Provisional COVID-19 infrastructure induces large, rapid increases in cycling

Delayed effects of air pollution on public bike-sharing system use in Seoul, South Korea: A time series analysis

BACKGROUND

As a complementary means to urban public transit systems, public bike-sharing provides a green and active mode of sustainable mobility, while reducing carbon-dioxide emissions and promoting health. There has been increasing interest in factors affecting bike-sharing usage, but little is known about the effect of ambient air pollution.

METHOD

To assess the short-term impact of daily exposure to multiple air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and O3) on the public bike-sharing system (PBS) usage in Seoul, South Korea (2018-2021), we applied a quasi-Poisson generalized linear model combined with a distributed lag nonlinear model (DLNM). The model was adjusted for day of the week, holiday, temperature, relative humidity, and long-term trend. We also conducted stratification analyses to examine the potential effect modification by age group, seasonality, and COVID-19.

RESULTS

We found that there was a negative association between daily ambient air pollution and the PBS usage level at a single lag day 1 (i.e., air quality a day before the event) across all four pollutants. Our results suggest that days with high levels of air pollutants (at 95th percentile) are associated with a 0.91% (0.86% to 0.96%) for PM2.5, 0.89% (0.85% to 0.94%) for PM10, 0.87% (0.82% to 0.91%) for O3, and 0.92% (0.87% to 0.98%) for NO2, reduction in cycling behavior in the next day compared to days with low levels of pollutants (at 25th percentile). No evidence of effect modification was found by seasonality, age nor the COVID-19 pandemic for any of the four pollutants.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that high concentrations of ambient air pollution are associated with decreased rates of PBS usage on the subsequent day regardless of the type of air pollutant measured.

Open-source data pipeline for street-view images: A case study on community mobility during COVID-19 pandemic

Street View Images (SVI) are a common source of valuable data for researchers. Researchers have used SVI data for estimating pedestrian volumes, demographic surveillance, and to better understand built and natural environments in cityscapes. However, the most common source of publicly available SVI data is Google Street View. Google Street View images are collected infrequently, making temporal analysis challenging, especially in low population density areas. Our main contribution is the development of an open-source data pipeline for processing 360-degree video recorded from a car-mounted camera. The video data is used to generate SVIs, which then can be used as an input for longitudinal analysis. We demonstrate the use of the pipeline by collecting an SVI dataset over a 38-month longitudinal survey of Seattle, WA, USA during the COVID-19 pandemic. The output of our pipeline is validated through statistical analyses of pedestrian traffic in the images. We confirm known results in the literature and provide new insights into outdoor pedestrian traffic patterns. This study demonstrates the feasibility and value of collecting and using SVI for research purposes beyond what is possible with currently available SVI data. Our methods and dataset represent a first of its kind longitudinal collection and application of SVI data for research purposes. Limitations and future improvements to the data pipeline and case study are also discussed.

The untapped health and climate potential of cycling in France: a national assessment from individual travel data

Background

Promoting active modes of transportation such as cycling may generate important public health, economic, and climate mitigation benefits. We aim to assess the mortality and morbidity impacts of cycling in a country with relatively low levels of cycling, France, along with associated monetary benefits. We further assess the potential additional benefits of shifting a portion of short trips from cars to bikes, including projected greenhouse gas emissions savings.

Methods

Using individual data from a nationally representative mobility survey, we described the French 2019 cycling levels by age and sex. We conducted a burden of disease analysis to assess the incidence of five chronic diseases (breast cancer, colon cancer, cardiovascular diseases, dementia, and type-2 diabetes) and the number of deaths prevented by cycling, based on national incidence and mortality data and dose-response relationships from meta-analyses. We assessed the corresponding direct medical cost savings and the intangible costs prevented based on the value of a statistical life year. Lastly, based on individual simulations, we assessed the likely additional benefits of shifting 25% of short (<5 km) car trips to cycling.

Findings

The French adult (20-89 years) population was estimated to cycle on average 1 min 17 sec pers-1 day-1 in 2019, with important heterogeneity across sex and age. This yielded benefits of 1,919 (uncertainty interval, UI: 1,101-2,736) premature deaths and 5,963 (UI: 3,178-8,749) chronic disease cases prevented, with males reaping nearly 75% of these benefits. Direct medical costs prevented were estimated at €191 million (UI: 98-285) annually, while the corresponding intangible costs were nearly 25 times higher (€4.8 billion, UI: 3.0-6.5). We estimated that on average, €1.02 (UI: 0.59-1.62) of intangible costs were prevented for every km cycled. Shifting 25% of short car trips to cycling would yield approximatively a 2-fold increase in deaths prevented, while also generating important CO2 emissions reductions (0.257 MtCO2e, UI: 0.231-0.288).

Interpretation

In a country with a low- to moderate-cycling culture, cycling already generates important public health and health-related economic benefits. Further development of active transportation would increase these benefits while also contributing to climate change mitigation targets.

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Changes in public bike usage after the COVID-19 outbreak: A survey of Seoul public bike sharing users

When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, people tended to seek more individualized and viable transportation modes, such as a bicycle. In this study, we examined the factors influencing changes in public bike sharing (PBS) in Seoul, to assess this trend post-pandemic. We conducted an online survey of 1,590 Seoul PBS users between July 30 and August 7, 2020. Using a difference-in-differences analysis, we found that participants who were affected by the pandemic used PBS 44.6 h more than unaffected individuals throughout the year. In addition, we used a multinomial logistic regression analysis to identify the factors affecting changes in PBS usage. In this analysis, the discrete dependent variables of increased, unchanged, and decreased were considered, representing the changes in PBS usage after the COVID-19 outbreak. Results revealed that PBS usage increased among female participants during weekday trips such as commuting to work and when there were perceived health benefits of using PBS. Conversely, PBS usage tended to decrease when the weekday trip purpose was for leisure or working out. Our findings offer insight into PBS user behaviors within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and present policy implications to revitalize PBS usage.

