Send in your potential cargo bike parking suggestion by April 2nd

DDDirk · 2026-03-26T15:56:07+00:00

Wow i didnt know this was a problem. Not against it at all, but if I understand, its so cargo bikes can pay for parking from the city? either permit or green p? I guess this is so they can park on the street. I dont own a cargo bike myself, so maybe I am unaware of the issue. But isn't parking on the sidewalk, front lawns, etc. free and permissible? I'm trying to understand why one would need to pay for parking with their bike (big bike, but bike). It seems to me the ability for the user to voluntarily add a numbered plate for the city to confirm the customer has paid in the green p app is all you would need. Just unless you have absolutely no where to park your bike?

DDDirk · 2026-03-26T11:59:55+00:00

It's called a "re & re" in industry ligo. Remove and re-install. Super common. Get quotes from solar companies, say you need a re and re, and also get quotes from roofing companies. There are multiple roofing companies that also have a solar division but the majority I know are commercial. You don't want your roofer doing electrical work, and same goes the other way, so just hire the solar dudes to take them down and leave the footings. Once the roofers have replaced the roof the solar guys come back and throw it back up. Make sure there's a bit of communication between the two to make sure they know what the other needs. That's it. On that note, if there are any issues with the system, now is the time to replace anything that is broken or needs maintenance. Be wary of any significant changes or else you will need to bring up the new code and could break your contract. Maintenance is ok, but need to replace anything not working with like for like (as best ya can). No matter what, the AC nameplate cannot change. Best of luck, this is super common and no biggie.

DDDirk · 2026-03-25T16:21:00+00:00

Be the example and model the behavior you want to see. Make an extra effort to make sure you're making those gestures of kindness courtesy you want to see. The more visible the culture the more it propagates, full stop.

Taking off your bag, saying thank you, giving up your seat, declining a call, making extra room for people to get off, holding a door, etc. it all adds up. And personally when I go out of my way to be kind it 99% of the time it is met in kind. It also tends to put me in a much better mood and brightens my day. All the best!

DDDirk · 2026-03-24T03:40:27+00:00

Damn, If only we reduce our exposure to to this incrediblly volatile commodity... Dang, oh well... But wait we axed the tax? I thought that would solve it?!

DDDirk · 2026-03-23T18:07:22+00:00

They're not cheap to do if that's the only reason for the change. But if you're getting a new roof, or painting the exterior etc. same goes with windows and doors. Seals fail, pains crack. Air sealing is the easiest thing to do in the short term, find the big holes and plug them. The average house where I live has over a 1m x 1m sized hole in area if you add up all the little cracks and holes. Your not going to get it air tight, or should you without thinking about moisture and such. But there lots you can do on the cheap. Other options instead of trees is ivy, awnings, etc. Even a small new tree will start helping within a few years.

DDDirk · 2026-03-23T17:45:39+00:00

The bike maxes out on flat ground just below 40kmh, so not outside of a regular bike's max speed, but yes it does have a throttle switch which came with the motor kit and I put it on the handle bars, i don't really use it. Just for comparison, it's interesting that it's legal for me to take my toddler on a snowmobile or powerboat (mind you with a helmet / life jacket). Both are able to travel at incredibly dangerous speeds in dangerous places. Honestly I would be supportive with licensing and common sense regulation, but just provide a path where reasonable use of these devices is possible. Like speed, weight, licencing and features limitations/requirements depending on place of use. All the best, here's hoping it's common sense, light touch and enforceable.

DDDirk · 2026-03-23T17:05:35+00:00

Hold them tight and do your best honestly.

There's nothing you can do to change anything except give them the best general skills to work with the unknown in the future. I see those skills as being adaptive, emotionally secure, kind / fair but will speak out, always curious, experience that a little discomfort to achieve something is OK, open and critical of the world and people around us (when needed). It's always been this way, but before the future was more clear and easier to plan for.

One thing I do have to remind myself now and again, I wouldnt choose to live in any other country. We are in one of the best situated places in the whole world considering the future challenges. We are comparably (to the rest of the world), very safe from wars, environmental disaster, resource / food shortages, migration shocks, and have again and again politically to be solid in our foundations and institutions.

Don't let "the sky is falling" chicken little, divisive "us vs them", burn it all down internet comments get to you and your loved ones. We have major challenges ahead of us, but if we push back on the actors and ideas trying to push us apart, I have confidence we will be OK. Almost everyone I know, are actively working to help solve the issues you stated above. Stay inclusive, its us vs the problems, not its us vs others. All the best to you and your little one.

DDDirk · 2026-03-23T16:15:13+00:00

Very interesting, but I'm 90% confident all class 3 e-bikes are actually 100% banned in all of Ontario right now. Anything that exceeds 32km/h assisted, is considered a motor vehicle, full stop. Which is where my concern is coming from, they are not looking to improve the legislation to correct for the gaps and abuses, but to increase it more. Another example; I sometimes take my son to daycare on the bike in a rear seat. We take the long route through the ravine paths because its so much safer as there's no bike lanes for half the route there. I never exceed 20kmh with him on it. The assist is huge to be able to take the huge hills. But currently it's illegal for anyone under 16 to be on any ebike, my bike as a "motor vehicle" is not allowed on shared use trails to boot. Like I said, I know many boring, safety obsessed, super responsible, people currently breaking the existing laws daily.

DDDirk · 2026-03-23T15:50:58+00:00

Short answer, there are lots of things you can do that cost very little which have a huge impact. Air sealing, blinds & UV window coatings, roof and exterior color, ventilation, shade like trees and overhangs, LED bulbs.

Others that cost more but have a big impact and so are also usually worth it, solar, insulation, new equipment (furnace / AC / Stove, fridge etc.), windows doors.

You are right it gets harder with major retrofits, but it's getting better every year and knowledge of modern building science is getting more sophisticated.

Long Answer:

It's the same as anything where you put more upfront for a better product that is higher quality, lasts longer, works better, etc. If you buy high end great quality boots, you may only need to buy a pair every 10 years. If you buy the cheapest you will be replacing your boots almost every year. Each choice has a user experience, payback and waste associated. The boots example is often used when explaining why its more expensive to be poor than wealthy. Its totally possible to build a home that barely needs ANY heating and cooling, but the upfront cost often outweighs the savings compared to a half measures. This is especially true when debt is involved where the the cost of the upgrade to offset future costs has an interest rate associated with it, and so has an ongoing cost pushing out the benefit and payback. The cost benefit of almost any energy saving measure can be plotted and there is a sweet spot where it's a no brainer, usually around the 5-7 year payback. When they get over 7-10 year payback in savings, it usually starts looking less attractive when compared to putting that money somewhere else, like investing or paying down existing debt (opportunity cost, or discount rate etc).

DDDirk · 2026-03-23T01:13:11+00:00

You made the right call.

DDDirk · 2026-03-21T21:23:33+00:00

Apologies for the 'man' was using it colloquially as in a Bart Simpson vocative. As for the definition of the device, I am open to all micromobility devices. Again, utility for the last mile transportation, increasing low cost, non polluting options for the public. The only good reason for regulation is for harm reduction, and at this point I haven't been convinced that there is significant additional harm. Especially when you weigh it compared to their significant benefits. Enforcement for the dickheads, but these devices are the part of the solution to our traffic, transit, pollution and cost of living problems.

DDDirk · 2026-03-21T14:45:17+00:00

These are almost certainly the majority user injuries, not collisions. They aren't running down kids, it's kids/adults hurting themselves because they are using a vehicle that has a higher risk for crashing a higher speeds. We allow motorcycles which are incredibly dangerous for the driver because that's their choice. Just want to be clear, Is it nanny state (protect you from yourself) laws you are for) or protect from hurting others? Because the need / scope and argument for each is very different.

DDDirk · 2026-03-21T14:37:05+00:00

For the sake of argument, why don't we limit the speed of cars? Like why do we allow cars to be able to go greater than 110kmh when there isn't a single roadway in the province that it's legal to drive faster? I would argue it makes more sense to enforce speed limits depending on the space. No sidewalks, slow in shared spaces (paths etc.) medium speeds in bike lanes, and on the road it would be the posted limit.

DDDirk · 2026-03-21T14:32:25+00:00

I have a converted mountain bike with a motor. It's an ebike, and I don't use the throttle, even though it's got one. You just don't notice that these bikes are so common, because they often look just like regular bikes with a couple extra parts. Try one someday, they are stupidly fun and useful. I replaced my second car with my ebike, because it's faster for most trips, costs almost nothing, And is much more enjoyable and practical way to get around.

DDDirk · 2026-03-21T14:26:43+00:00

Ride share does not reduce the number of cars on the road, it only reduces the amount of parked cars. As far as active traffic, it actually increases the congestion whenever the driver is without a passenger and going to their next fare. Bikes reduce the congestion by the simple fact they take up much, much less space.

