Karel Martens 

Associate Professor, Head of the Urban and Regional Planning Track

The Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion

 

COVID-19 and the Duties in Transport 

 

The COVID-19 crisis has drastically changed people’s travel behavior. Public transport ridership is down, in part because of a general decrease in trip-making and in part because of concerns over health-related safety while riding public transport. In addition, alternatives have become (temporarily) more attractive. Drops in trip-making have made car use faster and more convenient, due to a reduction in congestion and increased availability of parking spaces. In some cities, tactical interventions have made walking and cycling (much more) attractive. In many countries this reduction in ridership has led to the well-known Pavlov response of (planned) reductions service levels, through the cancellation of lines, limitations on operating hours, and cutting of frequencies. In this presentation, I will explore the underlying reasons for this approach, discuss potential implications and present an alternative that can enhance equity in the domain of transport. 

 

Bio

Prof. Karel Martens is Chair of the Graduate Program in Urban and Regional Planning at the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology (Haifa, Israel), where he also heads the Fair Transport Lab. His research interests include the nexus between transport and justice, transport and land use interaction, and parking dynamics and policies. His book Transport Justice: Designing Fair Transportation Systems has been described by colleagues as “ground-breaking”, a “landmark” and “a revolution”.