Towards sustainable and net-zero cities: A review of environmental modelling and monitoring tools for optimizing emissions reduction strategies for improved air quality in urban areas

Climate change is a defining challenge for today's society and its consequences pose a great threat to humanity. Cities are major contributors to climate change, accounting for over 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions. With urbanization occurring at a rapid rate worldwide, cities will play a key role in mitigating emissions and addressing climate change. Greenhouse gas emissions are strongly interlinked with air quality as they share emission sources. Consequently, there is a great opportunity to develop policies which maximize the co-benefits of emissions reductions on air quality and health. As such, a narrative meta-review is conducted to highlight state-of-the-art monitoring and modelling tools which can inform and monitor progress towards greenhouse gas emission and air pollution reduction targets. Urban greenspace will play an important role in the transition to net-zero as it promotes sustainable and active transport modes. Therefore, we explore advancements in urban greenspace quantification methods which can aid strategic developments. There is great potential to harness technological advancements to better understand the impact of greenhouse gas reduction strategies on air quality and subsequently inform the optimal design of these strategies going forward. An integrated approach to greenhouse gas emission and air pollution reduction will create sustainable, net-zero and healthy future cities.

Comparing municipal progress in implementing temporary cycle lanes during the Covid-19 pandemic

This study investigates whether the Covid-19 pandemic opened a policy window of opportunity for the implementation of temporary cycle lanes, and how German municipalities differed in their implementation progress. The Multiple Streams Framework is used to guide the data analysis and interpretation of the results. A survey of staff working in German municipalities is conducted. The extent to which municipal administrations progressed in the implementation of temporary cycle lanes is estimated using a Bayesian sequential logit model. Our results show that of the administrations who responded to the survey most did not consider implementing temporary cycle lanes. The Covid-19 pandemic positively affected implementation progress of temporary cycle lanes, but only the first implementation stage, which was the decision to consider implementing this type of measure. Administrations are more likely to report progress if they already had plans for and experience with implementing active transport infrastructure and were located in areas with high population density.

Bicycle industry as a post-pandemic green recovery driver in an emerging economy: a SWOT analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed socioeconomic vulnerabilities around the world. After fighting the coronavirus for more than 1 and a half years now, the countries are recovering from the epidemic with the help of cutting-edge medical research. The policymakers are implementing stimulus packages for post-pandemic economic recovery. However, sustainable "green recovery" plans are yet to get adequate attention. Sustainable investment in green industries can create green jobs, promote a low-carbon economy, and foster long-lasting economic growth in the post-pandemic world. COVID-19 affected countries with emerging economies call for even more focus on such investments. In Bangladesh, the bicycle industry - a growing low-carbon industry - has been showing promising potential for growth since the beginning of the pandemic. Both the local and global markets of Bangladeshi bicycles have seen substantial growth during the epidemic. In this paper, we analyze the potential of the Bangladeshi bicycle industry as an effective green recovery driver. We conduct semi-structured interviews with relevant experts and professionals, analyze their opinions, and perform a "strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT)" analysis. The analysis reveals valuable insights regarding post-pandemic sustainable economic and environmental recovery which will be beneficial to the policymakers of Bangladesh and similar developing countries.

Street Experiments and COVID-19: Challenges, Responses and Systemic Change

Cities have introduced street experiments, among others, in order to cope with the urgent health challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. They are primarily intended to allow people to move safely in urban spaces according to physical distancing requirements. It has been suggested that street experiments have the potential to not only respond to pressing needs, but to also trigger systemic change in mobility. This paper explores urban case studies and demonstrates how pandemic-induced street experiments provide a solution to specific challenges to mobility and public space. There are, however, issues concerning equity and citizen participation. Finally, we find that pandemic-induced street experiments have a higher acceptance among the public and authorities, a more permanent character and a greater embeddedness in long-term planning agendas. The paper concludes that the pandemic stimulated the introduction of street experiments and fostered their potential to enable systemic change in urban mobility.

The role of neighbourhood design in cycling activity during COVID-19: An exploration of the Melbourne experience

COVID-19 restrictions imposed significant changes on human mobility patterns, with some studies finding significant increases or decreases in cycling. However, to date there is little understanding on how the neighbourhood-level built environment influenced cycling behaviour during the COVID-19 restrictions. As different neighbourhood have different built environment characteristics, it is possible that cycling trends varied across different built environment settings. We aimed to answer this question by examining recreational cycling during different stages of lockdown in Melbourne, Australia. We compared self-reported recreational cycling frequency (weekly) data from 1344 respondents between pre-COVID and two different stages in lockdown. We tested whether the built environment of their residential neighbourhood and different sociodemographic characteristics influenced leisure cycling rates and whether the effect of these factors varied between different stages of COVID-19 restriction. We found that cycling declined significantly during the two stages of COVID-19 lockdown. Cycling infrastructure density and connectivity are two built environment factors that had a significant effect on limiting the decline in leisure cycling during the pandemic. Furthermore, men and younger people had higher cycling rates in comparison to other groups, suggesting that restrictions on indoor activities and travel limits were not enough to encourage women or older people to cycle more during the pandemic.

Designing pandemic resilient cities: Exploring the impacts of the built environment on infection risk perception and subjective well-being

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities around the world explored ways to slowdown the spread of the disease while maintaining the physical and mental health of individuals. They redistributed the street space to promote physical activity and non-motorized travel while meeting the social distancing requirements. Although the statistics showed significant increases in walking and bicycling trips during the pandemic, we have limited knowledge about the associations between built environment characteristics, COVID-19 infection risk perception while traveling, and subjective well-being. This study assesses the impacts of the built environment on subjective well-being and infection risk perception while traveling during the pandemic. It uses data collected from the residents of Columbus, Ohio, through a multi-wave survey conducted at different time points during the COVID-19 outbreak. By employing a structural equation modeling approach, it explores the associations between residential neighborhood characteristics, individuals' subjective well-being, and perceived infection risk while using non-motorized modes and shared micromobility. The findings show that those living in more compact, accessible, and walkable neighborhoods are less likely to perceive active travel and shared micromobility as risky in terms of COVID-19 infection. Our results also show that built environment characteristics have an indirect positive effect on the subjective well-being of individuals. The findings of our study demonstrate that built environment interventions can help promote physical activity and support mental health of individuals at this critical time. Our study also indicates that designing compact neighborhoods will be a crucial element of pandemic resilient cities in the post-COVID-19 era.