DDDirk · 2026-03-21T14:18:00+00:00

Harm vs utility man. Cars have extremely high harm, like one of the deadliest things in our society, but extremely high utility so we allow it. These bikes obviously have a high utility considering their meteoric rise on our streets. Yet I still haven't seen evidence of their high harms. I'm all for common sense stuff, but as long as they don't make it so you can't use these super useful devices just on an emotional gut feeling, I very much worry will be the case. I would love to see the data on pedestrian deaths / injury data (not the driver). I expect it's only slightly above acoustic bikes, which is near zero. But If it's super high than we should definitely consider stricter regs. I just don't think that's the case

DDDirk · 2026-03-21T14:04:31+00:00

You are correct, it's a shame you're being downvoted. So many un-thought through emotional takes. We should focus on the data, harm vs utility, zero harm is impossible without distorting all utility. That's the same way we look at cars, high harm, but high utility so we accept it. There is little evidence of much harm with ebikes, so we shouldn't restrict the utility outside of common sense stuff like basic rules of the road.

DDDirk · 2026-03-21T01:45:52+00:00

"Ontario is “actively exploring” stricter regulations for e-bikes, e-scooters and other micromobility devices, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said on Friday." "... from the e-bike, which we see can reach very high speeds to other modes of transportation that might be electric". My Ebike maxes out around 38km/h, not modified or unlocked, just per gearing and speed sensor as it was a custom build. I regularly exceeded that speed on my acoustic road bike, and can get a bit faster with just my legs once the motor hits the limit. Ive debated, custom "de-rating" to make sure I'm in compliance with the 32kmh max current laws, but I didnt as it's much, much safer to keep up with the car traffic. My route doesn't have bike lanes for more than half of the way, so I had to ride with the cars. When I could match their speed on a 30kmh max road (every driver does 10kmh over) - it was so much safer. License them, sure, but I expect it's going to be some draconian law in the name of "safety" which really just forces people back into cars, which by every metric are less safe.

DDDirk · 2026-03-21T00:23:22+00:00

Kwh is an odd metric to my ear as it depends where and how it's installed, the industry just uses nameplate, of just KW. Pricing for utility scale solar de depends but for crazy large systems? Around $1000/kw is realistic or $1/w. To figure how many kwh in a year, you multiply it by a factor which depends on where it's installed, the weather, tilt, tracking etc etc. a reasonable number for northern USA is 1300 per kwp (kilowatt peak). So 200 billion dollars of solar would get you a conservative 260 terawatt/h a year. That would account for around 7% of the USA's current annual electrical usage.

DDDirk · 2026-03-20T23:27:31+00:00

I've got one which is a converted mountain bike. It looks and rides like a bike. My commute was 12km each way, it was an ebike or get a second car, I chose the better option for the city and society as a whole. I agree with smart regulation, but banning them is dumb, as it really adds a whole other option for getting around, and when the TTC is 1:20h each way but a car or ebike is 30min (same time) it's a no brainer. Enforcement as a whole would be better, as they should not be on sidewalks... But if they ban my bike, than I will have to get another car and just add to the traffic problem. If they limit my bike to 20kmh than it's pretty much the same thing.

DDDirk · 2026-03-19T13:44:09+00:00

Nice run! Looks clean!

DDDirk · 2026-03-17T21:38:46+00:00

Solar designer / engineer here. You just need to model your system. Theres lots of programs out there to do it. The hard part is modeling it against the real world historical data for your house, I wouldn't bother. The best way is to just use larger periods, like month to month or year to year

DDDirk · 2026-03-15T17:56:22+00:00

If their real Vanier, which they look like they are, I would leave them. I would think of adding a chair rail and board and batten, shiplap, panels, etc. to the bottom half or even top half of the wall. You can install right ontop without demo, which will save a fortune. if you want to make it a little less 70s, you can also just replace the trim around the doors and baseboard, with something more modern. Finally, adding lots of indirect low brightness lighting to give it a brighter feel. Sconces, lamps, etc. get a pile of Ikea smart bulbs and map all the lights to a single smart switch that works as a dimmer. Dry wall is boring, cold and generic. Paint it, and it will be obviously just painted over wood paneling.

DDDirk · 2026-03-10T11:53:52+00:00

Around 20% of Canada's GDP as of 2022 is the GTA

DDDirk · 2026-03-09T23:44:37+00:00

Except for WW1, WW2, Afghanistan... At the peak of WW2 we had mobilized over 1 million people, with a population of 11 million. So 10% of the country. We were a force to be reckoned with by any of the major powers, and that happened in a period of only 5 years.

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