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Amazing news for our city and our customers.
Bus lanes are a key part of our competitive advantage, allowing us to escape congestion.
This is going to be particularly important as traffic and congestion levels sky rocket over the coming months as people avoid public transport. https://twitter.com/yating_liu/status/1301928710988279809
Bus lanes are a key part of our competitive advantage, allowing us to escape congestion.
This is going to be particularly important as traffic and congestion levels sky rocket over the coming months as people avoid public transport. https://twitter.com/yating_liu/status/1301928710988279809
Many boroughs have already taken a lead to tackle this congestion - providing networks of quiet streets (Low Traffic Neighbourhoods), pop-up bike lanes and school streets to make alternatives to driving viable.
But some boroughs have procrastinated, delayed, failed.
But some boroughs have procrastinated, delayed, failed.
We will all pay the price for these boroughs that have failed to take action - in escalating congestion as businesses return to work, air pollution and, ultimately, climate change impacts.
Why is it going to be so bad?
Why is it going to be so bad?
Well - normally our roads are kept in equilibrium.
As traffic slows, people use alternatives more (mainly public transport, some walking / cycling), and some trips disappear because the time cost becomes too high.
But covid 19 has changed the equilibrium dramatically:
As traffic slows, people use alternatives more (mainly public transport, some walking / cycling), and some trips disappear because the time cost becomes too high.
But covid 19 has changed the equilibrium dramatically:
1) Covid reducing public transport capacity by 80%.
2) The value of peoples time has decreased. As our economy slows, overall peoples earning potential decreases, and so the value of their time decreases - people are more willing to sit in traffic.
3) Because of (2) there are
2) The value of peoples time has decreased. As our economy slows, overall peoples earning potential decreases, and so the value of their time decreases - people are more willing to sit in traffic.
3) Because of (2) there are
..more people available to do logistics work, desperate for money (see number of deliveroo riders currently, for e.g - but also under-utilised companies put their staff to work driving) so the cost of logistics falls, and so more logistics activities are carried out.
This means that as the normal seasonal increase in traffic occurs through September, October and into Nov - the equilibrium effects will have less power.
And the thing is that congestion is non-linear.
20% more traffic doesn't cause 20% more congestion. It causes 100% more.
And the thing is that congestion is non-linear.
20% more traffic doesn't cause 20% more congestion. It causes 100% more.
If even a tiny fraction of those who previously got public transport before, start driving then we're looking at much more than 20% more traffic than a typical year.
And a typical year is bad enough come November.
We're looking at complete breakdown of the road network.
And a typical year is bad enough come November.
We're looking at complete breakdown of the road network.
So please - look up the road, see what is coming and make other plans.
Get that bike out the shed, lobby your council for more LTNs, and if you work for a company - stop using motors for your deliveries - we will help if we can.
Get that bike out the shed, lobby your council for more LTNs, and if you work for a company - stop using motors for your deliveries - we will help if we can.
Let's see this coming and do something to head it off.
That's a thing that humans can do when they can see bad things coming their way.
#ActNow
That's a thing that humans can do when they can see bad things coming their way.
#ActNow