The effects of COVID-19 on female and male bike sharing users: Insights from Lisbon's GIRA

Women are among the groups most affected by the pandemic as they are more likely to be dependent on public transport (PT), which was heavily restricted during COVID-19. Thus, there is a need to consider transport alternatives such as bike sharing that can ensure their mobility needs. By conducting a survey to the bike sharing system (BSS) of Lisbon, we explored differences in travel behaviour and attitudes between female and male users before and during COVID-19. We found men to have higher bike ownership rates, a higher modal share of personal bicycle regarding commuting, and more likely to use their own bikes if BSS was unavailable. Conversely, women more frequently combined BSS with PT and were more likely to use PT if BSS was unavailable. Moreover, while men were using BSS more frequently than women pre-pandemic, during COVID-19 women are using BSS as frequently as men. Our research provides evidence on the potential role of BSS as a transport alternative during pandemics, inducing women to take up cycling who otherwise would not cycle, therefore, potentially decreasing the current cycling gender gap. Findings suggest that introducing family/friend discounts and promoting BSS for exercising may increase the share of female cyclists.

The strengths and weaknesses of bike sharing as an alternative mode during disruptive public health crisis: A qualitative analysis on the users' motivations during COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic may provoke an increase on our overreliance on private car usage due to a permanent loss of confidence on public transport (PT), threatening current decarbonization efforts of the transport sector. Thus, alternative modes like bike sharing systems (BSS) must be considered. In this study, through conducting 16 semi-structured interviews and by employing thematic analysis, we explore the users' perceptions of using Lisbon's BSS during this pandemic. Our findings show that the observed decrease on BSS usage during the COVID-19 lockdowns was mostly due to mandatory teleworking than to a perceived infection risk. Even during the height of the pandemic, users still turned to BSS to fulfil their essential trip needs. Users considered bike sharing to have a lower infection risk comparatively to PT, with some users joining BSS during the pandemic to specifically avoid using PT. Furthermore, users associate riding a shared bicycle with a pleasant activity that reduces their travel times and costs, while also providing health and environmental benefits. Consequently, bike sharing contributes to the resilience of transport systems by providing its users with a transport alternative perceived to have a low infection risk, ensuring their mobility needs during disruptive events. Findings from this research provide evidence that support policies, such as, expanding BSS coverage areas, optimizing rebalancing operations, introducing shared e-bikes, and implementing segregated cycling lanes alongside BSS. These policies may be particularly effective at increasing the competitiveness of BSS as an alternative mode during disruptive public health crises and beyond.

Examining the causal relationship between bike-share and public transit in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

As urban transportation systems often face disruptive events, including natural and man-made disasters, the importance of resilience in the transportation sector has recently been on the rise. In particular, the worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a significant decrease in citizens' public transit use to avoid unnecessary physical contact with others. Accordingly, bike-share has been highlighted as one of the sustainable modes that can replace public transit and, thus, improve the overall resilience of the urban transportation systems in response to COVID-19. This study aims to examine the changes in causal relationships between bike-share and public transit throughout the COVID-19 pandemic in Seoul, Korea. We analyzed bike-share and public transit ridership from Jan 2018 to Dec 2020. We developed a weekly panel vector autoregressive (PVAR) model to identify the bike-transit relationships before and after the pandemic. Our results showed that COVID-19 weakens the competitive relationships between bike-share and bus transit and modal integration between bike-share and subway transit. This study also found that bus and subway transit were more competitive with each other after the outbreak of COVID-19. The study's findings suggest that bike-share can increase the overall resilience of the urban transportation system during the pandemic situation, particularly for those who rely on public transit for their mobility.

The disparate impact of COVID-19 pandemic on walking and biking behaviors

This study sought to assess changes in active transportation behaviors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in addition to identifying the disparate impacts between sociodemographic groups. A survey was conducted in November 2020, which collected responses from 1,000 Michigan residents statewide regarding walking and biking behaviors before, during, and anticipated post-pandemic. The survey found that people who walked or biked frequently for recreation before the pandemic maintained or increased their activities during the pandemic. More importantly, the survey also revealed differing pandemic-related impacts on walking and biking behaviors between sociodemographic groups. Specifically, people from underprivileged sociodemographic groups, such as those who are older, have lower education or income level, or identify as a minority, were less active in general before the pandemic, and these walking and biking behavior gaps were exacerbated by the pandemic. Furthermore, the elevated negative impacts on these sociodemographic groups were anticipated to continue in the future.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and government intervention on active mobility

With data from automated counting stations and controlling for weather and calendar effects, we estimate the isolated impacts of the "first wave" of Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent government intervention (contact restrictions and closures of public spaces) on walking and cycling in 10 German cities. Pedestrian traffic in pedestrian zones decreases with higher local incidence values, and with stricter government intervention. There are ambiguous effects for cycling, which decreases in cities with a higher modal share of cycling, and increases in others. Moreover, we find impact heterogeneity with respect to different weekdays and hours of the day, both for cycling and walking. Additionally, we use data on overall mobility changes, which were derived from mobile phone data, in order to estimate the modal share changes of cycling. In almost all cities, the modal share of cycling increases during the pandemic, with higher increases in non-bicycle cities and during stronger lockdown interventions.

Depression, anxiety, stress, and physical activity of Australian adults during COVID-19: A combined longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional study

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a worsening of mental health and health behaviors. While physical activity is positively associated mental health, there is limited understanding of how mental health and physical activity evolve throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to examine changes in depression, anxiety and stress and physical activity, and associations between depression, anxiety, and stress with physical activity in Australian adults across three-time points during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and methods

This study collected both longitudinal and cross-sectional data at three-time points during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia (i.e., April, July/August, and December 2020). Australians aged 18 years and over were invited to complete online surveys hosted on Qualtrics survey platform. Linear mixed models with random subject effect and general linear models were used to analyze the longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional data respectively.

Results

The number of participants in cross-sectional surveys and longitudinal surveys was 1,877 and 849, respectively. There was an overall reduction between time 2 vs. time 3 in depression (d = 1.03, 95% CI = 0.20, 1.85), anxiety (d = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.02, 1.12), and stress (d = 1.13, 95% CI = 0.21, 2.04) scores but no significant differences in physical activity across three-time points. On average, participants who met the physical activity guidelines had lower depression (d = −2.08, 95% CI = −2.90, −1.26), anxiety (d = −0.88, 95% CI = −1.41, −0.34), and stress (d = −1.35, 95% CI = −2.13, −0.56) scores compared to those not meeting the guidelines.

Conclusion

In the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, both governments and service providers should continue to provide the public with timely mental health support and promote the benefits of physical activity, as a cost-effective strategy to improve mental health and wellbeing.

Using an integrated model of TPB and TAM to analyze the pandemic impacts on the intention to use bicycles in the post-COVID-19 period

Due to the rapid increase in bicycle usage during the pandemic, this study aims to ascertain the effects of COVID-19 and the role of psychosocial factors on the intention to cycle in the future. An integrated model of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and technology acceptance model (TAM) was modified and utilized with a sample of 473 cyclists in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The results confirm that the awareness change because of the advent of COVID-19, especially related to the environment, negative impacts of motorized vehicles (including road safety burden), and climate change issues, has the strongest power to influence bicycle use intention. The positive effect of COVID-19 also significantly influenced subjective norms and perceived behavioral control. Meanwhile, attitudes toward cycling and its perceived usefulness did not significantly contribute to bicycle use intention. Attitudes to use bicycles also could not mediate the relationship between COVID-19 and the intention to use bicycles. Based on the study findings, a set of policy initiatives was proposed, including cycling campaigns related to environmental issues, promoting bicycle use by public figures, providing a segregated bike lane, and introducing bicycle-specific programs, such as bicycle usage in cultural events.

A systematic review of COVID-19 transport policies and mitigation strategies around the globe

This paper reports a Scopus-based systematic literature review of a wide variety of transportation policies and mitigation strategies that have been conducted around the world to minimize COVID-19 contagion risk in transportation systems. The review offers a representative coverage of countries across all continents of the planet, as well as among representative climate regions - as weather is an important factor to consider. The readership interested in policies and mitigation strategies is expected to involve a wide range of actors, each involving a particular application context; hence, the literature is also characterized by key attributes such as: transportation mode; actor (users, operators, government, industry); jurisdiction (national, provincial, city, neighborhood); and area of application (planning, regulation, operations, research, incentives). An in-depth analysis of the surveyed literature is then reported, focusing first on condensing the literature into 151 distinct policies and strategies, which are subsequently categorized into 25 broad categories that are discussed at length. The compendium and discussion of strategies and policies reported not only provide comprehensive guidelines to inform various courses of action for decision-makers, planners, and social communicators, but also emphasize on future work and the potential of some of these strategies to be the precursors of meaningful, more sustainable behavioral changes in future mobility patterns.

Riding through the pandemic: Using Strava data to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 on spatial patterns of bicycling

COVID-19 prompted a bike boom and cities around the world responded to increased demand for space to ride with street reallocations. Evaluating these interventions has been limited by a lack of spatially-temporally continuous ridership data. Our paper aims to address this gap using crowdsourced data on bicycle ridership. We evaluate changes in spatial patterns of bicycling during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr - Oct 2020) in Vancouver, Canada using Strava data and a local indicator of spatial autocorrelation. We map statistically significant change in ridership and reference clusters of change to a high-resolution base map. Amongst streets where bicycling increased, we measured the proportion of increase occurring on pre-existing bicycle facilities or street reallocations compared to streets without. In all our analyses, we evaluate patterns across subsets of Strava data representing recreation, commuting, and ridership generated by women and older adults (55 + ). We found consistent and unique patterns by trip purpose and demographics: samples generated by women and older adults showed increases near green and blue spaces and on street reallocations that increased access to parks, and these patterns were also mirrored in the recreation sample. Commute ridership highlighted distinct patterns of increase around the hospital district. Across all subsets most increases occurred on bicycle facilities (pre-existing or provisional), with a strong preference for high-comfort facilities. We demonstrate that changes in spatial patterns of bicycle ridership can be monitored using Strava data, and that nuanced patterns can be identified using trip and demographic labels in the data.

Mobility in pandemic times: Exploring changes and long-term effects of COVID-19 on urban mobility behavior

The COVID-19 pandemic marked a global disruption of unprecedented scale which was closely associated with human mobility. Since mobility acts as a facilitator for spreading the virus, individuals were forced to reconsider their respective behaviors. Despite numerous studies having detected behavioral changes during the first lockdown period (spring 2020), there is a lack of longitudinal perspectives that can provide insights into the intra-pandemic dynamics and potential long-term effects. This article investigates COVID-19-induced mobility-behavioral transformations by analyzing travel patterns of Berlin residents during a 20-month pandemic period and comparing them to the pre-pandemic situation. Based on quantitative analysis of almost 800,000 recorded trips, our longitudinal examination revealed individuals having reduced average monthly travel distances by ∼20%, trip frequencies by ∼11%, and having switched to individual modes. Public transportation has suffered a continual regression, with trip frequencies experiencing a relative long-term reduction of ∼50%, and a respective decrease of traveled distances by ∼43%. In contrast, the bicycle (rather than the car) was the central beneficiary, indicated by bicycle-related trip frequencies experiencing a relative long-term increase of ∼53%, and travel distances increasing by ∼117%. Comparing behavioral responses to three pandemic waves, our analysis revealed each wave to have created unique response patterns, which show a gradual softening of individuals' mobility related self-restrictions. Our findings contribute to retracing and quantifying individuals' changing mobility behaviors induced by the pandemic, and to detecting possible long-term effects that may constitute a "new normal" of an entirely altered urban mobility landscape.

