How Long Covid Changes the Transportation Conversation

People living with long Covid symptoms can find themselves unable to make the same mobility choices they used to.

1 minute read

September 20, 2023, 7:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Man in orange jacket wearing surgical mask and bike helmet looks at phone while wearing delivery backpack and holding bicycle

Chanelle M/peopleimages.com / Adobe Stock

A Streetsblog USA article draws attention to the impact long Covid is having on people’s ability to walk and bike, highlighting a recent episode of “The Brake” podcast featuring John Bolecek.

Bolecek describes his experience with long Covid, saying, “I had to take medical leave from my job, and it's really just changed everything. I have to be very, very careful on how much I exert so that I don't crash.” As a passionate biking and walking advocate, the change is jarring, “but it didn't lead to him questioning his commitment to building great places to bike and walk.”

Bolecek outlines the parallels between the government’s responses to long Covid and traffic violence. “Some similarities I can think of is [that] you need you need strong leadership at the top of local governments, and other governments; you need state laws, federal laws, local laws, all to to make the system work so people care about implementing safer bike networks and safer pedestrian networks.”

Tuesday, September 19, 2023 in Streetsblog USA

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