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‘Corona Cycleways’ Become the New Post-Confinement Commute ‘Corona Cycleways’ Become the New Post-Confinement Commute
(8 days later)
PARIS — As France eased one of Europe’s toughest coronavirus lockdowns last month, a small army of street workers fanned out across Paris in the dark of night. They dropped traffic barriers along car lanes and painted yellow bicycle symbols onto the asphalt. By morning, miles of pop-up “corona cycleways” had been laid, teeming with people heading back to work.PARIS — As France eased one of Europe’s toughest coronavirus lockdowns last month, a small army of street workers fanned out across Paris in the dark of night. They dropped traffic barriers along car lanes and painted yellow bicycle symbols onto the asphalt. By morning, miles of pop-up “corona cycleways” had been laid, teeming with people heading back to work.
Among them was Christophe Tafforeau, 52, a commercial director at a job training agency, who navigated the throngs for his post-confinement commute.Among them was Christophe Tafforeau, 52, a commercial director at a job training agency, who navigated the throngs for his post-confinement commute.
“This is the first time I’ve ever cycled to my office, but I don’t want to risk using public transportation,” said Mr. Tafforeau, fresh off a 20-minute ride across Paris to his job near the Bastille. “I’m learning to make the bike my main means of getting around.”“This is the first time I’ve ever cycled to my office, but I don’t want to risk using public transportation,” said Mr. Tafforeau, fresh off a 20-minute ride across Paris to his job near the Bastille. “I’m learning to make the bike my main means of getting around.”
As European cities emerge from quarantines, bicycles are playing a central role in getting the work force moving again. Governments are trying to revive their economies from a deep recession, but can’t fully rely on public transportation to get workers to their jobs because of the need for social distancing. In urban areas at least, bicycles are suddenly an unlikely component to restarting economic growth.As European cities emerge from quarantines, bicycles are playing a central role in getting the work force moving again. Governments are trying to revive their economies from a deep recession, but can’t fully rely on public transportation to get workers to their jobs because of the need for social distancing. In urban areas at least, bicycles are suddenly an unlikely component to restarting economic growth.
Americans are also flocking to bicycles as the coronavirus limits activity and discourages the use of public transit. But in Europe, where many cities have integrated cycling as a mode of transportation, the pandemic is speeding up an ecological transition to limit car traffic and cut pollution, especially as new research draws links between dirty air and Covid-19 death rates.Americans are also flocking to bicycles as the coronavirus limits activity and discourages the use of public transit. But in Europe, where many cities have integrated cycling as a mode of transportation, the pandemic is speeding up an ecological transition to limit car traffic and cut pollution, especially as new research draws links between dirty air and Covid-19 death rates.
France, Italy, Britain and their neighbors are accelerating hundreds of millions of euros in investments on new biking infrastructure and schemes to get people pedaling.France, Italy, Britain and their neighbors are accelerating hundreds of millions of euros in investments on new biking infrastructure and schemes to get people pedaling.
Around Paris, residents can get up to 500 euros (about $554) in subsidies to buy an electric bike and a €50 reimbursement to repair an old bike, prompting thousands to wait in snaking lines at bike shops. Public bike rental projects are logging record demand. With new paths springing up daily, bike sales have quadrupled in European cities that ended home confinement, with retailers from Brussels to Tirana reporting shortages.Around Paris, residents can get up to 500 euros (about $554) in subsidies to buy an electric bike and a €50 reimbursement to repair an old bike, prompting thousands to wait in snaking lines at bike shops. Public bike rental projects are logging record demand. With new paths springing up daily, bike sales have quadrupled in European cities that ended home confinement, with retailers from Brussels to Tirana reporting shortages.
“This crisis has made clear that we need to change the way we live, work and move,” said Morten Kabell, chief executive of the European Cyclists’ Federation. “In the era of social distancing, people are wary of using public transportation, and cities can’t take more cars. So they are looking to the bike as a natural mode of mobility for the future.”“This crisis has made clear that we need to change the way we live, work and move,” said Morten Kabell, chief executive of the European Cyclists’ Federation. “In the era of social distancing, people are wary of using public transportation, and cities can’t take more cars. So they are looking to the bike as a natural mode of mobility for the future.”
