Ally Elphick is a Bristol-based Copywriter and Brand Strategy Consultant, who supports brands seeking to forge a more sustainable future for people and planet, together. When she's not reporting on emerging trends or exploring how her clients can better communicate their purpose, she's tending to her veg plot or making a dash to the coast for weekends spent surfing from the comfort of her campervan.

In May 2020, as part of the UK government’s daily COVID-19 briefings, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps unveiled a £2 billion initiative to “to put cycling and walking at the heart of our transport policy.” 

 The plans, which include widening pavements and creating more dedicated cycle lanes, followed the announcement of a £5 billion spending package in February to ‘level-up’ local bus and cycle networks by increasing the frequency of services, reducing fares, and introducing a fleet of zero-emission vehicles. 

These efforts may prove essential to getting around in the ‘new normal’ as efforts to maintain social distance will initially mean that trains, buses, and trams will only be able to operate at 10% capacity. 

 Yet while it’s anticipated that people will feel uncomfortable in cramped spaces on public transport, what’s to stop them from simply getting in their cars? In London, the congestion and LEZ charges could discourage some drivers, but it’s hoped that others may be deterred by how the pandemic highlighted the health and environmental effects of vehicle emissions.

According to research from the Harvard School of Public Health, pollution may have exacerbated the health crisis, with higher exposure to fine particulate matter in the air correlating with higher COVID-19 death rates in the US. 

 Meanwhile, analyses made during lockdown have clearly demonstrated how shifts in human activity could positively impact the environment. In April, when roughly half the world’s population had their movements restricted in some way, Reuters and the World Economic Forum used data from NASA to create a series of graphics showing the sharp drop in key pollutants. 

 Presented with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to capitalise on new behaviours cultivated by the pandemic, the UK government is fast-tracking green and healthy transport initiatives. How will this manifest in urban areas as people are encouraged to reconsider their commute?

On the road to economic recovery, changing our commuting habits to accommodate greener, active forms of mobility may seem like a big ask, but lockdown has brought to light the poor quality of the air most urbanites breathe. “There are two types of pollutants. One is air pollution gases, which include carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide – the one that is most often in the news,” explains Simon Birkett, the founder of 

. “90% of this gas near busy roads comes from diesel vehicles and with the immediate absence of diesel vehicles, it wasn’t surprising, therefore, that NO2 fell sharply. But what 

 surprising was how far and how fast it fell, so this really indicates what a disaster diesel is.” 

“The other category [of pollutants] is air pollution particles, which include PM2.5 and 10, and those particles come from all kinds of sources, so not just vehicle exhausts but tyre and brake wear, construction dust, agriculture, and emissions from coal-fired power stations,” Birkett adds. 

 This particulate matter is particularly damaging to human health – PM2.5 readings were used throughout the Harvard study. 

 Considering that 57% of Britons surveyed in 2018 ranked ‘air pollution’ as an environmental issue they’re concerned about, there’s certainly an appetite to tackle this problem – and cycling could be an appealing transport solution as people recognise the environmental and health benefits of swapping four wheels for two. 

 Indeed, with early reports linking obesity with higher rates of COVID-19 mortality and past research finding that people who commute by bike have a 46% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease than non-active commuters, a cycling boom would make sense post-pandemic. 

However, it seems there’s a long way to go to encourage people to get on their bikes. In 2018, just 4% of commuting trips in England were cycled – a proportion that has barely changed in several years – while walking accounted for 13% of journeys, and cars, vans, and taxis made up 63%. 

 Changing our auto-centric habits may seem like an uphill struggle, but Jon Usher, the head of partnerships at 

, suggests that “COVID-19 has presented us with the biggest travel behaviour change experiment in human history. It’s shown us that many of us can exist without the car for the majority of our journeys. We’ve seen huge increases in cycling during the lockdown. Children have learned to cycle, families have been riding for exercise on roads they wouldn’t dream of riding on with normal traffic levels.” 

