iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 15h

See this is why advance voting makes me nervous sometimes

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 15h

What is a bollard but a pylon doing a really good job

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 15h

Right?? I was genuinely touched. But to be fair she is also in on the project and just doesn't have the storage space for pylons

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 15h

Neighbour texted me that someone left some pylons on her lawn and did I want them for a future tactical urbanism project. "I saw them and immediately thought of you" 😭

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Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD

Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

It’s hard enough for cities in Canada to do smarter things given how often bad city leaders hurt their own cities. But it’s extra infuriating watching awful provincial premiers sabotaging cities by ripping out good things they FINALLY managed to achieve. Premiers should not have that power, period.

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I also like making this point (and often am making it in agreement with your posts, haha)

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Thank you, this is so good! "People do not see the harm. It is denied and disavowed. When the destructiveness of automobility is pointed out, drivers are baffled, upset, or get angry. ‘Driving is safe if you follow the rules!’."

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Off the top of my head: @ianloader.bsky.social's recent paper about motor violence (featured in an incredible @thewaroncars.bsky.social episode), my friend @ashtonindc.bsky.social's paper about how language reflects and reinforces beliefs and values in road space debates

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

When he says not calling it violence would "get a ton more public support", he actually means "I personally find this irritating". Which is fine, this is the opinion site, but say that instead then! There are whole research fields about language and framing and theory of change!

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

I could write an essay about all the ways this is wrong but I so detest the "we've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas" pessimism and the ignorance of the research and advocacy. It's very easy to confuse opinion with fact on topics that we all experience, but smart people should try harder.

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

This is not his first bike lane crank take!

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Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD

Melissa & Chris Bruntlett @modacitylife.com · 08/10/2026

One of the key lessons from Dutch cycling history is cities didn't start with protected lanes. They began by making streets safer, calmer and more inviting; with lower speeds, parking restrictions, traffic filters and reduced through-traffic to create an environment in which cycling could flourish.🧵

A cycling priority street in the Netherlands where drivers are guests and cyclists are the main users.

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I don't agree with all the rankings myself but they are entertaining!

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

I've never seen them in stores or anything, where did you find it?

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

How can we discuss apples without applerankings.com

Review of the Red Delicious apple
Score: 25/100, "coffee grounds in a leather glove"

Gala apple review: 68/100, "the base model"

The Gala is a robust apple that can be and is grown all over the world all year-long. As a result, it has become a wholly inoffensive mainstay that can be found in any supermarket, at any time, anywhere in the developed world. In fact, in 2018 the Gala surpassed the gag-worthy Red Delicious as America’s Most Popular Apple. This does not mean the Gala is some kind of transcendent Godsend. On the contrary, it is more akin to an uncool step-parent who eventually wins you over simply by consistently showing up. Red Delicious – please leave, we have a new father now.

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Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD

Cycle Toronto @cycletoronto.bsky.social · 28/04/2026

Toronto goes to the polls on Monday, October 26, and that means municipal election season is almost upon us. But how did your Councillor vote on cycling over the past four years? Find out at: cycleto.ca/scorecard

TORONTO CITY COUNCIL
CYCLING SCORECARD
How every active member of Toronto City Council has voted on cycling in the current council term (2022–2026).

SUPPORT = yes ÷ (yes + no)
PARTICIPATION = (yes + no) ÷ (yes + no + absent)

5
100% Support &
100% Participation

13
>80% Support

6
60–79% Support

2
< 60% Support

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

There's always huge pickup trucks that don't fit in the angled street parking and block half the travel lane. The social embarrassment isn't enough to stop them, so it needs to cost them more money

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Hello from a fellow full-body reboot "enjoyer"

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Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD

Danny Doucette @dannydoucette.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

#bikehfx my preschooler, seeing road rage: they should not drive and be angry, they should ride a bike and be happy

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Because we drive so little and when we do it's for fun stuff like grandparents or camping, for my kids the car is kind of an enjoyable novelty experience, but it definitely wasn't when they were babies, and I can't imagine driving for necessity and how miserable we would all be.

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Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD

Francesca Bouaoun @francescabouaoun.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

It’s been two years since Ontario Place West Island was destroyed for a planned private spa. Hundreds of trees were cut down - here’s a snapshot of the many species who lost habitat. 🧵

Side-by-side comparison of a landscape on the Toronto waterfront. In one scene, an island is covered in trees reflected in a still channel of water. The other image of the same place shows a barren stretch land with a pile of rubble in the centre.

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

This piece is incredible and gets to the heart of what I've been wondering about Brad: was he always like this? And the answer is yes: policies that determine who lives and who dies in this city are smoothies on a restaurant menu to Brad Bradford.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing. There are plenty of deeply ambitious politicians out there. No, the problem for Bradford isn’t that he believes in himself, it’s that he hasn’t shown, in his eight years on council, and in his long run for mayor, that he really believes in anything else. His speeches and answers on the campaign are so nakedly poll driven. His persona as a tough-on-crime, penny pinching populist feel entirely disconnected from the eager urban planner who entered office at 32 full of ideas about expanding bike lanes, raising property taxes on the rich and cutting funding to the police.

When I put that to Bradford over breakfast, he told me he’s grown and changed in his eight years on the job, which is fair enough. He compared his evolution to a restaurant owner experimenting with new dishes. “Maybe they thought it was a good idea to put smoothies on the menu,” he said. “Then nobody bought smoothies.” You wouldn’t call them a flip flopper if they then took the smoothie option down.

