Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD

In this case it doesn't necessarily mean that, because it's not just proximity to fast roads but number of reachable jobs within a certain travel time by car. High employment density means car access will be higher, whether or not highways are involved.

All of this is good news for transit oriented development (people want it), and I think it suggests that gentrification from transit could be reduced by just having more transit access to go around. Almost nobody *wants* to drive to work. The people yearn for buses and trains!

As someone who highly values transit accessibility, I love to see that despite our car-dominant society, people really value being able to get places on transit. In the paper, they suggest that part of the premium is due to scarcity - car access is good everywhere, while transit access is more rare.

The top half of Figure 9 from "Multimodal Accessibility and the Capitalization of Realized Access by Car and Transit in Housing Prices Across Canada". 6 panels show maps of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, Ottawa, and Edmonton with heatmaps for the premium on home prices from both car and transit accessibility. In all these cities, the premium is higher near downtown and along transit lines where transit access is good.

The bottom half of Figure 9 from "Multimodal Accessibility and the Capitalization of Realized Access by Car and Transit in Housing Prices Across Canada". 6 panels show maps of Quebec City, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Waterloo, London, and Halifax with heatmaps for the premium on home prices from both car and transit accessibility. In all these cities except Hamilton and Winnipeg, the premium is higher near downtown and along transit lines where transit access is good. In Hamilton, the premium is highest in the north part of the city (Burlington area) which is within driving distance of Toronto, and in Winnipeg the accessibility premium is higher in the suburbs.

Here are those house price premiums on a map. In Toronto and Vancouver you can clearly see the outline of the major transit routes in a higher premium on home prices, while for Winnipeg and Hamilton, house prices are higher in the burbs (Winnipeg) or within a closer drive of Toronto (Hamilton).

Figure 8 from "Multimodal Accessibility and the Capitalization of Realized Access by Car and Transit in Housing Prices Across Canada" by Higgins, Arku, Farber, and Miller. 12 panels show transit accessibility and car accessibility weighted by commute mode share for the 12 largest cities in Canada. For every city, there is a negative relationship between transit and car accessibility, with the highest transit accessibility at low to moderate levels of car accessibility. For most cities except Winnipeg and Hamilton, high transit accessibility has a stronger effect on house prices than high car accessibility.

This plot shows the house price premium from transit accessibility (y-axis) and car accessibility (x-axis). After accounting for the actual use of each mode for commuting, it's transit convenience more than car convenience that drives house prices in most major cities.

Multimodal Accessibility and the Capitalization of Realized Access by Car and Transit in Housing Prices Across Canada Although the transportation accessibility benefits afforded by multiple transportation modes play a fundamental role in determining transportation costs and land prices, there are challenges associ...

Would you rather have good access to destinations by transit or by car? In a study of real estate prices across Canada, @higgicd.bsky.social and team found that despite the ubiquity of cars, good *transit* access is a bigger driver of housing prices than good car access. 🧵

doi.org/10.1080/2469...

Shout out John Tory

Yep. Unfortunately in my zealous youth I acquired many bike tools, but now it's time for me to admit that I don't like bike maintenance

I have not heard of this app! My schedule is basically an annual full tuneup and it gets summer and winter tires swapped twice a year, so I bring up any issues at those times.

And I do absolutely zero at-home maintenance on my e-bikes. They are my cars, they just go, and if they stop going they go to the shop.

Brakes and derailleurs, on the other hand, are also fiddly and bike-specific, but I would waste my time with a v-brake any day rather than trying for the tenth time to get a tight tire back on the rim.

Fixing flats is one of those things that might take 10 minutes but might also take 2 hours if the vibes are wrong. I outsource this task with zero shame!

Last week I cycled the Simcoe Loop with my family and heard the great news while sitting on the beach at Awenda. Bikes rule!!

A cute baby elephant

Elephants are born weighing 250 lbs. They are the biggest babies on earth except for motorists when they see a bike lane

Yeah for sure, it's been super hot when I was there and the shade is very limited, so it'll be lots better when the trees are bugger. I didn't notice rentals specifically, but I did see a lot of people kayaking!

Our loaded cargo bikes beside Biidaasige Park with one of the Cherry St bridges in the background

Kids playing on a wood log climber at Biidaasige Park

My daughter wearing a bike helmet and splashing in a water feature at the park

The revitalized mouth of the Don River with a Cherry St bridge in the background

Everybody's talking about it [biking to Biidaasige Park]

Yikes, good thing there's no vote to remove it 😬 (Also studies of the Bloor bike lanes have shown they increase safety, so I'm sorry your experience doesn't match that!)

Waving to your friends from your commute: the Bike Experience

The RapidTO lanes for Dufferin Street south of Bloor are APPROVED by Toronto Council 20-3.

The RapidTO lanes for Bathurst Street south of Bloor are APPROVED by Toronto Council 18-5.

Some tall and skinny row houses in shades of blue and red in Burnaby, BC that are "salt box" inspired

Row houses in classic yellow Kitchener brick in Kitchener, ON

A shady townhouse courtyard in Toronto, ON

Red brick townhouses in Ottawa ON with very cute gable windows

Townhouse appreciation post

Yeah exactly, the default is we chose to prioritize people in cars, and Holyday thinks it should stay that way.

Alright, I'll say it: people in buses ARE better than people in cars, Stephen

Another awesome urban transformation in Montreal!

This was originally a parking lot. It was transformed into a pedestrian plaza with a temporary design (quick-build seating, greenery, art, etc.).

Then it was upgraded to a really nice permanent design that was completed recently.

(Place Boyer)

At first we just smiled when we’d see each other.
Then said hello.
Then started riding side by side for a few mins with some small talk.

And after a few weeks we got to know each other & became friends!

I have never made a friend on a car commute.

Bikes build community.

2/2

So true. Stroller + bus = freedom for so many people with little kids, me included.

Kids ages 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Kids 8 and under require a car seat or booster seat.

It’s is pretty much impossible to carry a car seat and a toddler. infuriating transit agencies keep replacing fixed route buses with vans — transit access for caregivers of young kids is collateral damage. www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/a...

Love this, and I always appreciate how your love for Toronto comes through in your writing!

Between two trees: Vancouver man maps more than 2,600 places to hang a hammock He had the idea while hanging in a hammock.

When your city has an open data portal with the location of every tree, you can do this:

Clever! @sgoodyear.bsky.social focuses on voices of women in @thewaroncars.bsky.social @velo-city-conference.com report.

Bikes democratize life & build #solidarity
With Katherine Cory, Cyprine Odada, Eleanor McMahon, Florence Lehmann, @mbonsma.bsky.social, Catherine Elliot @modacitylife.com & more!