Global Mobility Response to COVID-19 How Cities Are Responding, Recovering, and Reopening Transportation Systems Around the World
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Global Mobility Response to COVID-19 How cities are responding, recovering, and reopening transportation systems around the world June 2020 | Version 1.0 Global Mobility Response to COVID-19 Contents About Sam Schwartz Sam Schwartz is a full-service engineering, Introduction ................................................................................................. pg. 3 design, and consulting firm with nearly 25 years of experience helping cities respond to unexpected challenges. From the beginning, our firm has focused 1. Research Framework ............................................................................ pg. 4 on two things: solving the most novel, complicated problems—and putting people first. 2. Overview - Global Mobility Response to COVID-19 ...................... pg. 6 In the wake of 9/11, Superstorm Sandy, and other disasters, we were trusted by public and private i. Immediate Response in a New Transportation Landscape .........pg. 7 clients to address unprecedented challenges. During these crises, we went to work immediately to ensure efficient and safe movement of people and goods. ii. Trends by Transportation Category .........................................................pg. 7 Similarly, in this moment, we are committed to doing everything we can to keep our first responders moving, our institutions operational, and our 3. Recovery-Based Strategies - Worldwide Case Studies ................. pg. 8 communities safe. i. Rethinking the Right of Way .......................................................................pg. 9 Acknowledgements ii. Implementing Micromobility Infrastructure ..........................................pg. 17 This report was prepared by: Fred Cannizzaro, iii. Recovering Transit Systems .........................................................................pg. 26 Senior Communications Specialist; Jack Darcey, AICP, Planner II; Lian Farhi, Senior Planner; Kaylee Moon, Planner II; John Reinhardt AICP, Senior iv. Managing Traffic and TNC Regulations ..................................................pg. 37 Associate + Director of Strategic Communications; Rob Royall, Graphic Designer II; Daniel Schack, v. Other Innovative Practices ...........................................................................pg. 41 Senior Associate + Director of Planning; Alexander Zamudio, Researcher 4. Future Possibilities ................................................................................. pg. 46 For more COVID-19 resources, visit: www.samschwartz.com/ 5. Appendix .................................................................................................. pg. 48 covid19-response-and-analysis © 2020, Sam Schwartz. All rights reserved. 2 Global Mobility Response to COVID-19 Introduction USING THIS “When the world slowed down… the opportunity RESOURCE: This report synthesizes research to rethink the movement of people began” on global COVID-19 transportation responses, conducted from March 2020 through June 2020. The report contains navigation links to relevant COVID-19 has highlighted the role the As we now look toward long-term recovery, examples and strategies enacted in different cities. transportation sector plays in a public health regaining many of these transit riders is crisis. The global pandemic has impacted a key focus, as is determining if some of An accompanying database includes the mobility landscape around the world and the temporary measures—implemented to examples of response and recovery requires an examination of how jurisdictions facilitate social distancing—should become actions taken by cities around the responded, recovered, and reopened, in permanent. world. This database is broken an effort to understand best practices and out by geography, time interval, lessons learned. Such knowledge can prepare The need for safe and efficient movement transportation category, and us for future public health emergencies and of people and goods is crucial; this leads to intervention type. inform the decisions we make regarding creative solutions and recovery strategies transportation planning, operations, and that transform transportation system oper- This is living research; the database maintenance. ations, reconfigure street design, and enact and research report will be updated over time, marked by version number new mobility policies and regulations. and date. When the pandemic hit, many cities responded with an immediate suspension of This resource captures a worldwide per- transportation activity; this led to significant spective to support the long-term planning reduction in transit ridership, a slowdown for sustainable transportation systems and To learn more about global of economic activity, and a drop in traffic infrastructure. As of this writing, there is strategy, click this icon to volumes. In some cities, bicycling surged as still uncertainty about the global impacts of view the online database. an alternative mode of transit while other COVID-19 in the future. Understanding the Use “sort by,” or search cities saw increase in foot-traffic around new breadth of responses can help professionals using keyboard shortcut destinations such as grocery stores, testing chose the right ones to mitigate those ctrl+F to find a specific centers, and parks. impacts in their communities. example. 