ITS Monday: Edition 15, 2020

Freight industry running out of storage space due to COVID-19

It’s an alarmist headline, but with quotes in this piece from the Port of Melbourne CEO, a logistics executive, and the Australian Container Freight Service chief executive, it would seem that there is indeed an issue. This is Melbourne-based … I assume this is a shared issue at all Australian ports?

Artificial intelligence, trackless trams: Ideas for Australia’s post-coronavirus economy

Fresh from this morning’s various NineFax publications, this article obtains opinions from Curtin University’s sustainability professor, Peter Newman, an ‘Infrastructure Australia spokeswoman’, Google Australia managing director Mel Silva, and Singtel Optus chief executive Kelly Bayer Rosmarin. Optimistic opinions on the two technologies mentioned in the headline, AI and trackless trams, plus telehealth, video meetings, and ‘more collaboration between government and industry in future to fast-track solutions to problems, including in policies for infrastructure investment.’

Inside the coronavirus bicycle boom

For around four weeks now, bicycle shops are reporting a jump in sales, with one retailer saying, ‘Sales are exceeding what we would expect to see at Christmas.’ It’s heartening, I think, to read of a silver lining that is a result of this awful time we find ourselves in.

Thinking about travel demand after COVID-19

A thought piece from Luis (Pilo) Willumsen, an independent consultant from the UK. He posits that ‘…we need to consider six different influences on the future of mobility and track them to elucidate the likely future evolution of mobility.’

Apple publishes Maps data to show how lockdowns affect movement

‘Apple has released data it says could help inform public health authorities on whether people are travelling less during lockdown orders to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.’ Included in the article is the Apple data on Sydney and Mebourne.

How one mobility innovator is supporting cities and envisioning the post-Coronavirus future

‘… while this may seem like the worst possible time to be involved in any transportation-related venture, there are still plenty of opportunities for companies to do something impactful in the sector.’ Thoughts from New York-based transport tech company, Via.

The magic of empty streets

Another, in a series of a few similar articles we’ve been seeing of late, about how ‘social distancing gives us a rare chance to fix cities.’ This article skips its focus to various cities across the world.

Stockholm’s subway network is the world’s longest art walk

And last, something not C19-related, instead a look at how public art and visual design can help perhaps make public transport a more desirable option.