Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
@mbonsma.bsky.social
Bikes + data, UofT biophys PhD, mom.
I post about bikes and safe streets, local politics, and sometimes science. She/her.
I post about bikes and safe streets, local politics, and sometimes science. She/her.
Pinned
I have removed
the bike lanes
that were in
the road
and which
you were probably
using
to get to work
Forgive me
they were delicious
so crunchy
and so cold
the bike lanes
that were in
the road
and which
you were probably
using
to get to work
Forgive me
they were delicious
so crunchy
and so cold
"As long as we’re wanting the efficiency of the vehicles that we’re using... as long as we’re going over 5 km/h, there unfortunately will occasionally be injuries; there will occasionally be accidents." -Ontario politician Ric Bresee on his government removing bike lanes
Many folks in the advocacy community know that efforts to lower driving speeds save lives...so in most places we're left to grapple with this reality where we know that most people and institutions choose to accept a certain amount of preventable human suffering as unavoidable collateral damage.
“Helsinki hasn’t registered a single traffic-related fatality in the past year…Citing data that shows the risk of pedestrian fatality is cut in half by reducing a car’s speed from 40 to 30km/hr, city officials imposed the lower limit in most of Helsinki’s residential areas & city center in 2021.”
November 17, 2025 at 2:35 PM
"As long as we’re wanting the efficiency of the vehicles that we’re using... as long as we’re going over 5 km/h, there unfortunately will occasionally be injuries; there will occasionally be accidents." -Ontario politician Ric Bresee on his government removing bike lanes
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
My good friend Jess reading out names of innocent ppl who have a lost their lives to road violence.
Candles represent lives lost.
It’s so wrong when our elected reps place the convenience of drivers over prioritizing the safety of vulnerable road users.
via @ffsafestreets.bsky.social #WDoR2025
Candles represent lives lost.
It’s so wrong when our elected reps place the convenience of drivers over prioritizing the safety of vulnerable road users.
via @ffsafestreets.bsky.social #WDoR2025
November 16, 2025 at 11:50 PM
My good friend Jess reading out names of innocent ppl who have a lost their lives to road violence.
Candles represent lives lost.
It’s so wrong when our elected reps place the convenience of drivers over prioritizing the safety of vulnerable road users.
via @ffsafestreets.bsky.social #WDoR2025
Candles represent lives lost.
It’s so wrong when our elected reps place the convenience of drivers over prioritizing the safety of vulnerable road users.
via @ffsafestreets.bsky.social #WDoR2025
This should be illegal
November 16, 2025 at 6:11 PM
This should be illegal
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
Almost everywhere in the City of Toronto has fewer people that it did 50 years ago
November 15, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Almost everywhere in the City of Toronto has fewer people that it did 50 years ago
Pour one out for the 1950s-era passenger train between Smithville and Hamilton 😔
tales.wellandhistory.ca/2015/05/05/m...
tales.wellandhistory.ca/2015/05/05/m...
November 15, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Pour one out for the 1950s-era passenger train between Smithville and Hamilton 😔
tales.wellandhistory.ca/2015/05/05/m...
tales.wellandhistory.ca/2015/05/05/m...
Happening today!
#ThIsTorontoDanforth
Taking Action for Safe Cycling in the City
Join for a discussion with cycling advocates working to make Toronto cycling-friendly
Sat, Nov 15, 2025, 2 - 4 pm
eventbrite.ca/e/taking-action-for-safe-cycling-in-the-city-tickets-1797500766179?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1
Taking Action for Safe Cycling in the City
Join for a discussion with cycling advocates working to make Toronto cycling-friendly
Sat, Nov 15, 2025, 2 - 4 pm
eventbrite.ca/e/taking-action-for-safe-cycling-in-the-city-tickets-1797500766179?aff=ebdssbdestsearch&keep_tld=1
November 15, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Happening today!
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
My unconventional biking in the rain tip: listen to songs that celebrate the rain! Like “I’m only happy when it rains” by garbage or “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedington.
Pic to prove I’m very wet at school pick up
Pic to prove I’m very wet at school pick up
November 14, 2025 at 11:26 PM
My unconventional biking in the rain tip: listen to songs that celebrate the rain! Like “I’m only happy when it rains” by garbage or “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedington.
Pic to prove I’m very wet at school pick up
Pic to prove I’m very wet at school pick up
I was radicalized at 13 when I wrote my Grade 8 speech on light pollution and learned for the first time that a better world was possible
Lots of folks captioning aurora photos like "for a few minutes we didn't think about politics"
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
November 13, 2025 at 10:22 PM
I was radicalized at 13 when I wrote my Grade 8 speech on light pollution and learned for the first time that a better world was possible
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
Lots of folks captioning aurora photos like "for a few minutes we didn't think about politics"
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
November 13, 2025 at 10:03 PM
Lots of folks captioning aurora photos like "for a few minutes we didn't think about politics"
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
guess I'm built different, every time I'm out trying to see night sky stuff I frequently think about how much light pollution is entirely preventable with just a tiny bit of regulation
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
TWO!
