Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown on Urban Mobility: Empirical Evidence from the City of Santander (Spain)

Alfredo Aloi, Borja Alonso, Juan Benavente, Rubén Cordera, Eneko Echániz, Felipe González, Claudio Ladisa, Raquel Lezama-Romanelli, Álvaro López-Parra, Vittorio Mazzei, Lucía Perrucci, Darío Prieto-Quintana, Andrés Rodríguez and Roberto Sañudo
Additional contact information
Alfredo Aloi: E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Borja Alonso: Transport System Research Group (GIST), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Juan Benavente: Transport System Research Group (GIST), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Rubén Cordera: Research Group on Sustainable Mobility and Railways Engineering (SUM + Lab), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Eneko Echániz: Research Group on Sustainable Mobility and Railways Engineering (SUM + Lab), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Felipe González: Faculty of Engineering and Sciences, Department of Industrial Engineering, Universidad Diego Portales, 8320000 Santiago, Chile
Claudio Ladisa: E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Raquel Lezama-Romanelli: E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Álvaro López-Parra: E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Vittorio Mazzei: E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Lucía Perrucci: E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Darío Prieto-Quintana: E.T.S. de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Andrés Rodríguez: Transport System Research Group (GIST), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain
Roberto Sañudo: Research Group on Sustainable Mobility and Railways Engineering (SUM + Lab), Universidad de Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 9, 1-18

Abstract: This article analyses the impact that the confinement measures or quarantine imposed in Spain on 15 March 2020 had on urban mobility in the northern city of Santander. Data have been collected from traffic counters, public transport ITS, and recordings from traffic control cameras and environmental sensors to make comparisons between journey flows and times before and during the confinement. This data has been used to re-estimate Origin-Destination trip matrices to obtain an initial diagnostic of how daily mobility has been reduced and how the modal distribution and journey purposes have changed. The impact on externalities such as NO 2 emissions and traffic accidents have also been quantified. The analysis revealed an overall mobility fall of 76%, being less important in the case of the private car. Public transport users dropped by up to 93%, NO 2 emissions were reduced by up to 60%, and traffic accidents were reduced by up to 67% in relative terms.

Keywords: COVID-19; coronavirus; mobility; traffic; confinement; quarantine; outbreak (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (57)

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