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...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inSustainability Vol. 14; no. 12; p. 7293
Main Authors Buehler, Ralph, Pucher, John
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.06.2022
Subjects
Accuracy
Bicycles
Bicycling
Case studies
Cities
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Disease transmission
Neighborhoods
Pandemics
Planning
Residential areas
Shelter in place
Speed limits
Sustainable transportation
Traffic
Traffic speed
Travel
Trends
Canada
United Kingdom > UK
Belgium
United States > US
Europe
France
North America
Germany
Western Europe
Spain
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Summary: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.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su14127293