1. Cyclists permitted to use leading pedestrian intervals & PXOs
Saves over a million $ of cycling budget on signals & eliminates needing council approval for so many cycling things.
2. Permit bidirectional cycling on all 1-way local streets, ala Paris.
Both make roads safer for everyone.
1. Cyclists permitted to use leading pedestrian intervals & PXOs
Saves over a million $ of cycling budget on signals & eliminates needing council approval for so many cycling things.
2. Permit bidirectional cycling on all 1-way local streets, ala Paris.
Both make roads safer for everyone.
November 12, 2025 at 10:50 PM
TWO!
1. Cyclists permitted to use leading pedestrian intervals & PXOs
Saves over a million $ of cycling budget on signals & eliminates needing council approval for so many cycling things.
2. Permit bidirectional cycling on all 1-way local streets, ala Paris.
Both make roads safer for everyone.
1. Cyclists permitted to use leading pedestrian intervals & PXOs
Saves over a million $ of cycling budget on signals & eliminates needing council approval for so many cycling things.
2. Permit bidirectional cycling on all 1-way local streets, ala Paris.
Both make roads safer for everyone.
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
xkcd.com/3167/ welcome to @thewaroncars.bsky.social @xkcd.com ? I think that's a much more direct approach but I'm game for giving it a shot.
Car Size
xkcd.com
November 12, 2025 at 7:50 PM
xkcd.com/3167/ welcome to @thewaroncars.bsky.social @xkcd.com ? I think that's a much more direct approach but I'm game for giving it a shot.
Raja the elephant, welcome to @thewaroncars.bsky.social
Fun for all road tolling advocates!
(And yes, I suspect that from a wildlife perspective this is probably not ideal.)
www.bbc.com/reel/video/p... #dktrp
(And yes, I suspect that from a wildlife perspective this is probably not ideal.)
www.bbc.com/reel/video/p... #dktrp
Raja the elephant asking for a road toll
In Sri Lanka, a charming elephant cheekily halts traffic for treats.
www.bbc.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Raja the elephant, welcome to @thewaroncars.bsky.social
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
New MMI piece: We look at the 3.5 million people in Canada who live in a home that is too small to meet their needs, and how a mismanaged push by governments and urban planners towards densification is at odds with the human right to housing.
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
November 11, 2025 at 12:34 PM
New MMI piece: We look at the 3.5 million people in Canada who live in a home that is too small to meet their needs, and how a mismanaged push by governments and urban planners towards densification is at odds with the human right to housing.
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
Read here: www.missingmiddleini...
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
"'In mobility more than elsewhere, the central issue is supply rather than demand,' says the elected official, who assures that the municipality has 'massively amplified the supply in infrastructure.'"
Paris cycling numbers double in one year thanks to massive investment and it’s not stopping.
momentummag.com/paris-cyclin...
momentummag.com/paris-cyclin...
Paris cycling numbers double in one year thanks to massive investment and it's not stopping
The report delves into the nuances of Parisian cycling culture, exploring the vibrant community of riders who navigate the city's streets
momentummag.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:08 PM
"'In mobility more than elsewhere, the central issue is supply rather than demand,' says the elected official, who assures that the municipality has 'massively amplified the supply in infrastructure.'"
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
Our midwife intake included a survey. One of the questions was if we had any concerns about parenting. I wrote "how do you make sure your kid doesn't become a horrible person", but I guess they meant, like, keeping a newborn alive. Anyway I very much appreciate the social part of the report cards
I think the belief by the powerful that "people will put up with many things if you are excellent at math" is incredibly revealing in terms of understanding How We Got Here
November 12, 2025 at 1:47 AM
Our midwife intake included a survey. One of the questions was if we had any concerns about parenting. I wrote "how do you make sure your kid doesn't become a horrible person", but I guess they meant, like, keeping a newborn alive. Anyway I very much appreciate the social part of the report cards
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
The shamelessness of aping my own documentation and art (their creation on the left, my photo on the right) to exaggerate the impacts of retail… Sad. Derivative. Misleading.
November 11, 2025 at 1:46 PM
The shamelessness of aping my own documentation and art (their creation on the left, my photo on the right) to exaggerate the impacts of retail… Sad. Derivative. Misleading.
