subtitles and then get him to translate to English if nevessary). @notjustbikes

timkmak, 2 months ago to Ukraine

Good morning to readers; #Kyiv remains in Ukrainian hands.

“People are dying in the street!” Aahed heard on his walkie-talkie.

Then birds started to fall from the sky.

Assad's regime was using chemical weapons, just like Russia is doing in #Ukraine now…

jfmezei, 4 months ago to random

From Montréal Gazette:
"Many streets have reported fewer empty stores after upgrades to make them more attractive, he said. The vacancy rate along Mont-Royal Avenue in the Plateau district dropped from 14.5 per cent in 2018 to 5.6 per cent this year after the street was closed to vehicle traffic and redesigned to add seating areas and greenery."

https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/while-some-montreal-streets-boom-downtown-is-dotted-with-vacant-storefronts

cc @notjustbikes

jfmezei, 9 months ago to random

VIA Rail warns the Vancouver-Toronto (and Toronto Vancouver) trains might or might not operate and VIA won't provide alternate transportation.

The trains should be able to at least get to Kamloops as westermost city. (Fraser Canyon is likely impassible since highway 1 is closed and cities there are under evac order).

jfmezei, 3 months ago to random

Resuts of Paris referendum on charging more for SUV parking
Français: https://www.paris.fr/pages/plus-ou-moins-de-suv-les-parisiens-et-parisiennes-sont-invites-a-voter-le-4-fevrier-25381

1 374 532 eligible voters
78 121 voted ( 5% participation rate)
54.55% voted in favour.
45.45% voted against.

cc @notjustbikes

jfmezei, 8 months ago to random

Soviet Airbus 320 from Sochi to Omsk flight encounters hydraulics failure. Pilots decide to fly another 600km to Novosibirsk which has longer runway since without hyraulics, braking/spoilers etc dont work. Run out of fuel and land in field. Aircraft still standing on landing gear and no injuries. Hydraulic system has a lot of redundancies so failure likely points to serious lack of maintenance/parts. Succesfully landing without hydraulics is pretty amasing feat.

https://youtu.be/UOadI3EQk-A

jfmezei, 5 months ago to random

CBC Article in glut of unused office space in downtown Calgary being converted to housing. But article asks the question:

"Where will they buy their groceries or meet friends for a coffee? Where will their children go to school?"

Calgary says it wll eventually have to think about converting car-only exat wide streets to be more human friendly if people are going to start living there. ( (hint: do it now , don't wait).

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-downtown-office-conversion-revitalization-1.7061792

jfmezei, 3 months ago to random

Earlier today, the CRTC and the Competition Bureau appeared at INDU committee of Parliament to discuss:
Accessibility and Affordability of Wireless and Broadband Services in Canada

Meeting notice from which you can launch ParlVU:
https://www.ourcommons.ca/DocumentViewer/en/44-1/INDU/meeting-112/notice

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

This morning , I am headed to a city meeting on urban planning. I am part of the 8% in this suburb without a single car so hope to have a voice. And I blame them Orange Pills subliminally incorporated in @notjustbikes videos for making me do this otherwise I would have stayed in bed.

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

Québec government confirms our bridges are not ar risk. But the portion of Jacques Cartier over the seaway has pylons dangerously closed to where an off course ship could hit. The Pont Laviolette at Trois Rivières also has pylons in the way, but appear better protected.

jfmezei, 4 months ago to random

Heads up: NTSB to hold press briefing at 23:00 Sunday night (Eastern Time, but they are on the wet coast so will only be 20:00 there).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jeO5fwRXLo

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

If I were the producer of the Trump Hush Money/Stormy Daniels court show, I would open it with this song:

Chris de Burgh: Patricia.
(from Spanish Train & Other Stories (1976).

https://youtu.be/L3k4LHM6a4g

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

The secret passage from REM platforms to Place Bonaventure lower level will be unlocked this Friday March 22. Apparently in both directions.

La Presse: https://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/grand-montreal/2024-03-21/transfert-entre-le-rem-et-le-metro/le-raccourci-sera-ouvert-vendredi.php?mfid=OTUwMDE3NDQ2NGFlM2JhYjk3ZjZjNzFkY2FmZjdmYTE=

cc @heliomass

image/jpeg

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

In Halifax, after they issued their press released, I decied to check out their bridges.

Angus L Macdonald Bridge has one pylon in wayter ad has good protection (pic 1)

The A Murray MacKay bridge has 2 pylons in water which have similar islands around them. (pic 2). However, its southern end has an unprovectec pylon but close enough to shore that unlikely a big row boat would hit it. (pic 3)

image/png
image/png

jfmezei, 1 month ago to random

@heliomass I won't say "I told you so...."

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

There were 2 wells down to 4 tracks west of the well for tracks 9-10. Had CDPQ used those, it could have made stairs go DOWN from platform and then south direct to the Bonaventure métro station (which is between Peel and Mansfield under de La Gauchetière). CDPQ would have had to negotiate rights with CN to pass under it HQ.

The south western end of Bonaventure métro station has an elevator that gets right in the elevator banks for the Chateau Champlain hotel (being built in pic 2).

image/png

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

March 1994, 30 years ago when Woolco stores in Canada closed one day and re-opened as Walmarts.
LA PRESSE looks back. (Francais). https://www.lapresse.ca/affaires/chroniques/2024-03-29/walmart-au-quebec-30-ans-de-bipolarite.php?mfid=N2RiNGI3MWIzY2FjMzU1MTkwMDJmMThhNzM3OGY3YWU=

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

NTSB B-Roll of their continued visit of the Dali on Thursday.
Includes getting to the point where portio of ship was crushed by falling bridge.

07:37
https://youtu.be/UIA5uH-i08I

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

From Moonraker Trivia: The waterfalls in the movie are actually the Guaira Falls, the sum of 18 water falls divided into 7 clusters of falls - that give the Portuguese name "Sete Quedas". Since end of October 1982 the falls were submerged in order to create one of the biggest hydroelectric dams of all time (Itaipú Dam). The movie is actually one of the last times that the whole Guaira Falls were shown

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

If you feel cold tonight, Iceland has (finally) restarted it laval "fireplace" videos 😉

https://livefromiceland.is/webcams/thorbjorn2

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

Merrick Garland announces the antitrust lawsuit against Apple.

Used to be that Microsoft was the bad guy and Apple was the small irrelevant struggling firm. They have since become the behemouth.
Garland even mentions the green vs blue bubble for messaging.

09:15 https://youtu.be/MJ6JycDyYj4

jfmezei, 2 months ago to random

NTSB has released some B-Roll aerial images of the Baltimore bridge disaster
https://youtu.be/CwgOHpZlxvc

07:31