3 Research Framework 4 Global Mobility Response to COVID-19 Research TIME FRAME INTERVENTION TYPE Crisis (3-6 weeks) Design and New Infrastructure Rapid response deployed to imme- Planning, design, and construction Framework diately facilitate physical distancing of new physical interventions in the and emergency needs built environment Recovery (3-6 months) This research assembles more Operational Changes Longer-term intervention to allow than 100 worldwide examples Shifts in how existing infrastructure sustained distancing efforts and of how cities around the world and resources are used, managed, safe mobility have responded to the COVID-19 and operated pandemic, including strategies to New Normal (Ongoing) Policy and Regulatory Changes reopen transportation systems to Permanent condition reflecting new Legal tools that introduce new allow for safe movement of people regulations, transportation service opportunities, change existing and goods. patterns, and human behavior public mandates, and alter behavior The information and global examples were classified into TRANSPORTATION CATEGORY three categories: Time Frame, Intervention Type, and Micromobility Infrastructure Transportation Category. Traffic Volumes, speeding, Temporary bikeways, signals, etc. scooters, etc. Transit Freight Subway/Metro, Loading, operations, etc. bus systems, etc. Transportation Network Street Design and Management Companies (TNC) Open streets, sidewalk expan- Taxis, ride hailing services sions, curb regulation, etc. (Uber, Lyft, etc.) 5 Global Mobility Response to COVID-19 Overview 6 Global Mobility Response to COVID-19 Global Mobility Trends by Transportation Category TRAFFIC Response to Vehicle traffic volumes have decreased immensely around the world. In the United States, vehicle volumes were down COVID-19 by 41% from pre-pandemic levels according to INRIX1. Overview TRANSIT Everywhere, transit ridership has fallen in response to stay-at-home orders and fear of the virus. Some cities’ Immediate Response ridership has dropped by over 90%2. in a new transportation MICROMOBILITY landscape Bicycle use soared3 during the onset of the virus as people sought a safe, reliable mobility option, and it has remained Starting in January 2020, wide-reaching, a popular mode choice. immediate lockdowns and transportation stoppages attempted to slow the spread of TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES COVID-19 by severely limiting human mobil- TNCs have had to adapt their shared-ride policies in response to ity, interaction, and public exposure. Nations social distancing measures, and have required safeguards, both on every continent have followed the lead of physical and behavioral, for their drivers and passengers. Wuhan, China, which began its lockdown on January 23rd, 2020. FREIGHT While lockdown looks different everywhere, a Global demand has generally been depressed, but local central tenet has been the limiting or suspen- deliveries of less than 100 miles have increased by 100% sion of transportation and mobility services. In as residents have sheltered-in-place and retail closed4. the most severe cases, as in Egypt and India, all transportation has been prohibited—including STREET DESIGN AND MANAGEMENT that by private vehicle—and strict, universal 5 police enforcement has been promised. Pedestrian volumes have decreased in the densest corridors , but new destinations have led to a need for more open space to ensure social distancing. 7 Recovery-Based Strategies— Worldwide Case Studies • Rethinking the Right of Way • Implementing Micromobility Infrastructure • Recovering Transit Systems • Managing Traffic and TNC Regulations • Other Innovative Practices 8 Global Mobility Response to COVID-19 Rethinking the Right of Way STRATEGIES: • Permanent Open Streets In many cities, the right-of-way has long crowding in parks and other public spaces. been dominated by automobiles, leaving Others have committed to longer-term or • Temporary Open Streets those traveling by foot, bicycle, or other more regional interventions, introducing non-motorized option relegated to space on opportunities to create new bike lanes, priori- • Curbside Use narrow, often impeded sidewalks, or sharing tize pedestrians, and create more