Will the coronavirus pandemic reshape mobility and transportation? | COVID-19 Special

The coronavirus is changing how we travel. Public transport is a 'no go' for many. They're afraid of catching the virus.
Some are turning to motorbikes and bicycles. A lot of cities are taking steps:
European and American capitals are rolling out thousands of kilometers of bike ways, to push for more cycling as part of a greener future. Some are aslo offering free bikesharing. Global centers are automating crossing signals. You now don't need a ticket in dozens of cities during the crisis. The crisis is changing mobility for good. But for better or worse? Critics say clearing lanes will create bigger traffic jams and thus cause more pollution and noise. Or could more people ditch cars altogether?

Follow DW on social media:
#Coronavirus #Mobility #Transportation

[dwnews]

If you have a question about the coronavirus crisis or COVID-19, ask our science correspondent Derrick Williams here. Every day he answers three of your queries on our COVID-19 Special! #askDerrick

[KJSvitko]

Cities need to do more to encourage people to ride bicycles by adding more protected bike lanes.
Bike to work, school or for fun. Bicycles are healthy exercise, reduce auto congestion, are great for social distancing and are fossil fuels free transportation. Ebikes are bringing many older adults back to cycling.

[fredmidtgaard]

Here in Norway old times are back again! In the years around 1980, it was very popular to run. Every day now I see many, many people running or bicycling (on road bikes for training/competition). People suddenly talk about books on running that I read 40 years ago and discuss training routes in the forest or personal best time on 10, 000m or half marathon. That's really great! Maybe it will be a more healthy generation again?

[ON-YT]

Just came back from a bike ride and YouTube recommended this.

[DogeHandle]

Bicycles are essential less crowded place around public transportation. It good for health and Pollution

[KJSvitko]

Bicycles are a great transportation option.

[petedablaing]

After gettin hit (twice) by cars and living to talk about it, providing designated bike routes are the way to go.

[addictedyoutub]

Bike sharing? No No. Use your own bike.

[krishnasaurabh]

the option available is to have a sustainable multi-modal mobility

[DougGrinbergs]

2:41 partial government subsidy for bike repairs!

[Earth]

This is not a renaissance. Those who choose to bike now (because of the pandemic) are those who cannot afford a private vehicle, yet don't want to use public transportation at the same time. Due to the pandemic, overall, people use much more private vehicles these days, and public transportation use is extremely low. This is a disaster for both the environment and for the cities.

[MrTimeless]

What a joke first people complain about cars now they complain about mass transit next they'll complain about bicycles. trust me they will soon be complaining about bicycles.

[jpdominicvoicu]

wish the transportation efficiency is getting better and better like this-Blessings from China

[michalwiktorow]

Gov all over the world are affraid of bikes, due to all taxes put into gasoline sale, car sale, service and much more. There is also 'insurance' industry, those are entities that 'kick' this idea of biking out of people perspective. You could easily ride on a e-bike 100km (45km/h). With all the new materials - gore-tex - you can easily do that during winter or at least: autumn, spring.

[panamafred]

Transportation can't be studied in a vacuum. If city planners transform cities to have walkable/bikeable neighborhoods that combine street level businesses, with a number of floors of offices above, and residential housing above that, then less public transportation will be needed. And given the future of online work and online shopping, then we can function without nearly as much public transportation. Even ride-sharing or car-sharing is problematic from a sanitary perspective and from the need to have more roadways. With more centralized and self-sustaining neighborhoods, in a way, we would be returning to our history of smaller tribes. There are many benefits to having smaller tribes.

If cities don't change and mass transportation is still needed at the current rate, and social distancing is promoted to make public transportation safer, then a transit capacity of several magnitudes would have to be provided -- more transit vehicles, more frequency, more sanitation workers to clean the vehicles, more energy usage, and etc. Add to all of this the sprawling high density growth of cities due to significant future population growth (have you seen the size of some of the cities in China?), and I don't see mass transit being viable unless cities change their live/work/play structure.

I'm thinking about this not because I live in a city (I don't, I live remotely in the mountains), or because I am a city planner (I'm not). I'm thinking about this because I am a model railroader. I would like to build a new layout that models a future green city. This morning, I asked myself the questions, "Is transit rail dead?" "What will transportation be like in future cities?" I'm watching numerous YouTube videos about city planning for the future and although I want to model light rail, subways, elevated trains and the like, I just don't see the need for nearly as much rail in well-planned future green cities. Great. What a dilemma. A model railroader with no railroad to model.

[crystalma]

Thanks DW News. Like the talk about psychological impact. ❤️

[captainplanet]

key is to produce comfortable bikes that people can ride long distance, speed is secondary.

[j]

No it’s the same as before Covid-19 and even worse after COVID-19.

[ervinvice]

Try biking to work in a city that’s full of steep hills - or if you live 15 miles from the office.

[pauloandradeabreu]

I am not afraid of catching the virus in public transport. Most Brazilian bus SEATS are not ergonomic. So are Brazilian underground (subway) seats. Bus seats of Caio are awful! Bus seat of Comil is awful! Ergonomics is the great problem. And comfort comes from good ergonomics.