Cycling Could Jumpstart Economy By Ensuring Safe Commutes

While most medical experts agree that the United States faces many more weeks and months of social distancing and disruption, officials are getting ready to reopen parts of the country. A key to safe restart? Bicycles. 

As millions of Americans emerge from lockdown, they’ll be looking to travel back to work again. That will put many people back into the public transit system, especially in the large metropolitan areas that have grappled with COVID-19 for months. Cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and others will see tens of thousands of daily commuters back on crowded buses and trains. This greatly increases the risk of sparking another spike in cases and putting renewed pressure medical facilities. 

The US only needs to take a look overseas to see how other places are looking to handle this transportation risk. Many are turning supporting cycling and non-motorized transportation to encourage and support bike commuting and reduce the number of people that rely on mass transit. In France, they’ve invested over $20 million in offering a credit to cycling commuters to use at participating bicycle repair shops. Some of that budget will also be spent to create new, prioritized parking for bicycles in city centers. 

In London, a recent report found that if city public transit conformed to current social distancing guidelines, it would reduce the amount of people it could accommodate by as much as 80%. That’s simply not a realistic solution. 

Instead, cities like London, Paris, and others must invest in both short and long-term options for cyclists. Paris is adding cycling lanes to its streets, including lanes that follow the same inner-city loops as its busing system. In Brussels, city officials have already announced plans to do something similar. They’re adding approximately forty kilometers of cycling paths designed around the busing system to get more of its citizens to go by bike. And in coronavirus-stricken Milan, ridership is down to just 30% of its normal levels due to social distancing measures, which officials are fighting by re-striping major roadways to encourage cyclists. 

Investing in infrastructure that encourages and protects cyclists and all non-motorized travel is an opportunity for economic stimulus now, when communities need it most. It’s also an opportunity to fight climate change, improve air quality, and reduce congestion in cities around the world. It might also help us shorten the length of social distancing measures and help prevent the next pandemic before it strikes.