Cycling in the era of Covid-19: The effects of the pandemic and pop-up cycle lanes on cycling practices

This paper addresses the effects of the pandemic and of Covid pop-up cycle lanes on cycling. A questionnaire survey was carried out in Geneva and Lausanne, Switzerland. The pandemic has strengthened the attractiveness of cycling both as a mode of transport and as a recreational activity, showing its resilience in a time of crisis. Covid cycle lanes implemented after the first lockdown have improved traffic conditions for cycling in terms of safety, directness and the overall experience. Beyond the recruitment of new cyclists, an effect of consolidating existing practices is observed through, for example, their extension to additional routes and motives. These pop-up cycle lanes have, however, been politically contested, and their reception varies in the population, depending mainly on mobility habits and political position. As both cities aim to increase their modal share of cycling, the challenge is to capitalize on the recent development of cycling, to provide suitable infrastructures, but also to find ways to deal with the controversies and to legitimate cycling as a fully-fledged means of transport.

Riding the wave: Predicting the use of the bike-sharing system in Barcelona before and during COVID-19

To simultaneously promote health, economic, and environmental sustainability, a number of cities worldwide have established bike-sharing systems (BSS) that complement the conventional public transport systems. As the rapid spread of COVID-19 becoming a global pandemic disrupted urban mobility due to government-imposed lockdowns and the heightened fear of infection in crowded spaces, populations were increasingly less likely to use public transportation and instead shifted toward alternative transport systems, including BSS. In this study, we use probabilistic machine learning in a quasi-experimental research design to identify how the relevance of a comprehensive set of factors to predict the use of Bicing (the BSS in Barcelona) may have changed as COVID-19 unfolded. We unpack the key factors in predicting the use of Bicing, uncovering evidence of increasing bike-related built infrastructure (e.g., tactical urbanism), trip distance, and the income levels of neighborhoods as the most relevant predictors. Moreover, we find that the relevance of the factors in predicting Bicing usage has generally decreased during the global pandemic, suggesting altered societal behavior. Our study enhances the understanding of BSS and societal behavior, which can have important implications for developing resilient programs for cities to adopt sustainable practices through transport policy, infrastructure planning, and urban development.

Build Healthier: Post-COVID-19 Urban Requirements for Healthy and Sustainable Living

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a renewed interest in urban environment and healthy living and the changes in urban environments which can make for a healthier living. Today, more than 50% of the global population lives in urban areas, and in Europe the number is 75%. We present a narrative review to explore considerations and necessary requirements to achieve health and well-being within strategies for healthy design and urban planning whilst rethinking urban spaces for a post-COVID-19 and carbon-neutral future. The achievement of health and well-being demands healthy design strategies, namely, (1) moving from the concept of infrastructure for processes to the infrastructure for healthy living—requirements for healthy places, cycling, walking, disintegrating the role of polluting traffic from the urban environments, social vulnerability and equality; (2) physical space that will achieve standards of ‘liveable communities’—open, green space requirements and standards for any built environment; (3) mainstreaming ‘in-the-walking distance’ cities and neighbourhoods for healthy physical activities for daily living; (4) exploring any of the new concepts that connect the nexus of urban spaces and public health and improving of the population’s well-being. Public health needs to be prioritised systematically in planning of built environments, energy generations, sustainable food production, and nutrition.

Cycling Tourism: A Literature Review to Assess Implications, Multiple Impacts, Vulnerabilities, and Future Perspectives

Cycle tourists are increasingly prominent in the profile of world tourism and, in the light of the literature, it is essential, among other things, to examine more closely who they are, what their concerns and motivations are that generate the choice of a cycle tourism product, and, as a priority, the level of economic, social, and environmental impact they cause at destination. In this context, this literature review aims at identifying authors’ and publishers’ interest in cycle tourism, the positive and negative effects of this form of tourism on the economic environment (direct and indirect), as well as effects on the social environment (benefits and potential drawbacks for local communities, along with health benefits for practitioners) and, last but not least, the degree of vulnerability to economic crises generated by travel restrictions. The conclusions reported in this article, as they have been drawn from analyses and examples of best practice, based on natural and anthropogenic geographical conditions, will be prioritised as future research directions. The usefulness of this approach lies in the information with significant applied and novelty aspects, addressed to local, regional, and national authorities, cycling and cycle-tourism associations, and various private interested enterprises, with a view to promoting cycling for recreational purposes and implementing cycling/cycle-tourism infrastructure as a sustainable way of developing small towns and rural areas with tourism potential.