Authorities say the need for social distancing leaves them little choice. European cities have cut capacity on subways, buses and suburban trains by up to 80 percent. In Paris alone, around 10 million people jammed together each day in public transport before the quarantine; today, to maintain space between passengers, the system only allows in two million, although the restrictions are gradually being lifted this month.Authorities say the need for social distancing leaves them little choice. European cities have cut capacity on subways, buses and suburban trains by up to 80 percent. In Paris alone, around 10 million people jammed together each day in public transport before the quarantine; today, to maintain space between passengers, the system only allows in two million, although the restrictions are gradually being lifted this month.
To manage the overflow and prevent cars from flooding back onto the streets, the authorities have asked companies to keep employees working from home when possible, and to stagger shifts for people who must go to work. Sidewalks are being widened to accommodate more pedestrians. And solo drivers are being encouraged to car pool with mask-wearing passengers.To manage the overflow and prevent cars from flooding back onto the streets, the authorities have asked companies to keep employees working from home when possible, and to stagger shifts for people who must go to work. Sidewalks are being widened to accommodate more pedestrians. And solo drivers are being encouraged to car pool with mask-wearing passengers.
“Around five or six years ago we were talking about shifting from fossil fuel to electric cars,” said Christophe Najdovski, the deputy mayor of Paris for transport and public spaces. “Now, we’re talking about shifting from any type of car to other vehicles — especially bikes.”“Around five or six years ago we were talking about shifting from fossil fuel to electric cars,” said Christophe Najdovski, the deputy mayor of Paris for transport and public spaces. “Now, we’re talking about shifting from any type of car to other vehicles — especially bikes.”
The British government this month rolled out a 250 million pound (about $310 million) fund to reallocate more public space to cyclists, widen pavements and create cycle and bus-only corridors. The program expands a state-backed “cycle to work” program with employers, which the government estimates could save the National Health Service £8 billion a year as people get more exercise.The British government this month rolled out a 250 million pound (about $310 million) fund to reallocate more public space to cyclists, widen pavements and create cycle and bus-only corridors. The program expands a state-backed “cycle to work” program with employers, which the government estimates could save the National Health Service £8 billion a year as people get more exercise.
Milan introduced a Strade Aperte, or “open streets,” program creating 35 kilometers of new paths for cyclists and pedestrians as part of a bigger project to transform the city center and lower pollution. The Italian government introduced a 70 percent subsidy for buying bikes.Milan introduced a Strade Aperte, or “open streets,” program creating 35 kilometers of new paths for cyclists and pedestrians as part of a bigger project to transform the city center and lower pollution. The Italian government introduced a 70 percent subsidy for buying bikes.
Berliners offered flowers to workers adding pop-up cycling paths through the German capital, where city authorities are pushing ahead with a previously planned program to favor pedestrians and cyclists.Berliners offered flowers to workers adding pop-up cycling paths through the German capital, where city authorities are pushing ahead with a previously planned program to favor pedestrians and cyclists.
Paris has been ahead of the pack in this transformation. Before the coronavirus, the city had already added around 1,000 kilometers of protected cycling lanes in recent years, edging out cars from major thoroughfares.Paris has been ahead of the pack in this transformation. Before the coronavirus, the city had already added around 1,000 kilometers of protected cycling lanes in recent years, edging out cars from major thoroughfares.
Mayor Anne Hidalgo also appropriated freeways next to the Seine river for cyclists and pedestrians, and closed swaths of heavily trafficked avenues — drawing ire from critics, who said the moves had backfired by creating bigger traffic jams and more pollution.Mayor Anne Hidalgo also appropriated freeways next to the Seine river for cyclists and pedestrians, and closed swaths of heavily trafficked avenues — drawing ire from critics, who said the moves had backfired by creating bigger traffic jams and more pollution.
As France got ready to lift its national quarantine, Ms. Hidalgo ordered work crews to create pop-up bike paths around Paris and its outer suburbs as quickly as possible in the middle of the night, with the aim of adding 50 kilometers by June following existing underground metro and suburban train tracks.As France got ready to lift its national quarantine, Ms. Hidalgo ordered work crews to create pop-up bike paths around Paris and its outer suburbs as quickly as possible in the middle of the night, with the aim of adding 50 kilometers by June following existing underground metro and suburban train tracks.
