A panoply of studies show that people using bikes, transit or walking to reach business destinations generate more business when they get there. Furthermore, for businesses to come back they need workers, and workers often rely on transit. For this reason, DC’s investments in bus lanes, including the start of construction this week on the long-planned and longest bus lanes on 16th St, make a lot of sense to expand upon.
The economic benefits of creating more spaces for walking, cycling and transit are a key reason why business leaders often support policies that address the needs of transit users, cyclists and pedestrians, such as London’s congestion charge.
A glut of cars would result in consequences beyond economy-stifling congestion. Poor air quality is associated with health conditions known to exacerbate COVID-19 and other health risks like asthma, which are more prevalent in communities of color. Given uneven vaccine uptake, Black and Brown communities may be at higher risk of not just COVID-19 but wider disparities in chronic conditions for some time. Carmageddon is a personal luxury at societal cost, when we can least afford it.