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
Thurs we ride against Ford's attack on bike lanes, bus lanes, pedestrian safety, tenants rights & more! Omnibus bills that aim to distract & divide communities w many intersecting interests we need to all fight against!
[https://www.cycleto.ca/bill_60_protest_ride](www.cycleto.ca/bill_60_prot...)
[https://www.cycleto.ca/bill_60_protest_ride](www.cycleto.ca/bill_60_prot...)
November 9, 2025 at 1:50 PM
Thurs we ride against Ford's attack on bike lanes, bus lanes, pedestrian safety, tenants rights & more! Omnibus bills that aim to distract & divide communities w many intersecting interests we need to all fight against!
[https://www.cycleto.ca/bill_60_protest_ride](www.cycleto.ca/bill_60_prot...)
[https://www.cycleto.ca/bill_60_protest_ride](www.cycleto.ca/bill_60_prot...)
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
Urbanist knitters, I need you to know about these mittens: www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib...
"Fuck Cars" Mittens pattern by Erin Megenity
Prepare to show off your love of bikes and become the envy of your urbanist friends with these “Fuck Cars” Mittens! Inspired by my husband, I designed these mittens for those of us who don’t let cold ...
www.ravelry.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:25 PM
Urbanist knitters, I need you to know about these mittens: www.ravelry.com/patterns/lib...
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
Not an urbanist, a 10 year old.
November 6, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Not an urbanist, a 10 year old.
On this stormy November day in Ontario we remember another storm 50 years ago today that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald.
I'm so worried about what'll happen when our kids are old enough to have phones!!!! 😮😮😮
![A meme depicting a woman staring at her phone with one hand on her head, with the following text below:
IS YOUR CHILD TEXTING ABOUT THE WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD?
What your Great Lakes maritime history-obsessed teen's text messages actually mean:
brb = bell rang bro
rofl = rang out for lost (crew)
bff = big freakin' freigher
lol = Load of Ore on the Lake
smh = shift minutes to hours
glhf = Great Lakes hella freighter
tbh = taconite be haulin'
stfu = steer the freighter upwind
tfw = that freakin' witch (of November)
asl = a ship lost
gg = Gitche Gumee
idc = immoderate deadweight capacity
btw = beneath the waves
afk = a freighter kaput
hbd = hauler's beacon down
ily = iron load yonder
jk = just [24] kilometers
lmao = lost my abyssal ore
nbd = north bound draft
glhf = good lord, hold flooding
omg = obliteratingly massive gales
tmi = too much iron
wtf = White Fish (Bay)](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ccm7gttkbfs2eyyrlpshmeun/bafkreib6ughtj23oqdskaisavrueyn6fijujbp2e663h6p6ukx74lbibyu@jpeg)
November 10, 2025 at 3:14 PM
On this stormy November day in Ontario we remember another storm 50 years ago today that sank the Edmund Fitzgerald.
I have a fulfilling social life and friends who I love, but one last yawning gap remains: I am not in a book club.
November 10, 2025 at 12:50 PM
I have a fulfilling social life and friends who I love, but one last yawning gap remains: I am not in a book club.
*Hitting refresh over and over on the book website to see if any Ontario dates have been posted yet*
Full house for the #Vancouver launch of Life After Cars tonight with @brooklynspoke.bsky.social @sgoodyear.bsky.social @lucymaloney.bsky.social @tomflood.bsky.social
Thanks to @visionzerovancouver.ca for organizing. #urbanismbookclub
Thanks to @visionzerovancouver.ca for organizing. #urbanismbookclub
November 10, 2025 at 1:08 AM
*Hitting refresh over and over on the book website to see if any Ontario dates have been posted yet*
Reposted by Madeleine Bonsma-Fisher, PhD
Transportation planning relies on assumptions that this is how people make decisions.
But obviously most of us are not doing these calculations for every trip we make (or ever!).
This is why people need information & opportunities that invite them to think more about how they get around.
But obviously most of us are not doing these calculations for every trip we make (or ever!).
This is why people need information & opportunities that invite them to think more about how they get around.
I'm taking a day trip to Hamilton with my son. We could take a Communauto car share car, or a hypothetical car we own, or GO train and then a bus, or GO train and then taxi. Which will be cheapest and fastest? Let's calculate!
November 8, 2025 at 4:41 PM
Transportation planning relies on assumptions that this is how people make decisions.
But obviously most of us are not doing these calculations for every trip we make (or ever!).
This is why people need information & opportunities that invite them to think more about how they get around.
But obviously most of us are not doing these calculations for every trip we make (or ever!).
This is why people need information & opportunities that invite them to think more about how they get around.
10/10, trains rule
November 8, 2025 at 7:01 PM
10/10, trains rule