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Feels like it should be the other way around, the liability should be higher from leaving the street *open* to cars.

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I was ambivalent about Halloween as a child but now I understand its true purpose: block party

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Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD

Peter Flax @pflax1.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

For the most part, driving is super inefficient but at least it's really expensive and also quite dangerous.

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

We also use the car share (Communauto) and I considered it for this trip, but it would also be expensive and there's the added stress of actually having to drive!

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The cost of not driving is your time and energy: I pored over the map for days comparing timings and costs. I checked for bike + transit options. I checked if I could walk the last transfer. If I had a car, I would just hop in and go; it would be expensive and miserable but I wouldn't question it.

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

On the way home I took a GO bus, then a Mississauga bus, then the subway. Three different transit agencies but the whole trip cost under $4. Thank you fare integration!! #WeekWithoutDriving

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Yesterday I had a meeting in deep Mississauga. 50 minutes by car or 90 minutes by transit with at least two transfers. Since I don't have a car, I did a compromise: subway all the way to the end of the line, then a taxi: $30 and 70 minutes total. #WeekWithoutDriving

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

No!! Oh my goodness this is such a good idea

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I feel like you could do fish cakes in the waffle maker too...

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Isn't it possible that no one will want it though? I've heard that several prominent firms have already declined it. Or do you think there will always be someone willing to take the job?

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Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD

Canada's National Observer @nationalobserver.com · 28/09/2026

This morning — following two investigations into Toronto mayoral candidate Brad Bradford's use of an app that rewards supporters for posting AI-generated comments and sharing contacts — Bradford called our reporting "inaccurate." We're now releasing the recording that proves our reporting.

nationalobserver.com

Bradford calls CNO reporting of AI app rewards ‘inaccurate.’ Here’s the recording proving our reporting.

Canada’s National Observer has decided to publish the segment of the Zoom call that corroborates its reporting.

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Agreed, this price is so low for an e-cargo bike that you should worry

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Someone actually did!! (Seen in Beaches-East York)

A lawn sign in Brad Bradford's former warn that says "BRADFORD BYPASS COMING SOON"

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

First time riding in it, car parked in the bike lane 🫠

A van parked in an unprotected section of new cycle track on Danforth

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Yep this one is a raised crossing! Not all crossings in the area are, but three were upgraded to raised.

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Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD

Michelle @michelle-colleen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Impressive turnout at #criticalmass #bikeTO to show our opposition to Doug Ford's plan to rip out bike lanes & endanger our lives. Bike lanes save lives! Doug Ford is a corrupt animal. Shame on him! #cycling #visionzero #toronto #ONpoli #TOpoli

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

If I (or worse, one of my kids) gets sick at any point in the next 2 weeks the whole house of cards is gonna come down

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

About to enter a period I like to call "living like a professor" where every activity is stacked so tightly that I have mere hours to prepare for each next thing and success is balanced on the edge of a knife

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Ah, the chicken and egg of residential location and mode choice 🙃

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Yes for sure, to the tune of "in the median city, each new km of bicycle lanes is associated with ~13,400 additional km per year of bicycle travel."

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Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD @mbonsma.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

In a massive dataset of over 10,000 cities around the world, the strongest association with distance travelled by cycling was not climate, topography, or even infrastructure - it was *gasoline prices* doi.org/10.1073/pnas...

Figure 3 from "Global health and climate benefits from walking and cycling infrastructure" by Adam Millard-Balla, Monisha Reginalda, Yasmina Yusufa, and Christopher Bian. The figure shows factors associated with distance travelled by cycling and walking, arranged in order of effect size. For cycling, the largest effects are gasoline prices, GDP per capita, rail service, steep terrain (negative effect), minimum temperature (negative effect), population density, and bicycle lanes. For walking, the largest effects are population density, gasoline prices, bicycle lanes, and maximum temp (negative effect).

Fig. 3 Caption: Factors influencing active travel. Each coefficient represents the impact of a one-SD change in each variable on the share of kilometers traveled by cycling (A) and walking (B). For each city-level variable such as density, the model estimates a separate coefficient for each country. The shaded area shows the distribution of country-level coefficients; for density, for example, the effect on walking ranges from about zero to ~0.11, excluding one outlier. For country-level variables such as gasoline prices, there is only a single coefficient. Variables are ordered by the size of their absolute effect in the median country—density and gasoline prices have the greatest impact on walking and gasoline prices and income (GDP per capita) on cycling. The minimum temperature variable shows the marginal effect of both the linear and squared terms.

One might expect climate to have a major impact on active travel, and many studies highlight the impact of weather on daily and seasonal travel decisions (9, 25). However, in our model, there is a negligible association between precipitation and the mode shares of walking and cycling. Hotter temperatures decrease walking but have no effect on travel by bicycle. Colder temperatures only reduce walking and cycling in colder climates (SI Appendix for further Discussion). At the national level, gasoline price has the largest association with the share of travel by active modes. A one-SD increase in the price per liter (equivalent to US $0.40) is associated with a ~1.0 percentage point increase in walking and a ~0.5 percentage point increase in cycling—notable given that the mode share of cycling across the entire dataset is just ~0.9%. These findings echo a large volume of research that shows how vehicle travel declines in line with rising fuel prices (26). Gasoline prices also have an indirect effect in promoting denser, mixed-use development (27).

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