As the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic disrupt communities across the globe, we are witnessing new and different demands on our transportation systems. In Baton Rouge we’ve seen shifts in bike and pedestrian activity, and some cities are completely rethinking transit to better serve them both during COVID and beyond. We sat down with Beth Osborne, Director for Transportation for America, to discuss what the pandemic means for urban mobility and how those involved in planning, transportation, government, and advocacy can help build better cities.
What transit gaps have been exposed by COVID, and what are their impacts on people and local economies?
They’re gaps that already existed, but now they’re in stark relief. They’re things that transit advocates have complained about for decades, such as the lack of frequent and reliable transit in the vast majority of communities around the country. It is also highlighting the fact that our transit systems were designed to serve communities of the 70s and 80s and haven't been updated since then, despite shifts in population densities. We recognize that even though many of us have the luxury of working from home, the Transit Center found about 36% of those designated as essential workers in today's environment rely on transit to get to work. We may not take transit to the hospital for treatment, but it doesn't do us much good that we can drive ourselves to the hospital if our nurses aren't there to take care of us. This pandemic has helped us realize that even non-transit riders rely entirely on transit operating to make sure that the things that we need can operate, and we can be taken care of when we most need it.
What opportunities have emerged from this pandemic?
I think it’s highlighted the roles that telehealth and telecommuting can and will play in our future. So many of us were resistant to both because it was just different than what we knew and because nothing had forced us to figure out how it could work. Well, this pandemic has forced all of us to figure out how these things work, and there's no reason to go back now. Broadband access is an incredible way to reduce disparities, and we should view it as a transportation solution. It's really an essential service to make sure that everyone has access to broadband. And here in D.C. they are actually buying hotspots for all the students that don’t have access to this. So, if there is anything that has proved how essential this is, it is COVID-19.
Work trips are generally 20% of trips and 30% of vehicle miles traveled--they are not where most people are spending their time in trying to get around. It’s the bank trip and the grocery trip and the school trip and the dry cleaner and all those other things that really dictate how much household transportation costs and how much you drive and how many vehicles you need. So that's where I think things like micro-mobility can really come in. If we don’t need the same level of resources to accommodate a commute--if that’s not the primary goal--now you have to reconsider what your mission is. And that flexibility allows an opportunity to have a really broad conversation about what today's demands are and how we can meet them.
I think a lot of people look at the built environment and they say to themselves, “This is immutable. This can’t be changed. These are big edifices and roadways, and they will always be this way. In 10,000 years this corner will look identical to the way it looks now.” Now when you say it like that it sounds preposterous, but there's a part of our lizard brains that think that. What we forget is that much like our body is replacing every cell over seven years and constantly changing even if it isn’t visible, our cities are doing the same thing. I mean, they are changing at lightning speed. The question isn't whether or not they will change, it is whether we can keep up with it because it is faster than we can possibly imagine.
How can we build a better future for transportation post-COVID?
I think we have to recognize that even if folks are not ready to believe that we need a broad-based change for everything in the long-term, they do believe that the circumstances for today are different. So we can tell them that any stimulus should address those needs and the needs of the short and medium term. So, let’s work with them to define what those are: the need to move about your community both in and out of a car, the ability to not make trip at all, the ability to make sure that those with the least money have access to all of those things, the recognition that our existing infrastructure is not up to the task.
We also have to be aware when we're working with our states and localities, they will say things like, “I can't do this.” They will tell communities that they can’t build them sidewalks because it’s against the rules. And no one ever says, “Whose rules? Where is it written? How can we change those rules?” It’s a decision about priorities. So when people say, “Ooh, that's different. That's hard. That's challenging,” let’s ask why. Let’s ask where that sentiment comes from, and let's help work through their challenges as well.
To learn more about reshaping our cities and systems to meet changing needs, join CPEX's virtual Smart Growth Summit beginning on Sept. 29 for a discussion with Catherine Brinkley, PhD an Associate Professor of Community & Regional Development at UC Davis, Destiny Thomas, PhD, Founder and CEO of Thrivance Group, and Mike Lydon, Principal of Street Plans as they discuss “no regrets” urban investments for uncertain times. Register here at no cost.