Reece Martin: Why Canadian Transit is Failing Families (and How to Fix It)

Does having a baby mean you're officially "car-dependent"? In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern and Reece Martin, of @RMTrasit, tackle the reality of navigating Canadian cities with kids. While many parents are told that a private vehicle is the only safe or convenient way to get around, Cara and Reece explore why our transit systems often fail families – and how we can fix them. From the "elevator roulette" at subway stations to the hidden costs of car ownership, we’re breaking down the barriers to urban parenting. Have you ever been "trapped" at a subway station with a stroller or in a wheelchair? Let us know in the comments. Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 00:44 The "Car Trap": Why parents feel forced to drive 01:38 Canadian Transit vs. the US: How do we actually rank? 03:22 The Stroller Struggle: Accessibility "on paper" vs. reality 08:47 A Tale of Two Cities: Toronto, Montreal, and the elevator gap 13:11 Reece on the GoTrain accessibility car 15:50 The Hidden Cost: Is owning a car costing you a second child? 19:45 Policy solutions for family friendly transit 25:02 Why free transit for kids is a game changer 28:15 The problem with busses 29:48 Teens and Transit: How free fares encourages a healthier lifestyle 33:15 Making cities livable for the next generation Research/links: Studies on impact on free fares on active transportation for teens https://www.getonthebus.ca/resources Transit Use by Children and Adolescents: An Overlooked Source of and Opportunity for Physical Activity? - PMC https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles... Engaging students to increase public transit ridership A guide for using city–school partnership to inspire youth to choose sustainable transportation. https://greenmunicipalfund.ca/sites/d... Credits: Mike Moffatt   / mikepmoffatt   https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt... Cara Stern https://x.com/carastern https://bsky.app/profile/carastern.bs... Meredith Martin   / meredithmartin   https://bsky.app/profile/meredithmart... Sean Foreman @seanegertonforeman https://bsky.app/profile/seanforeman.... Co-op Student Dylan Dayaratne Brought to you by the Missing Middle Initiative https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca