How has the mobility behavior of city residents changed as a result of the pandemic? We discussed this topic at the invitation of the Capital City of Warsaw during the conference that was held at the Copernicus Science Centre in Warsaw on May 18th.
The Capital City of Warsaw organized a conference, during which various groups of stakeholders discussed how the functioning of the city changed in the course of the pandemic. As part of the “urban space” thematic path, we took part in a panel discussion on the mobility behavior of city residents. Will the changes we have observed in this area in the last two years stay with us for longer?
This is how the organizers described the above issue: “The introduction of a sanitary regime, lockdowns, but also the possibility of remote working and learning have changed our daily transportation needs, and choices. The use of public collective transport has decreased in scope and frequency. The popularity of individual means of transport has increased. Will these trends continue? Have there been other phenomena that should be taken into account in the long term by city authorities and the public transport industry? How to plan transport in the city with changing demand? Do we know what mobility mix will work in Warsaw?”
Indeed, a lot has changed during the pandemic: our needs, possibilities and, in part, even our habits of moving around the city. The demand for collective transport has decreased and the demand for individual means of transport has increased. Still, it’s not only about the rise of privately owned cars, as there are also shared mobility solutions available to residents, in particular the so-called micromobility or car sharing systems, which – properly encouraged and supported by urban policies – could be a real alternative to traveling around the city in a private car.
In the context of the above considerations, the survey on mobility behavior of two groups of respondents – a nationwide sample of Poles, as well as a representative sample of Varsovians – that we conducted at the end of last year, is important. We shared the results of this survey during the conference. They are also available in chapter 6.5 of the “Feasibility study on the implementation of mobility hubs in Warsaw” published by us in Q1 2022. We encourage you to read this document, because it also deals with other aspects of urban mobility very relevant to the topic of the panel discussion, in which we participated, including the impact of the pandemic on mobility (chapter 6.4) or the results of the New Mobility Barometer survey (chapter 6.3).
To learn more of the topics discussed during the conferece (available only in Polish) as well as to see pictures from our panel discussion please visit the following website: “What has the pandemic taught us?“
