Transport mode use during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Germany: The car became more important, public transport lost ground.

As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, in spring 2020 numerous protective measures were taken in Germany and all over the world. This has changed our everyday life and our mobility considerably. It is in question whether and how the pandemic and the lockdown have impacted transport mode use, attitudes towards transport modes and the ownership of individual mobility options during the lockdown period. In order to shed light on these essential aspects of transport policy, we carried out a representative travel survey in Germany during the strictest period of lockdown in the beginning of April. We have analysed overall and individual changes in transport mode usage and attitudes towards transport modes, focussing on the bicycle, the car and public transport. Also, the changes in the perception of individual mobility options with a focus on car-free households were investigated. Our results indicate that public transport lost ground during the particularly restricted period of lockdown while individual modes of transport, especially the private car, became more important. Our findings are highly relevant for transport policy when developing measures for expanding the possibilities for sustainable individual transport and developing concepts that strengthen public transport. These aspects are key for achieving a sustainable transport system in the medium- and long-term despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Analysing the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on everyday travel behaviour in Germany and potential implications for future travel patterns.

Introduction: The global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is having a great impact on all areas of the everyday life, including travel behaviour. Various measures that focus on restricting social contacts have been implemented in order to reduce the spread of the virus. Understanding how daily activities and travel behaviour change during such global crisis and the reasons behind is crucial for developing suitable strategies for similar future events and analysing potential mid- and long-term impacts. Methods: In order to provide empirical insights into changes in travel behaviour during the first Coronavirus-related lockdown in 2020 for Germany, an online survey with a relative representative sample for the German population was conducted a week after the start of the nationwide contact ban. The data was analysed performing descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Results and Discussion: The results suggest in general an increase in car use and decrease in public transport use as well as more negative perception of public transport as a transport alternative during the pandemic. Regarding activity-related travel patterns, the findings show firstly, that the majority of people go less frequent shopping; simultaneously, an increase in online shopping can be seen and characteristics of this group were analysed. Secondly, half of the adult population still left their home for leisure or to run errands; young adults were more active than all other age groups. Thirdly, the majority of the working population still went to work; one out of four people worked in home-office. Lastly, potential implications for travel behaviour and activity patterns as well as policy measures are discussed.