Pandemic Response Infrastructure

Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‑19), or the SARS-CoV-2 virus, first identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. As the virus spread around the world, it brought on changes to public life unprecedented in the modern era, driven largely by the need for social distancing measures in suppressing the spread of the virus. In response, city leaders have responded with modifications and additions to existing infrastructure to support mode shifts, changing commute patterns, and the needs of 'essential workers'.

Initial data shows a massive shift towards working from home, and a mode shift away from transit and towards micromobility and private vehicles. The inclusion of these factors in transportation planning and design alter the traditional principles considerably. Efforts for effective pandemic response are also complicated by balancing the need for immediate alleviation of pain points in the system, and uncertainty for how long the changes in needs will last. A variety of techniques have emerged as effective treatments of the public right-of-way to support COVID-related needs of social distancing and mode shift.

Timeline

• January 9 — WHO Announces Mysterious Coronavirus-Related Pneumonia in Wuhan, China
• January 21 — CDC Confirms First US Coronavirus Case
• January 31 — WHO Issues Global Health Emergency

• February 2 — Global Air Travel Is Restricted
• February 3 — US Declares Public Health Emergency
• March 11 — WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic
• March 13 — President Trump Declares COVID-19 a National Emergency
• March 19 — The State of California Issues Statewide Stay-at-Home Order

• March 27 — President Trump Signs CARES Act Into Law
  • Includes $25B in funding for transit providers and $1B for passenger rail
• May 28 — US COVID-19 Deaths Pass 100,000
• August — Estimated US excess deaths pass 200,000 for the year 2020

Analysis of Implications

• The pandemic brought with it broad economic effects. Most notably, a global economic downturn temporarily shut the doors of much blue collar business and sent many white collar workers to work from home, resulting in a massive decrease in commuter volume. As companies (notably, Twitter) recognize work-from home as a viable large-scale solution, business property demand in central business districts has dropped significantly. This extreme land use shift has potential to greatly alter transportation demand. Additionally, the combination of work from home and decrease in elective and non-local travel have brought massive temporary change to commuting patterns, traffic volumes, air travel volumes, and home delivery services. For example, air travel volumes dropped to levels not seen since 2006.

• Initial data from the beginning of the pandemic shows a significant mode shift away from transit towards micromobility and private vehicles. Much of this shift is likely based on the perception of transit as unsafe due to a lack of circulated air and social distance (this assumption has since been proven to be largely untrue). Transit agencies reported massive decline in funds due to decimated ridership numbers, with a number of agencies suspending operations altogether. On the flip side, anecdotal reports show bicycle sales occurring at a much higher rate than normal, indicating an increased share of trips made with pedal power. A necessary caveat to this change is that most adaptation to the virus has happened during the summer in the northern hemisphere, which threatens the active mode share's potential longevity when cold weather returns in the fall. The perception of the private vehicle as a form of personal protective equipment, combined with the prevalence of curbside pickup and closure of in-person businesses during the pandemic has further encouraged retail and service work to be conducted in vehicles.

• To respond to changes in travel demand, local leaders have implemented urbanist strategies to provide for mode shift and street life under social distancing measures. Some of these implementations' tactics are listed in the Tactics section, while select case studies are listed in the Case Studies section.

Question posed: will it stick? Through the winter? Forever?

Tactics

Pedestrian signal recall

Pedestrian push-buttons disabled to minimize public touch-points. Walk signal triggers automatically at signalized crossings. Must be supported with clear and obvious signage to pedestrians at each signal where recall is enabled.

Open streets

Streets or blocks where vehicle traffic is prohibited, opening space for pedestrians, cyclists, and other users and uses.

Slow streets

Streets or blocks where vehicle traffic is allowed but slow speeds are encouraged by signage or barricades at the entrance.

Pop-up/quick-build bike lanes

Bike lanes planned, designed, and built on a short time frame to allow for immediate support of mode shift.

