Keeping with the times, I’ve decided to producing more video content to reach a broader audience and experiment with a new medium. My first video covering how to design a protected intersection exceeded all expectations I had for it, and is currently sitting at over 32,000 views.
There’s a lot of buzz about “YouTube Urbanism” lately, as channels like NotJustBikes have really brought urbanism content into the mainstream. As for my niche, I’m going to focus on bringing an engineer’s perspective to street design, through short tutorials and narrated walk/ride alongs.
My second video is a narrated ride-along through Toronto’s first full protected intersection, which opened in Summer 2022. This project is near-and-dear for me, as it’s also the first project I’ve designed that’s been built! Check out the video and let me know any thoughts you have for future ones.
Beyond the Automobile 
Thanks for this Matt. Just the right amount of detail for me. The design here is excellent and will make transitioning through that intersection much safer for cyclists. We have similar projects here in Kingston but my concern is that they all seem to be undertaken without a thought to route planning for cyclists. Infrastructure only gets used if it facilitates trips people want to make.
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Hi Matt. This is the right level of detail for me, an activist but not a designer. This level of detail allows me to appreciate the reasoning behind many of the features and have some understanding of how they work.
Since I live in a smaller community (Cobourg) I would be extremely grateful if you would consider a blog sometime about how towns of less than 30,000 can get into the protected intersection game.
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Thanks for the feedback Bruce! Having the right guidance in place is an important first step; just last year the provincial guidance was updated to include protected intersections. The province is looking now to go a step further and fund a study to develop standalone guidance for these. Next, advocates need to ask for it, and municipal staff need to want to see them built. Some still need to be convinced of the merits.
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Thanks Matt. Yes, I have definitely experienced the attitude implied in the last sentence of your reply. On a positive note, there is a municipal election this fall. Maybe a more enlightened council will provide encouragement to staff.
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