Safety of cycling infrastructure installed during COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto Canada

BackgroundIn the spring/summer of 2020, 8 new cycling infrastructure corridors (6 downtown) were installed in Toronto, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes in cycling volumes and safety (6 cycle tracks and 2 buffered bicycle lanes), pre-versus post-installation were examined.MethodsCycling volumes were estimated using 34 temporary counters across the city (September 2019 compared to 2020/2021) and 21 downtown permanent bike counters (May 2020 compared to 2021;October 2019 compared with September 2020). Pre- and post- installation cycling volume data on new infrastructure was based on two-day average counts collected in 2020. Police-reported cyclist collisions pre- (2016-Aug 10, 2020, n= 278 collisions) and post-installation (Aug 11, 2020- Dec 31, 2021, n=102 collisions) were mapped within 25-metres of each cycling corridor. Collisions were adjusted by observation time.ResultsCycling volumes increased by 12% across the city [58 to 65 bikes/hour];72% downtown (128 to 220 bikes/hour), and 68% on the new infrastructure (106 to 179 bikes/hour). Cycling collision rates decreased 28% on the infrastructure (0.74/1000 to 0.53/1000 cycle months, respectively), with most collisions occurring at intersections with little change post-installation (72% versus 74%, respectively).ConclusionCycling volumes increased post installation, most markedly downtown and on the cycling infrastructure. There was a reduction in collisions with the installation of cycling infrastructure;however, the proportion of intersection collisions increased.Learning OutcomesThere was a trend towards increased cycling in Toronto since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although collisions declined along new cycling infrastructure, intersections must be designed to improve cycling safety.

The Canadian Bikeway Comfort and Safety metrics (Can-BICS): National measures of the bicycling environment for use in research and policy.

Background: The lack of consistent measures of the cycling environment across communities hampers cycling research and policy action. Our goal was to develop the first national dataset in Canada for metrics of the cycling environment at the dissemination area (DA) level - the Canadian Bikeway Comfort and Safety (Can-BICS) metrics. Data and methods: The Can-BICS metrics are area-level metrics based on the quantity of cycling infrastructure within a 1 km buffer of the population-weighted centroid of DAs. The base data are a national cycling network dataset derived from OpenStreetMap (OSM) (extracted January 25, 2022) and classified by high-, medium- and low-comfort facilities. A Can-BICS continuous metric (sum of cycling infrastructure per square kilometre weighted by comfort class) and Can-BICS categorical metric were derived and mapped for all 56,589 DAs in Canada. The Can-BICS metrics were correlated with other national datasets (2016 Canadian Active Living Environments [Can-ALE] and 2016 Census journey-to-work data) to test for associations between Can-BICS and related measures. Additionally, city staff were engaged to provide feedback on metrics during the development phase. Results: One-third (34%) of neighbourhoods in Canada have no cycling infrastructure. According to the categorical measure, 5% of all DAs were assigned as the highest category of Can-BICS (corresponding to 6% of the population) and were nearly all within metro areas. The Can-BICS continuous metric had low correlation with bike-to-work rates (R = 0.29) and was more strongly correlated with sustainable-transportation-to-work rates (R = 0.56) and the Can-ALE metrics (R=0.62). These correlations were variable across cities. Interpretation: The Can-BICS metrics provide national research- and practice-ready measures of cycling infrastructure. The metrics complement existing measures of walking and transit environments (Can-ALE), collectively providing a cohesive set of active living measures. The datasets and code are publicly available, facilitating updates as new infrastructure is built.

Riding through the pandemic: Using Strava data to monitor the impacts of COVID-19 on spatial patterns of bicycling.

COVID-19 prompted a bike boom and cities around the world responded to increased demand for space to ride with street reallocations. Evaluating these interventions has been limited by a lack of spatially-temporally continuous ridership data. Our paper aims to address this gap using crowdsourced data on bicycle ridership. We evaluate changes in spatial patterns of bicycling during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (Apr - Oct 2020) in Vancouver, Canada using Strava data and a local indicator of spatial autocorrelation. We map statistically significant change in ridership and reference clusters of change to a high-resolution base map. Amongst streets where bicycling increased, we measured the proportion of increase occurring on pre-existing bicycle facilities or street reallocations compared to streets without. In all our analyses, we evaluate patterns across subsets of Strava data representing recreation, commuting, and ridership generated by women and older adults (55 + ). We found consistent and unique patterns by trip purpose and demographics: samples generated by women and older adults showed increases near green and blue spaces and on street reallocations that increased access to parks, and these patterns were also mirrored in the recreation sample. Commute ridership highlighted distinct patterns of increase around the hospital district. Across all subsets most increases occurred on bicycle facilities (pre-existing or provisional), with a strong preference for high-comfort facilities. We demonstrate that changes in spatial patterns of bicycle ridership can be monitored using Strava data, and that nuanced patterns can be identified using trip and demographic labels in the data.

"We see each other from a distance": Neighbourhood social relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic matter for older adults' social connectedness.