Polluted air both over- and underground has people searching for new routes

Outside of London, half of all journeys are less than three miles and it’s proposed that a 5% increase in cycling would amount to eight million fewer car journeys and nine million fewer rail trips. To encourage such a shift to active travel (and gain the associated health and environment boosts), the UK is looking to its continental neighbours for inspiration. In the Netherlands, for instance, bikes have priority over vehicles, while Copenhagen is one of the most cycle-friendly cities in Europe, with bikes having accounted for 41% of trips to work and school in 2016. 

“Our research shows women are less likely to cycle in the UK than men because we haven’t designed our towns and cities to accommodate people on bikes,” says Usher. “In the Netherlands, where streets make it easy and convenient to cycle for everyday short journeys, women outnumber men.” 

 According to one study, 76% of Danes feel safe biking in traffic. By comparison, 96% of London-based cyclists report feeling unsafe out on the roads. 

 “As we emerge from lockdown, people will want to avoid overcrowded public transport but we need to make sure that there are good non-polluting options available that suit all abilities and pockets,” says Fredrik Hjelm, the co-founder of Swedish scooter start-up Voi. 

While cycling and walking are central to the government’s transport plans, the potential of personal electric vehicles has also been recognised as an effective means of reducing the reliance on cars. Trials of e-scooters – which are banned from public roads – have been fast-tracked by a year to take place in June 2020. “Shared electric scooters are a safe, emission-free, affordable, and convenient way of getting around,” says Alan Clarke, the director of UK policy and current affairs at 

. “They help take cars off the road, with around a quarter of e-scooter trips replacing a car journey, cutting congestion and reducing air pollution.” 

 One challenge, however, may be convincing people of their safety, with 94% of Britons saying that any new legislation around e-scooters must consider the safety of pedestrians and cyclists, while only 22% approve their use on pavements and in pedestrianised areas. Instead, most people (76%) believe they should be kept to cycle lanes and tracks. 

Social distancing could make crammed buses a rare sight in the future

There’s been plenty of speculation about the long-lasting effects of COVID-19, and when it comes to urban design, in particular, “this is the best time ever to think of a walkable city,” says Wouter Vanstiphout, a professor of design as politics at the Delft University of Technology. “Could coronavirus be a catalyst for decentralisation? We have these enormous hospitals and people living on top of each other, but still having to travel long distances across the city to get to them. The pandemic suggests we should distribute smaller units such as hospitals and schools across more of the urban tissue and strengthen local centres.” 

The concept of decentralisation was reflected in Sustrans’ manifesto around the 2019 general election, in which it asked the incoming government to commit to the ‘20-minute neighbourhood’ planning principle. Urban design that pedestrianises large areas, limits road traffic, and puts accessibility first will not only create “vibrant, healthy and prosperous communities” but – as in the case of Freiburg in Germany, where such measures have resulted in 79% of journeys being made by foot, cycle, or public transport – will also encourage people to ditch their vehicles. 

 “Many of us, particularly those in urban areas, have been living in 20-minute neighbourhoods during lockdown,” says Usher. “We’ve enjoyed walking and cycling from our front door for exercise and we’ve grown to rely more than ever on our local high streets, corner shops, and the resilience of communities. This has been possible because car traffic has all but disappeared.” 

Lockdown measures haven’t just forced people to rely on local amenities and discover their neighbourhoods, but have also made them more familiar with nearby nature. According to a survey commissioned by countryside charity CPRE, 53% of Britons say they appreciate local parks and the nearby countryside more since the start of social distancing. 

 Like many, Usher feels the newfound appreciation of nature and improved air quality offers a golden opportunity: “As we begin to emerge from one crisis, we need to fix our attention to the next – the climate emergency.” 

 Given that sustainable transport solutions are central to building the green cities required to limit further global warming, the renewed interest in our environment gives commuters a reason to maintain their new habits once the threat of the virus subsides. In fact, an Ipsos MORI poll found that two-thirds of Britons agree with the statement ‘in the long term, climate change is as serious a crisis as COVID-19’. 

