COVID-19 / Cycling / Cycling infrastructure / Mobility management / Network planning

Emergency Bike Network in a Week: Quick response to rapidly changing mobility patterns

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted our everyday lives with clear directives from governments to stay home, maintain social distance and stop all non-essential travel.  As rates of driving and transit use have plummeted, levels of walking and cycling are on the rise with great numbers coming out of New York and the UK. This is putting pressure on existing active transportation networks. Maintaining a distance of 1.5 m (6 feet) from fellow pedestrians or cyclists is difficult on a narrow bike lane. At the same time, with fewer cars on the road, cities around the world are reporting increased speeding among car drivers. This is placing that increase of vulnerable road users at even greater risk.
Credit: Gabriel L. Guerrero/Shutterstock

With cities focusing on managing the impacts of the pandemic, what steps can be taken to support the travel needs of essential services workers that are looking to the bicycle as a reliable transportation tool? An emergency bike network can be the quick response to these new transportation challenges.

Quick action: Emergency Bike Network

Emergency bike networks are proving integral for getting essential staff to get to their workplace safely, creating additional space on strained or non-existent networks for people maintain physical distancing. They also present an opportunity to trial future bike lane roll-out. Under normal conditions, it can take several months – and sometimes years – to develop a bike network, but these times call for quick measures.

To help cities adapt quickly, Mobycon in proposing an approach for developing an emergency bike network that can be implemented in one week. Ready for implementation using quick-build materials. As specialists in bicycle network design, we are equipped to work with our clients to plan, design and build an emergency bike network by selecting the optimal routes for quick construction and provide the highest benefits. In short order, we are ready to help cities take the necessary steps to provide essential service workers the space they need to reach their workplaces safely, comfortably, and by bicycle.

To learn more about how an emergency bike network can help your city to address the current mobility challenges of essential service workers, contact Lennart Nout.

">

Lennart Nout

Director, Mobycon Pacific

“The interplay of different modalities within cities intrigues me. I am always looking for the best solution for the city and its inhabitants, while playing close attention to bikes. In the Netherlands and abroad I give workshops on the development of cycling culture, strategic network planning, street design and intersection design.”

Related

blog
September 2025

Riding & Inspecting EuroVelo 3: Charleroi to Paris

Read more
blog
August 2025

We Need to Talk About Shared Paths

Read more
blog
August 2025

The Value of Experiencing Dutch Design, First-hand

Read more
blog
August 2025

Cycling Tourism – What Does It Mean to Be a Certified EuroVelo Route Inspector?

Read more
blog
July 2025

The Importance of Temporary Sustainable Mobility Measures: BALM Seminar Series

Read more
blog
July 2025

Velo-city Recap: Gdańsk 2025

Read more
blog
May 2025

Meet Mobycon at Velo-city 2025 – Gdańsk, Poland

Read more
blog
April 2025

Cycling Infrastructure on the Costa Blanca

Read more
blog
March 2025

Mobycon Celebrates Women's History Month

Read more
blog
January 2025

Discover the History Behind the First Red Cycle Path During This Unique Study Tour

Read more