MANAGING MOBILITY IN CITIES AFTER #COVID19

P(A)T is an NGO dedicated to helping those affected by traffic accidents and trying to improve mobility, prevent and reduce accidents to zero. From P(A)T we want to contribute some reflections and proposals in the face of this crisis situation that we are living through and that is transforming everything around us.

From P(A)T we want to contribute some reflections and proposals in the face of this crisis situation that we are living through and that is transforming everything around us.

 

Life after #Covid19 will not be the same as before, physical distancing will be required for some time, we don’t know how long. We will prefer to use the bike or walk rather than public transport. The question we must ask ourselves is: Are our cities prepared to take on the new challenges that we are going to have to face? The answer is simple: NO, our cities are planned and built favoring constant human contact. The COVID-19 pandemic is a wake-up call and perhaps also an opportunity to build better and more sustainable societies and cities. This writing intends to provide some solution to the problem, but above all it seeks that our rulers activate all the resources, and that by consulting with all those who can add, it is possible to get out of this crisis with the least possible damage.

 

We must think and project a new system that allows organizing and reordering urban mobility, both vehicles and pedestrians. We ask city managers to urgently apply innovative and agile solutions to adapt our streets to the different rates of opening of mobility conditions. Also included are proposals to protect pedestrians, improve public transport, empower and facilitate cyclists. It is easy to think that people will prefer to walk, cycle or move around on electric systems such as scooters rather than use public transport.

 

P(A)T-AP(A)T proposals:

 

Next, we would like to present some proposals, which would be quick to implement and low cost. In this way, we intend to make all the agents involved in mobility aware, so that as quickly as possible they gain confidence in the urgency that we have to solve.
– Lower vehicle traffic speeds in cities, plus 30 km/h zones.
– Actual capacity of traffic lanes for vehicles and updated daily average intensity of the same.
– Increase the number of km of bike lanes.
– Physical segregation of bike lanes through urban furniture, for example, planters, etc.
– Specific guidance symbols for cyclists and other bike lane users
– Widen sidewalks to increase the area for pedestrians.
– Physical separation by means of cones or tape of exclusive space for pedestrians, by senses, in those areas where there is a large influx of people.
– Markings in the form of circles of 2m in diameter for sidewalks, bus stops, etc. Marks of paint or thermoplastic materials that are easy to remove.
– Marks for distancing people waiting on subway platforms, trams and bus stations.
– Closure of streets and function of the days of the week. Example, commercial axes during weekends.
– Redefinition of some crossings and movements, to reduce the time and concentration of pedestrians.
– Differentiated regulation of traffic light times, it will be necessary to have more frequency for pedestrian crossing.
– Redesign of spaces for vehicle parking. For example, it makes no sense to be able to park at the entrances to the stores, that space can be used to wait for the customers of said stores.

 

The measures to be implemented must be low-cost and easily achievable. It makes no sense to propose long-term and high-cost works. We would also like to propose the creation of a mobile application that seeks to order the presence of public transport users. It would be a ticket reservation service to use the metro, tram or bus. In this way, crowds at rush hour will be avoided and transport optimization will be improved. Through this application, users can reserve the time of entry to the station and access it through a QR code. No need to stop to pay, the same application would take care of billing.

 

Objectives that we must achieve in the short term:
– Allow maintaining the safety distance on public roads, necessary to protect people during periods of contagion.
– Promote the reorganization of public space, for better optimization.
– Implement active protection of the space dedicated to bicycle lanes and pedestrians.
– Prioritize the use of the bicycle, as a non-polluting means and generator of health.
– Allow optimization of the capacity of the roads for cars and buses.
– Thanks to the public transport management app, the user will be able to reserve their space on the metro and bus, without queuing and ensure protection during the journey.
– Reorganization of space within public transport stations, to ensure social distancing.
– Thanks to these measures, it is valued a “pacification” of traffic in our cities of 30%, which in turn means a reduction in environmental pollution.

 

By ordering and pacifying traffic, there will be a reduction in the number of accidents and victims due to accidents and run overs. Finally, point out the fact that one of the few positive consequences that our society can derive from the Pandemic would be the improvement of the environment and road safety in our cities. It is a milestone that has been sought for decades and a pressing problem, thanks to this system we will be able to achieve it in a fast and orderly manner.

 

Manuel Viñuales, Vice President of Pat Apat