Outdoor dining (‘Al fresco’) streets

A style of open street designed to provide more space for social-distance-friendly outdoor dining.

Streets for protest

Use of the public right-of-way has become a point of contention throughout the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Whether obtained tactically, spontaneously, or by approval of right-of-way manager, street space has been used for protest.

Tactical response

Response by local actors to modify the public streetscape, whether by barricades, paint, or unapproved use of the right-of-way for purposes other than driving.

Examples include spray painted “jogging lanes” (Bristol, UK), impromptu open streets (Portland, OR)

Micro-mobility for essential workers/trips

Free or discounted trips on bike- or scooter-share services for essential healthcare workers

Modifications to transit service

Shortened headways, digital payment options, modified stop locations, passenger maximums, or other tactics to allow for social distancing on transit services.

Curb space revitalization

Curb space typically used for parking repurposed for other uses to provide more usable public space.

Case Studies

Example Responses

City	Continent	Population	Strategy	Scope	Notes
Seattle, WA	North America	745,000	Open streets	20 miles	Open neighborhood streets for family play
Bogota, CO	South America	7,413,000	Pop-up/quick-build bike lanes	47 miles	Temporary bike lanes for immediate alleviation of need
Boise, ID	North America	230,000	Outdoor dining (‘Al fresco’) streets	Two downtown blocks	‘Boise on the block’ opens streets to pedestrians between sidewalk dining in nightlife core
Washington, DC	North America	706,000	Streets for protest	One downtown block	Street used for Black Lives Matter protest messaging in downtown
New York, NY	North America	8,400,000	Open streets	100 miles of streets, 8AM-8PM	Traffic limited to delivery, pick-up/drop-off, service, and emergency
Boston, MA	North America	695,000	Pop-up/quick-build bike lanes	Several downtown thoroughfares	‘Healthy Streets’ initiative to support biking, pedestrians, and transit accessibility
Paris, FR	Europe	2,148,000	Pop-up/quick-build bike lanes	At least 100 miles	Massive investment in cycling, seeing massive bump in use
Bristol, UK	Europe	540,000	Tactical response	One roadway	Resident spray painted a ‘jogging lane’ adjacent to sidewalk
Portland, OR	North America	654,000	Tactical response	Small neighborhood blocks	PE class in the street
Chapel Hill, NC	North America	61,000	Pedestrian signal recall	About 30 signals	Automated walk signals
Minneapolis, MN	North America	61,000	Pedestrian signal recall	About 400 signals	Automated walk signals
New York, NY	North America	8,400,000	Micro-mobility for essential workers/trips	20,000 annual memberships	Annual Citi Bike memberships gifted to critical workers
Bogota, CO	South America	7,413,000	Micro-mobility for essential workers/trips	400 free bikes	Gifted 400 bike share bikes to healthcare workers
Duluth, MN	North America	86,000	Modifications to transit service	Urban transit service	Fare suspension to limit drivers’ contact
Las Cruces, NM	North America	100,000	Modifications to transit service	Rural transit service	Reduced transit schedule and free fares
South Bend, IN	North America	100,000	Curb space revitalization	City-wide	Signs provided to business to designate curbside pickup zones

Note, this is not an exhaustive list of cities responding to the COVID-19 pandemic with their transportation system, nor does this provide exhaustive list of response tactics used by any of the cities listed.

Case Study Repositories

Other sources have attempted to gather more exhaustive lists of infrastructure responses to the COVID-19 pandemic with various focus areas. Some of these are listed below.

• Complete Streets Coalition - map of responses
• Activist and consultant Mike Lydon has compiled a live updated list of livable streets responses
• COVID Mobility Works - searchable database of mobility responses
• PedBikeInfo - sortable list of walking and bicycling responses

“Players in the Field”

Activists:

• Mike Lydon - advocate for (tactical) urbanist responses

Researchers:

• University of Washington
• Kittelson & Associates

Professional Organizations:

• NACTO - Grant for pandemic urbanism
• Smart Growth America, National Complete Streets Coalition