Impacts of changes in environmental exposures and health behaviours due to the COVID-19 pandemic on cardiovascular and mental health: A comparison of Barcelona, Vienna, and Stockholm

Responses to COVID-19 altered environmental exposures and health behaviours associated with non-communicable diseases. We aimed to (1) quantify changes in nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), noise, physical activity, and greenspace visits associated with COVID-19 policies in the spring of 2020 in Barcelona (Spain), Vienna (Austria), and Stockholm (Sweden), and (2) estimated the number of additional and prevented diagnoses of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, depression, and anxiety based on these changes. We calculated differences in NO₂, noise, physical activity, and greenspace visits between pre-pandemic (baseline) and pandemic (counterfactual) levels. With two counterfactual scenarios, we distinguished between Acute Period (March 15th - April 26th, 2020) and Deconfinement Period (May 2nd - June 30th^, 2020) assuming counterfactual scenarios were extended for 12 months. Relative risks for each exposure difference were estimated with exposure-risk functions. In the Acute Period, reductions in NO₂ (range of change from -16.9 μg/m³ to -1.1 μg/m³), noise (from -5 dB(A) to -2 dB(A)), physical activity (from -659 MET*min/wk to -183 MET*min/wk) and greenspace visits (from -20.2 h/m to 1.1 h/m) were largest in Barcelona and smallest in Stockholm. In the Deconfinement Period, NO₂ (from -13.9 μg/m³ to -3.1 μg/m³), noise (from -3 dB(A) to -1 dB(A)), and physical activity levels (from -524 MET*min/wk to -83 MET*min/wk) remained below pre-pandemic levels in all cities. Greatest impacts were caused by physical activity reductions. If physical activity levels in Barcelona remained at Acute Period levels, increases in annual diagnoses for MI (mean: 572 (95% CI: 224, 943)), stroke (585 (6, 1156)), depression (7903 (5202, 10,936)), and anxiety (16,677 (926, 27,002)) would be anticipated. To decrease cardiovascular and mental health impacts, reductions in NO₂ and noise from the first COVID-19 surge should be sustained, but without reducing physical activity. Focusing on cities' connectivity that promotes active transportation and reduces motor vehicle use assists in achieving this goal.

Cycling through the COVID-19 Pandemic to a More Sustainable Transport Future: Evidence from Case Studies of 14 Large Bicycle-Friendly Cities in Europe and North America

This article examines the impact of COVID-19 on cycling levels and government policies toward cycling over the period 2019 to 2021. We analyze national aggregate data from automatic bicycle counters for 13 countries in Europe and North America to determine month-by-month and year-to-year changes in cycling levels in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019. That aggregate analysis is complemented by case studies of 14 cities in the USA, Canada, the UK, Belgium, France, Spain, and Germany. Although there was much variation over time, among countries, and among cities, cycling levels generally increased from 2019 to 2021, mainly due to growth in cycling for recreation and exercise. In contrast, daily trips to work and education declined. All 14 of the cities we examined in the case studies reported large increases in government support of cycling, both in funding as well as in infrastructure. Bikeway networks were expanded and improved, usually with protected cycling facilities that separate cyclists from motorized traffic. Other pro-cycling measures included restrictions on motor vehicles, such as reducing speed limits, excluding through traffic from residential neighborhoods, banning car access to some streets, and re-allocating roadway space to bicycles. Car-restrictive measures became politically possible due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on the behavior change of cyclists in Lisbon, using multinomial logit regression analysis

The 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak hit most countries and cities globally, dramatically impacting how people live during lockdown periods. Compulsorily, socioeconomic activities and mobility patterns changed while long-lasting structural changes might remain. Focusing on this very particular liminal event, this paper aims to present and analyze the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus lockdown on the behavior change of cyclists and previously non-cyclists in Lisbon, Portugal, knowing that no concomitant interventions occurred in the cycling environment during the period analyzed (e.g., pop-up interventions). From a 1-min questionnaire in 5 locations in Lisbon's existing cycling lanes, we aimed to collect (n = 493) revealed preferences on cycling frequency before and after the lockdown, which we used to calibrate a weighted multinomial logit model to analyze respondents' probability of increasing, maintaining, or decreasing their cycling frequency. Results suggest that people tended to cycle more often after the lockdown than before. For every five cyclists, two cycled more frequently while two others maintained their cycling frequency. Most cycling trips were recreational or to exercise, and these increased after the lockdown, while trips for work and school decreased, as expected. Moreover, the lower the individuals' cycling frequency levels before the lockdown, the more they cycled after it. Our study diagnoses the impact of the lockdown on cycling habits, indicating an overall propensity to cycling more by the Lisbon citizens. Hence, authorities need to act and make quick infrastructural changes (e.g., pop-up cycling lanes) and encourage the population to use more bikes (e.g., financial incentives for bike purchases).

Finding that elusive bell and other issues - experiences from starting to cycle during a pandemic

The Covid19 pandemic has pushed a large number of people to change their mode of transport from (mainly) public transport to cycling, and thus given us an opportunity to study the adoption process of cycling. The paper reports on an interview study with 12 participants who started, or significantly increased, cycling during the pandemic, and utilises the Innovation-Decision Process to analyse the participants' cycling adoption and draw implications. The results show that adopting cycling as a primary mode of transport is a journey of constant reinvention of practices based on positive and negative discoveries, and that equipment (incl. a variety of clothes, bicycles, and bells) is key to overcome the negative discoveries. The main implication for urban policy and planning is that many measures can be taken to increase adoption of everyday cycling in addition to building more protected bicycle lanes. Examples include 1) develop new equipment more suited for everyday cycling, 2) create meeting points to transfer knowledge on equipment as well as good routes, 3) prioritize cycling at workplaces and other destinations with lockers, indoor storage, etcetera. To influence people to begin everyday cycling, it is also important to address the measures towards 'people who cycle' rather than 'cyclists' as many people do not wish to identify themselves as the latter.

Travel behaviour and greenhouse gas emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic: A case study in a university setting

The year 2020 was characterized by a marked shift in daily travel patterns due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While we know that overall travel decreased, less is known about modal shift among those who continued to travel during the pandemic or about the impact of these travel-behaviour changes on transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. Focusing on a university setting and drawing from a travel survey conducted in Fall 2020 in Montreal, Canada (n = 3358), this study examines modal shifts and quantifies greenhouse gas emissions at three time periods in the year 2020: pre-pandemic, early pandemic, and later pandemic. The pandemic resulted in a sharp reduction in travel to campus. Among those who continued to travel to campus (n = 1580), car-to-final destination mode share almost tripled at the start of the pandemic. The largest modal shift seen was the transition from walking, cycling, and transit, to driving at the beginning of the pandemic. Reductions in overall travel resulted in lower overall transport-related greenhouse gas emissions. However, if modal changes persist once students, staff, and academics return to campus, the transport carbon footprint is projected to increase above pre-pandemic levels. These results highlight the importance of putting in place policies that support a return to sustainable modes as universities and businesses reopen for in-person activities.

Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sports-Related Injuries Evaluated in US Emergency Departments

Background:

Organized athletics are undergoing a gradual resumption after a prolonged hiatus in 2020 because of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Purpose/Hypothesis:

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the 2020 COVID-19 period on emergency department (ED) visits for sports-related injuries in the United States. It was hypothesized that such visits decreased in response to the pandemic conditions.

Study Design:

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods:

A selection of sports (baseball, basketball, softball, soccer, American football, weightlifting, track and field, martial arts, boxing, golf, personal fitness, cycling, tennis, and ice hockey) were classified as being an organized team, organized individual, or nonorganized sport. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was then queried for ED visits for sports-related injuries between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020, and we compared weighted national injury estimates and injury characteristics from athletes presenting to EDs in 2018 and 2019 versus those from the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic period and between March 1 and May 31, 2020 (government-imposed lockdown period). Bivariate comparisons between variables were conducted using chi-square analysis, with strength of association assessed using odds ratios.

Results:

The 164,151 unweighted cases obtained from the query resulted in a weighted national estimate of 5,664,795 sports-related injuries during the study period. Overall, there was a 34.6% decrease in sports-related ED visits in 2020 compared with the yearly average between 2018 and 2019 (baseline). The number of ED visits in 2020 decreased by 53.9% versus baseline for injuries incurred by participation in an organized team sport and by 34.9% for injuries incurred by participation in an organized individual sport. The number of ED visits during the 2020 lockdown period decreased by 76.9% versus baseline for injuries incurred by participation in an organized team sport and by 65.8% for injuries incurred by participation in an organized individual sport. Injuries sustained while participating in a nonorganized sport remained relatively unaffected and decreased by only 8.1% in 2020.

Conclusion:

ED visits in the United States for injuries sustained while participating in an organized team or individual sport underwent a decrease after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, especially during the lockdown period.

COVID-19 as a window of opportunity for cycling: Evidence from the first wave

Across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to reconsider their habits in terms of how they work, how they interact with each other, and of their mobility. During lockdowns, mobility was in general significantly reduced. Means of collective transportation were used much less, and people preferred means of individual transport. Evidence from some cities suggests that people turned to cycling as a resilient and reliable option with a small risk of contagiousness. This spike in demand led some governments to respond by opening additional bike lanes, reducing the fees of bike-sharing systems, banning cars on selected streets, or giving monetary incentives for the purchase of new bikes. We analyze the bike traffic in Basel and Zurich, two major Swiss cities. Throughout the pandemic, no specific measure to promote cycling was implemented in any of the two cities; we can thus see latent demand patterns exposed when conditions change. As cycling depends on the season and weather, we incorporate these data and correct the traffic counts hereby. We can identify a distinct change in cycling traffic over the course of the day. During the lockdown period, relatively more traffic is observed in the afternoon, possibly associated with leisure activities. Furthermore, there is a short-term drop in the corrected cycling traffic and a fast recovery, demonstrating cycling as a resilient transport mode. Soon bike traffic reached pre-lockdown levels, but no significant increase could be identified, possibly attributed to the absence of explicit policy measures. We furthermore survey a panel of bike policy experts to identify policy actions that could be taken in Basel and Zurich to increase bike usage. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupts life as we know it, leading people to reconsider their travel choices. Given authorities' desire to increase bike usage, it represents a window of opportunity to test new policy measures, increase bike trips of active cyclists, and attract new cyclists. As long as this window is open, people are susceptible to policy measures to reconsidering past choices. However, if no policy measures are conducted during the pandemic, as in the case study, it is likely that bike usage is not increased in the long run. Authorities are well-advised to take this opportunity to strengthen cycling and to lead to a more resilient, accessible, safe, and sustainable urban transport system.

New urban models for more sustainable, liveable and healthier cities post covid19; reducing air pollution, noise and heat island effects and increasing green space and physical activity

Cities are centres of innovation and wealth creation, but also hotspots of air pollution and noise, heat island effects and lack of green space, which are all detrimental to human health. They are also hotspots of COVID19. COVID19 has led to a rethink of urban public space. Therefore, is it time to re-think our urban models and reduce the health burden? We provide a narrative meta-review around a number of cutting edge and visionary urban models that that may affect health and that have been reported over the past few years. New urban concepts such as the Superblocks, the low traffic neighbourhood, 15 Minute city, Car free city or a mixture of these that may go some way in reducing the health burden related to current urban and transport practices. They will reduce air pollution and noise, heat island effects and increase green space and physical activity levels. What is still lacking though is a thorough evaluation of the effectiveness and acceptability of the schemes and the impacts on not only health, but also liveability and sustainability, although they are expected to be positive. Finally, the COVID19 pandemic may accelerate these developments and stimulus funding like the EU Next Generation funding should be used to make these changes.

Chronicles from the new normal: Urban planning, mobility and land-use management in the face of the COVID-19 crisis

The world is facing new challenges due to the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2) virus outbreak identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The aim of this paper is to investigate and discuss how cities are being managed in the anti-pandemic "new normal". And this in light of unexpected phenomena such as: the on-going modal shift from public transport to private modes vs the new momentum gained by walking, and social lifestyles dictated by confinement first and now by unregulated behavior, also affecting land use. Add to this unpreparedness of pre-pandemic transport policies and the new emerging opportunities; the fresh directions for research and development, for example in the field of urban mobility management. With the additional goal to contribute to further advance the research, the paper also clearly shows that the crisis can be overcome only by considering different fields of action and by considering our common past.