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
The Rue de Rivoli, once one of the most traffic-snarled thoroughfares in central Paris, is now entirely reserved for bikes, buses and taxis. The pop-up paths are intended to be temporary, but Mr. Najdovski said the city could consider making them permanent “if they work.”The Rue de Rivoli, once one of the most traffic-snarled thoroughfares in central Paris, is now entirely reserved for bikes, buses and taxis. The pop-up paths are intended to be temporary, but Mr. Najdovski said the city could consider making them permanent “if they work.”
That is still an open question. While the paths are designed to keep cyclists safe, Paris hospitals have reported an increase in injuries among bike riders and pedestrians hit by them. The rise in biking has also created a parking problem that the city is trying to tackle by making space in car parks and creating secure aboveground bike shelters.That is still an open question. While the paths are designed to keep cyclists safe, Paris hospitals have reported an increase in injuries among bike riders and pedestrians hit by them. The rise in biking has also created a parking problem that the city is trying to tackle by making space in car parks and creating secure aboveground bike shelters.
Nonetheless, the coronavirus has “shifted the paradigm” in the way people commute, Mr. Najdovski said. “People are waking up and seeing a new bike lane right outside their door.” The experience so far, he added, is that “as soon as a new bike path is laid, people are on it.”Nonetheless, the coronavirus has “shifted the paradigm” in the way people commute, Mr. Najdovski said. “People are waking up and seeing a new bike lane right outside their door.” The experience so far, he added, is that “as soon as a new bike path is laid, people are on it.”
That was the case with Mr. Tafforeau, who rushed out and bought a used bike the day France lifted its confinement. “When you see people in public transport who don’t respect health safety measures, it’s scary,” he said. “Zero risk doesn’t exist, but you can minimize it by using the bike.”That was the case with Mr. Tafforeau, who rushed out and bought a used bike the day France lifted its confinement. “When you see people in public transport who don’t respect health safety measures, it’s scary,” he said. “Zero risk doesn’t exist, but you can minimize it by using the bike.”
A trim, nattily dressed man, Mr. Tafforeau wasn’t used to riding a bike in a city. But as he joined the crowd going back to work at the job training agency in Bastille, he felt secure inside bike paths that had concrete barriers to keep cars away. “Having so many bike lanes motivates me more to do it,” he said.A trim, nattily dressed man, Mr. Tafforeau wasn’t used to riding a bike in a city. But as he joined the crowd going back to work at the job training agency in Bastille, he felt secure inside bike paths that had concrete barriers to keep cars away. “Having so many bike lanes motivates me more to do it,” he said.
During the ride from his apartment in the hilltop neighborhood of Montmartre, he delighted in seeing Paris under the open sky and felt energized from the exercise, even if the uphill commute back home was tougher. The ride took 20 minutes — just 10 minutes more than his usual underground commute on the metro.During the ride from his apartment in the hilltop neighborhood of Montmartre, he delighted in seeing Paris under the open sky and felt energized from the exercise, even if the uphill commute back home was tougher. The ride took 20 minutes — just 10 minutes more than his usual underground commute on the metro.
On a recent weekday, Mr. Tafforeau waited in a line outside Au Réparateur de Bicyclettes, the shop where he had purchased his bike, to buy accessories. The owner, Stephane Cueff, was forced to close during the lockdown and suffered a major drop in sales. With so many people waiting to buy or repair bikes, he hoped to recover lost profits quickly.On a recent weekday, Mr. Tafforeau waited in a line outside Au Réparateur de Bicyclettes, the shop where he had purchased his bike, to buy accessories. The owner, Stephane Cueff, was forced to close during the lockdown and suffered a major drop in sales. With so many people waiting to buy or repair bikes, he hoped to recover lost profits quickly.
As he showed Mr. Tafforeau the proper way to attach a U-lock, Mr. Cueff said he was heartened to see a rising tide of new riders taking to the streets.As he showed Mr. Tafforeau the proper way to attach a U-lock, Mr. Cueff said he was heartened to see a rising tide of new riders taking to the streets.
“The bicycle has always been a part of France,” Mr. Cueff said. “If there is an upside to the coronavirus, it may be that we are rethinking how we live, and getting back some of what we had lost.”“The bicycle has always been a part of France,” Mr. Cueff said. “If there is an upside to the coronavirus, it may be that we are rethinking how we live, and getting back some of what we had lost.”
Geneva Abdul contributed reporting from London, and Eva Mbengue from Paris.Geneva Abdul contributed reporting from London, and Eva Mbengue from Paris.