A prominent consequence of the stay-at-home orders and social distancing of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States has been a dramatic surge in the popularity of bike transportation.
"Since the coronavirus pandemic took hold in March, a cycling boom has been under way across the US," according to an article by Miranda Bryant.
Data backs up anecdotal evidence from Denver, Philadelphia, New York City, and Oakland of a massive mode shift underway:
The National Association of City Transport Officials (NACTO) says they are seeing an “explosion in cycling” in many American cities. Eco-Counter, which collects bike data, reports that bicycle counts have “significantly increased” across most of North America compared to usual. In the two weeks to 4 May, it found the US region with the most growth was the south-west, which was up by over 100%.
The question of whether the trend toward active transportation will persist as stay-at-home orders are lifted and people return to their normal commute and trip-taking routines is still to be determined, but one source quoted in the article says that any long-term growth in people riding bikes could be considered a silver lining in this public health and economic crisis.
Read the full story: Cycling 'explosion': coronavirus fuels surge in US bike ridership
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