Gender Equality and E-Scooters: Mind the Gap! A Statistical Analysis of the Sicily Region, Italy

Mobility since 2000 has undergone enormous changes due to new modes of transport and related technologies as well as catastrophic and pandemic events. Several strategies have been implemented by European states to mitigate impacts and assess possible risks in a preventive way. Today, mobility pursues the objectives of sustainability and resilience through a series of short-, medium- and long-term strategies that encourage the collaboration of the population to the choices of urban planning and design. Among the different modes of transport that have had a rise in recent years are scooters. Such modes are well suited to connecting spaces within the first and last mile. Similar to other modes of transportation, scooters are also characterized to date by reduced gender equity. The present work investigates through the administration of an online survey the participants’ perceptions concerning the factors that most affect this gender balance considering the metropolitan areas of Catania and Palermo in Sicily. The development of an ordinal regression model revealed the most influential factors of the gender equality variable. Specifically, age, job occupation and perceived safety level of micromobility modes play the most important role. The present findings can be effectively utilized in the planning stage of e-scooter services towards the bridging of the gender gap.

Configurations of underreported cyclist-motorised vehicle and single cyclist collisions: Analysis of a self-reported survey

Lower severity cycling collisions, and single cyclist collisions (or single bicycle crashes) are significantly underreported in police statistics, introducing biases into the types of collisions that are available for analysis. Furthermore, many lower severity collisions do not appear in other collision data sources (e.g. hospital and insurance data). This in turn affects priorities for cyclist safety and puts an underemphasis on certain collision types. Due to an absence of data, little is known of the configurations of unreported collisions. In this paper, data from a recent self-reporting survey of cycling collisions in Ireland is used to provide details of cyclist collisions with motorised vehicles and single cyclist collisions, with the inclusion of unreported collision types. Pre-crash scenarios and impact configurations for cyclist collisions with bonnet-type vehicles, and collision factors and fall types for single cyclist collisions are coded. Injury patterns and police underreporting levels are compared, and representative collision scenarios are identified. This study highlights the relative importance of collisions resulting from the cyclist and vehicle travelling in the same direction, specifically, nearside-hook, vehicle lane changing, and overtaking manoeuvres are emphasised. Furthermore, cases involving the cyclist struck from the side by vehicle fronts comprise a smaller share than previous studies. Specifically, side to side impacts, impacts between the front of the cyclist/bicycle and the side of the vehicle, and impacts with open(ing) doors emerge as important impact configurations with the inclusion of self-reported cases. For single cyclist collisions, the importance of loss of traction of the tyres due to slippery road conditions and interactions with tram tracks and kerbs are emphasised. Fall types differ between single cyclist collision scenarios and are related to differences in injury severity. These findings add to existing knowledge for fatal and higher severity collisions, demonstrating that cyclist safety priorities change with inclusion of underreported, and lower severity collisions. The findings are particularly relevant to road infrastructural planners, as well as in the fields of injury biomechanics, and automated vehicle safety (ADAS). Representative scenarios for collisions with bonnet-type vehicles and single cyclist collisions have been identified, allowing for their future inclusion in development of collision and injury prevention strategies. The dataset generated in this study is available from the authors on reasonable request.

Combining Sufficiency, Efficiency and Flexibility to Achieve Positive Energy Districts Targets

Energy efficiency, generation from renewable sources and more recently energy flexibility are key elements of present sustainability policies. However, we are beginning to see a recognition of the need to couple technological solutions with lifestyle and behavioral changes, sometimes labeled under the term “sufficiency”. Appropriate policies and design principles are necessary to enable sufficiency options, which in turn reveal that there is a bidirectional influence between the building and the district/city level. In this context, the authors discuss how city and building re-design should be implemented combining energy efficiency, flexibility, production from renewables and sufficiency options for achieving a positive energy balance at the district level even within the constraints of dense cities. Based on a review of recent advances, the paper provides a matrix of interactions between building and district design for use by building designers and city planners. It also compares possible scenarios implementing different strategies at the building and urban level in a case study, in order to evaluate the effect of the proposed integrated approach on the energy balance at yearly and seasonal time scales and on land take.

Building a multisystemic understanding of societal resilience to the COVID-19 pandemic

The current global systemic crisis reveals how globalised societies are unprepared to face a pandemic. Beyond the dramatic loss of human life, the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered widespread disturbances in health, social, economic, environmental and governance systems in many countries across the world. Resilience describes the capacities of natural and human systems to prevent, react to and recover from shocks. Societal resilience to the current COVID-19 pandemic relates to the ability of societies in maintaining their core functions while minimising the impact of the pandemic and other societal effects. Drawing on the emerging evidence about resilience in health, social, economic, environmental and governance systems, this paper delineates a multisystemic understanding of societal resilience to COVID-19. Such an understanding provides the foundation for an integrated approach to build societal resilience to current and future pandemics.

COVID-19, the Built Environment, and Health

BACKGROUND

Since the dawn of cities, the built environment has both affected infectious disease transmission and evolved in response to infectious diseases. COVID-19 illustrates both dynamics. The pandemic presented an opportunity to implement health promotion and disease prevention strategies in numerous elements of the built environment.

OBJECTIVES

This commentary aims to identify features of the built environment that affect the risk of COVID-19 as well as to identify elements of the pandemic response with implications for the built environment (and, therefore, for long-term public health).

DISCUSSION

Built environment risk factors for COVID-19 transmission include crowding, poverty, and racism (as they manifest in housing and neighborhood features), poor indoor air circulation, and ambient air pollution. Potential long-term implications of COVID-19 for the built environment include changes in building design, increased teleworking, reconfigured streets, changing modes of travel, provision of parks and greenspace, and population shifts out of urban centers. Although it is too early to predict with confidence which of these responses may persist, identifying and monitoring them can help health professionals, architects, urban planners, and decision makers, as well as members of the public, optimize healthy built environments during and after recovery from the pandemic. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8888.