INTRODUCTION: We extend previous research to illustrate how individual, interpersonal and neighbourhood factors in a high-density urban setting in Vancouver, Canada, shape social connectedness experiences of community-dwelling older adults during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We conducted 31 semi-structured interviews and collected objective measures of loneliness and social connectedness (surveys). RESULTS: Three dimensions of the neighbourhood environment influenced social connectedness: (i) interactions with neighbours, (ii) involvement with neighbourhood-based organizations, and (ii) outdoor pedestrian spaces. Seventy-one percent of participants felt a strong sense of belonging to their local community, while 39% were classified as high or extremely lonely. SUMMARY: Many participants leveraged pre-existing social ties to maintain connections during the pandemic. However, volunteer outreach was vital for more isolated older adults. Although many participants felt lonely and isolated at times, the relative ease and accessibility with which they could connect with others in their neighbourhood environment, may have helped mitigate persistent loneliness. CONCLUSION: Strategies that foster social connectedness over the longer term, need to prioritize the needs of older adults who face multiple barriers to equitable social participation.

Not quite a block party: COVID-19 street reallocation programs in Seattle, WA and Vancouver, BC.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed mobility inequities within cities. In response, cities are rapidly implementing street reallocation initiatives. These interventions provide space for walking and cycling, however, other mobility needs (e.g., essential workers, deliveries) may be impeded by these reallocation decisions. Informed by mobility justice frameworks, we examined socio-spatial differences in access to street reallocations in Seattle, Washington and Vancouver, British Columbia. In both cities, more interventions occurred in areas where people of color, particularly Black and Indigenous people, lived. In Seattle, more interventions occurred in areas where people with disabilities, on food stamps, and children lived. In Vancouver, more interventions occurred in areas where recent immigrants lived, or where people used public transit or cycled to work. Street reallocations could be opportunities for cities to redress inequities in mobility and access to public spaces. Going forward, it is imperative to monitor how cities use data and welcome communities to redesign these temporary spaces to be corridors for their own mobility.

COVID-19 street reallocation in mid-sized Canadian cities: socio-spatial equity patterns.

INTERVENTION: Street reallocation interventions in three Canadian mid-sized cities: Victoria (British Columbia), Kelowna (British Columbia), and Halifax (Nova Scotia) related to the COVID-19 pandemic. RESEARCH QUESTION: What street reallocation interventions were implemented, and what were the socio-spatial equity patterns? METHODS: We collected data on street reallocations (interventions that expand street space for active transportation or physical distancing) from April 1 to August 15, 2020 from websites and media. For each city, we summarized length of street reallocations (km) and described implementation strategies and communications. We assessed socio-spatial patterning of interventions by comparing differences in where interventions were implemented by area-level mobility, accessibility, and socio-demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Two themes motivated street reallocations: supporting mobility, recreation, and physical distancing in populous areas, and bolstering COVID-19 recovery for businesses. The scale of responses ranged across cities, from Halifax adding an additional 20% distance to their bicycle network to Kelowna closing only one main street section. Interventions were located in downtown cores, areas with high population density, higher use of active transportation, and close proximity to essential destinations. With respect to socio-demographics, interventions tended to be implemented in areas with fewer children and areas with fewer visible minority populations. In Victoria, the interventions were in areas with lower income populations and higher proportions of Indigenous people. CONCLUSION: In this early response phase, some cities acted swiftly even in the context of massive uncertainties. As cities move toward recovery and resilience, they should leverage early learnings as they act to create more permanent solutions that support safe and equitable mobility.

RéSUMé: INTERVENTION: Interventions de réaffectation de rues dans trois villes canadiennes de taille moyenne : Victoria (Colombie-Britannique), Kelowna (Colombie-Britannique) et Halifax (Nouvelle-Écosse) en lien avec la pandémie de COVID-19. QUESTION DE RECHERCHE: Quelles interventions de réaffectation de rues ont-elles été exécutées, et quelles ont été les tendances en matière d'équité socio-spatiale? MéTHODE: Nous avons collecté sur des sites Web et dans les médias des données sur la réaffectation de rues (les interventions ayant élargi l'espace viaire pour le transport actif ou la distanciation physique) entre le 1er avril et le 15 août 2020. Pour chaque ville, nous avons résumé la longueur des réaffectations de rues (en kilomètres) et décrit les stratégies de mise en œuvre et les communications. Nous avons évalué la structuration socio-spatiale des interventions en comparant les différences entre les endroits où les interventions ont été appliquées selon la mobilité, l'accessibilité et les caractéristiques sociodémographiques de la région. RéSULTATS: Deux éléments ont motivé la réaffectation de rues : la volonté de favoriser la mobilité, les loisirs et la distanciation physique dans les zones densément peuplées et la volonté de stimuler la reprise des affaires touchées par la COVID-19. L'envergure des interventions a varié d'une ville à l'autre; Halifax a allongé son réseau cyclable de 20 %, mais Kelowna n'a fermé qu'un seul tronçon de sa rue principale. Les interventions ont été faites dans les centres-villes et les zones à forte densité de population, à fort usage de transport actif et à proximité des destinations essentielles. En ce qui a trait aux caractéristiques sociodémographiques, les interventions ont eu tendance à être appliquées dans les zones avec moins d'enfants et moins de minorités visibles. À Victoria, les interventions ont été appliquées dans des zones de populations à faible revenu et à proportions élevées de personnes autochtones. CONCLUSION: À ce stade d'intervention précoce, certaines villes ont agi rapidement, même en présence d'incertitudes énormes. En s'engageant dans la voie de la reprise et de la résilience, les villes devraient tenir compte de leurs premières conclusions lorsqu'elles commencent à créer des solutions permanentes favorisant une mobilité sûre et équitable.