As economies begin to reopen around the world, some cities are taking action to prevent widespread gridlock.
"As coronavirus lockdowns loosen around the world, city leaders are scrambling to address a new problem: the prospect of gridlock worse than before the pandemic," write Somini Sengupta and Brad Plumer. "From Shenzhen to Milan to Austin, officials are trying to coax people back onto buses and subways and reclaim road space for cyclists and pedestrians."
The consequences of fewer people riding transit or riding bikes will be bad for congestion, pollution, and injuries and fatalities caused by collisions, according to the article. But many cities are struggling to mitigate the oncoming traffic.
More than 30 large cities coming out of lockdown, including Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Oslo and Geneva, recorded more congestion on their roads in mid-June compared with the same period last year, according to data from TomTom, a navigation company. Other early evidence suggests that driving is increasing faster than public transit use as people step out of confinement and move around again.
The article surveys the globes for some of the transportation planning responses to the growth in automobile travel as public transit struggles, including the examples of Bogotá, London, Seoul, Beijing, and Austin. Here are the details on Austin's efforts:
In Austin, Tex., the city has expanded its system of public shuttles that can be reserved through a mobile app by riders who aren’t well served by existing bus lines. Officials are also drawing up plans to better integrate existing bus and rail lines with the city’s bike-share system by offering unified ticketing and apps. They also plan to eventually replace the city’s 1,000 shared bikes with electric versions that make travel easier in the sweltering Texas heat.
FULL STORY: Lockdowns Tamed Road Traffic. Here’s How Cities Aim to Keep It Down.
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Early Sharrow Booster: ‘I Was Wrong’
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Push and Pull: The Link Between Walkability and Affordability
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U.S. Transit Agencies Face a Financial Crisis
Transit providers around the country are scrambling to find new sources of revenue to replace lagging ridership and reorienting their systems to a future less dependent on daily commuters.
California Rejects Six-State Colorado River Plan, Proposes Its Own
State officials claim a proposal agreed upon by the other six states using Colorado River water disproportionately impacts California farmers.
Washington Focuses Road Safety Efforts on Individuals, Neglecting Design
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Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
York County Government
York County, Human Resources
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Culver City
Sonoma County Transportation Authority
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