The Impacts of COVID-19 and Policies on Spatial and Temporal Distribution Characteristics of Traffic: Two Examples in Beijing

Abstract

The global closure policy to limit the spread of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2020 was based on public safety and health considerations. In the implementation of arrangements to prevent the epidemic, the function of the transportation system as a basis for securing cities has been severely affected. After summarizing the domestic and international literature on epidemic policies and travel, this study analyzes the changes of the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of people’s travel and the impacts in the context of the two epidemic phases in Beijing and abroad. During the epidemic, traffic volume into and out of Beijing showed a downward trend. In our study, we found that total travel volume in Beijing during the Spring Festival in 2020 was down by about 70% year-on-year, the distribution of daily traffic trips during the day was not affected by the outbreak, and six urban areas in the center of Beijing experienced greater declines in travel volume compared to other urban areas. The conclusions of the study can provide a reference for the sustainability and recovery of urban areas and formulation of policies in the subsequent pandemic era in terms of the relationship between public travel and epidemic control.