All Posts

Below is a list of all articles posted on the site. Each article covers some aspect of visualization, reserach, or advocacy, primarily around transit and transportation topics. You can click on an article's [tag] to see all articles with that topic.

A Map of Biking and Transit in Calgary
Published August 24, 2023

Comparing and constrasting the differences in biking and transit times to downtown Calgary and downtown Toronto

Via Rail's Holiday Blues
Published December 29, 2022

My opinion piece for the Globe and Mail on how Canadian rail policy contributed to the disasterous weekend over the 2022 Christmas holiday.

Recreating a Transit Travel Time Map from 1922
Published August 30, 2022

I decided to try my hand at updating a 100-year-old map of transit travel times in Melbourne.

How Fares Can Impact Access to Opportunities
Published May 22, 2022

"Premium" transit (such as commuter rail) can create gaps between what is accessible when fare money is limited. I outline a recently published study exploring this gap in seven major U.S. urban areas.

Mapping Transit Equity: Finding the Right Amount of Nuance
Published January 27, 2022

An "artist's statement" on a visualization of the distribution of nearby residents to stations on Calgary's current and future LRT network.

Do We Need Behaviour Models in Transit Planning?
Published November 09, 2021

Is prediction necessary for good transit planning? Alex Karner and I elaborate on a recent exchange with public transit consultant Jarrett Walker.

Five Minute Findings: Cycling and Infrastructure
Published August 16, 2021

A quick look at recent studies on cycling infrastructure, complete networks, and getting it built.

Six Better Ways to Visualize Transit Reliability
Published July 14, 2021

Despite reliability being at or near the top of what's important to passengers and data that is commonly available, transit agencies lack nuanced and detailed reporting on reliability. Here are six visualizations that can help communicate the reliability of a route better.

Did VIA's Reliability Improve in 2020?
Published May 02, 2021

Comparing VIA Rail arrival data from 2019 to 2020 to learn if the Coronavirus had an impact on the reliability of operations.

Visualizing Populations with Dot Maps
Published April 27, 2021

Dot maps are a great way to show many facets of a population in a dense area.

The Ridership Return Question
Published January 15, 2021

When, how, and why will transit ridership bounce back? Industry experts express optimism for a 2-5 year ridership recovery.

A Dabble in D3
Published January 13, 2021

A guide and reference for web-based data visualization

The new age of on-demand transit in Canada
Published September 20, 2020

What we learned from talking demand-responsive transit with Canadian cities and vendors.

Green Line project should be built for the long term
Published June 13, 2020

An opinion piece on Calgary's Green Line LRT

All Aboard (Eventually)
Published December 01, 2019

A data-driven exploration of VIA Rail's reliability in Ontario and Québec.

The Transit Freedom Calculator
Published August 29, 2019

Introducing an application to quantify relative 'transit freedom' in a city.

A Vision for Regional Rail in Calgary
Published May 29, 2019

Taking a look at the numbers behind a vision for regional rail service in the Calgary Area.

Visualizing Rail Flows with a Chord Diagram
Published January 03, 2019

Visualizing rail tonnage flows in North America using an interactive chord diagram.

The Unpredictable Bus
Published January 02, 2019

Exploring the challenge of transit reliability from a mathematical modelling perspective.