The pandemic as prism for urban mobility

Hints of early data and anecdotes coming out of China suggest that new car sales in areas affected by quarantines, such as Wuhan, have come soaring back after the cities have started to open back up. Why? Partly because customers “see personal vehicles as safer than public transport.”…

Public transit is going to really struggle to bring back ridership and convince riders (and drivers) that these mass shared environments can keep people safe from viruses…

Even the hottest of mobility trends — like shared scooter services — are facing an equally dark landscape. The biggest scooter players, Lime and Bird, have essentially ground to a halt, suspending services in many major cities in the U.S. and Europe…

Cities with strong transportation departments, like Oakland, California, are shutting down through-way access on many residential streets to make more space for residents to walk, bike and exercise in their neighborhood. Oakland opened up 74 miles of city streets to pedestrians and cyclists.
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