Let’s face it, it’s been a CRAZY year or two (who can keep track?).
With the COVID-19 pandemic slowly losing its steam and grip on many parts of the world except for a few places like India- experiencing their most devastating moments- the world is looking to rise from the ashes and rebuild its systems. One of the most badly hit sectors as a result of lockdowns and a new lifestyle is transport and modern commuting. While some organizations quickly adopted the remote work model, many other employees have tried to avoid traffic systems like the Mass Transit. Overall, the United States witnessed more than 70% drop in public transport ridership in 2020.
For instance, the Bay Area’s BART system will be looking at a $200 million shortfall by the summer of 2021, according to WIRED. Many other transport systems are also experiencing losses and cutting down operations by as much as 50 percent. But as economies reopen in 2021, there are new commuting trends that have continued to witness a steady rise in the last few months. More importantly, people are continuously searching for ways to avoid traffic and crowded places. We shall look at a number of these new trends shortly.
Skating / Longboarding
Skateboarding has always been an easy way for many people to get to work and back home at the end of the day. In busy cities like New York, it is common to find a community of commuters speeding past cars stuck in traffic, sometimes the riders in three-piece suits. While it used to be a practice among employees of “not so corporate” America and teenagers practicing stunts or clinging to buses to get to their destinations, many corporate professionals have also taken to longboards, especially in 2021.
With a longboard, you don’t have to worry about the discomfort of public transport, the risks of being in a crowd of total strangers or even the ever-present traffic jam. Besides, there are now electric skateboards that have made things a lot easier.
See our picks for the best longboards for commuting.
Electric and Kick Scooters
Just like skateboards, kick scooters have been around for many decades. From those little children inventing wooden scooters during the Great Depression to its rise in modern day commuting, not only are scooters a healthier and more environmentally sustainable means of commuting, they can help commuters beat heavy traffic and get to work in good time. On the flipside are bike scooters, and their electric alternative. In India, the scooter is, perhaps, the most popular means of commuting. It is often said that every household has one type of Scooter or another in the country of more than a billion people.
We’ve rounded up the best adult kick scooters for commuters right here.
Ride Sharing
The year 2021 is seeing a move by many people to own their own cars and avoid public transport. However, it has also led to a rise in ride sharing, where two or more people can join a ride and split the fare. This means reduced number of individual cars on the road and reduced traffic jams as well. Carpooling is certainly seeing a surge in recent months, according to reports. BlaBlaCar, Uber and Lyft are three of the most popular ridesharing platforms in the US. With these apps, you can join a ride with one or more people going your way.
Bike Sharing
Bike sharing is another strategy that economies have adopted in recent years to reduce the number of cars on the road and carbon emissions. Nonetheless, it has gained immense popularity in recent months. The US, China and Singapore are three popular destinations for bike sharing. New York City’s Citi Bike had a record 100,000 bike rides per day in 2019, but records are showing that mark will be surpassed in 2021 when the economy fully reopens. More people are looking to this trend for commuting to work in 2021.
Riding a bicycle has always been a safe alternative for isolation, exercise and environmental sustainability. The four other most popular bike share platforms are Citi Bike in Miami, Capital Bike Share in D.C, Blue Bikes in Boston and Divvy in Chicago.
Biking/Cycling
Away from scooters, there are several other biking options for commuting on a daily basis which are becoming popular in 2021. These include personal-owned bicycles and motorcycles, including the modern two-wheel Electric Vehicles which are considered the future of commuting. It is now a common sight in our cities to find commuters on bikes going to work or about their daily business. It is even becoming more popular in 2021 because it is cheaper, gives a sense of seclusion, and is certainly a great way to beat traffic.
With things changing so rapidly these days, who knows what effect they’ll have on commuting in the coming years. It has to be said though – despite how horrible the pandemic has been, the gradual change towards more healthy modes of commuting isnt neccessarily a bad thing.
Happy Commuting!