Local access to a range of amenities can ease pressure on transport systems

Research carried out by Canvas8 before lockdown revealed that 67% of people in the UK had some kind of problem with their commute. 

 The pandemic has added to these issues and while some people have sought to take control of their journeys by ditching public transport and hopping on two wheels – there has been a 200% rise in bike orders among emergency service workers on cycle-to-work schemes – brands can play a role by helping those trying a new way of getting around. 

 Uber, for instance, has given NHS staff in London free rides on its Jump bikes, and to address concerns about the hygiene of bike-sharing, the company js reportedly cleaning them with ‘products proven to be more than 99.9% effective against COVID-19 strains within the same family as COVID-19’. 

 While Usher notes that “we need to get used to the idea that the commute won’t be going back to normal any time soon,” such measures can help people adapt their daily routines quickly to the post-pandemic reality. 

New modes of transport, new advertising opportunities

For brands, advertising moments are changing. With their audiences confined to their homes, outdoor advertising groups have been dealt a significant blow – Clear Channel saw a 75% drop in its share value in March. 

 Public transport networks are also grappling with losses from low footfall. With new commuting patterns and increased remote working on the horizon, brands may need to consider a more diverse approach to targeting. If audio was the ‘golden child’ of marketing in 2019, it’s set to be the holy grail post-pandemic. “Audio isn’t the blunt megaphone it was when broadcast radio was the only option for advertisers,” writes Niki Stoker, the chief operating officer at A Million Ads. “Digital audio commands just under 37 million listeners in the UK and music streaming apps such as Spotify offer addressable audio inventory so advertisers can focus on specific individuals.” 

 On-the-go audiences are primed for audio advertising – globally, 64% podcast listeners catch episodes at home, 20% when travelling by car or bike, 18% when out for a walk, and 16% when taking exercise. 

New daily routines may present fresh targeting opportunities, but how can brands resonate with people who are expressing new social and environmental expectations as they emerge from the crisis? As noted by advertising guru Dave Trott, only 4% of ads are remembered positively, 7% are remembered negatively, and 89% aren’t noticed or remembered at all. 

 This is partly because the ”left-brained mode of advertising is prevalent,” writes Orlando Wood, the chief innovation officer at System1. “It has a negative impact on its ability to connect with audiences – in other words, its effectiveness. But the coronavirus crisis demands of us a different kind of attention – a right-brained focus, which is alert to the threat, looks at the bigger picture, isn’t blindly optimistic, and understands the relationships between people and things. It is resulting in empathy, acts of altruism and spontaneity, and even humour.” 

'Government launches £2 billion bid to turn England into nation of cyclists and walkers to reduce spread of coronavirus on public transport'

Simon Birkett is founder and director of Clean Air in London, which has a mission to achieve full compliance with World Health Organisation guidelines for air quality throughout London and elsewhere. Between 2015 and 2019, Simon was the air pollution stakeholder on the High Level Intergovernmental Stakeholder and Advisory Group for UNEP's sixth global environment outlook (GEO6). He champions a 'One Air' approach, which advocates fighting climate change and air pollution together.

Jon Usher is an expert in transport policy and delivery with over 15 years of experience in sustainable transport development. He works with senior leaders in multiple sectors across the south of England and has delivered multi-million-pounds projects that make it easier for people to walk and cycle.

Eastern Europe

United Kingdom

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Getting Around

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Interview with Simon Birkett conducted by the author

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'This is why people with obesity are more likely to die from coronavirus', World Economic Forum

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Interview with Jon Usher conducted by the author

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'Advertising after coronavirus must rediscover human instincts', Campaign

As the UK emerges from COVID-19 lockdown, public transport capacity is set to be severely limited to reduce the risk of further infection. But is a surge in private car journeys inevitable? Or could the post-pandemic world present a new opportunity to encourage greener, healthier commutes?

How do Britons feel about the daily commute?

Uber's e-scooters target eco-minded commuters

How is the sharing economy transforming commutes?

What role do brands play in a lockdown?