As the city prepares to end lockdown, Mayor Anne Hidalgo plans to use bike lanes, buses, and social distancing to keep more cars off the roads and reduce pollution. Returning to a Paris dominated by cars after lockdown ends is “out of the question,” according to the city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo. Speaking Tuesday at a special session of the Paris City Council on transitioning after France’s national lockdown eases on May 11, Hidalgo was emphatic about maintaining the anti-pollution and anti-congestion measures introduced during her tenure, even as cities rethink transportation policies to avoid Covid-19 transmission. “I say in all firmness that it is out of the question that we allow ourselves

Mayor de Blasio just did the City Council 33 percent better — he’s committed to opening up 100 miles of streets for socially responsible recreation during the COVID-19 crisis. At his virtual press conference this morning, de Blasio said negotiations with the City Council — which is pushing its own bill for 75 miles of car-free space — have yielded success: 40 miles of open streets this month, with a goal of 100 miles at an unspecified date in the future of the crisis. “The City Council came forward with a vision for how we could open up more streets and do it in a way that’s responsive to the core concerns of the NYPD over safety and enforcement,” the mayor said. “Over the next month, we wil

As the construction industry prepares to resume work, the Wolf Administration today issued guidance for all construction businesses and employees to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. All businesses in the construction industry in the commonwealth are permitted to resume in-person operations starting Friday, May 1 – one week earlier than previously announced. Previously, Governor Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine ordered most construction projects to cease unless they were supporting life-sustaining businesses or activities or were granted an exemption to perform or support life-sustaining activities. “My administration has taken measured, aggressive steps to protect public he

Mayor de Blasio will be forced — by law — to open up scores of miles of roadways for pedestrians and cyclists, thanks to a City Council bill that will be introduced next week. Details of the bill were not provided, but Council Speaker Corey Johnson said in a statement that the goal is to “allocate more street space to pedestrians and cyclists … with a citywide target of 75 miles of streets.” The proposal, co-sponsored by Manhattan Council Member Carlina Rivera, comes after the mayor’s own 1.5-mile open streets pilot collapsed under the weight of the mayor’s requirement that it be constantly staffed by numerous police officers at a time when the NYPD itself has been racked by coronavirus in a

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had an opportunity to talk to two Qlik employees on how they started carpooling. During these times, we know most of our region are working from home. GVF can be a valuable resource for your organization during this time, please feel free to reach out to us for assistance. As we celebrate Earth day, here is a look at two people whose friendship grew from starting a carpool. Emily Godfrey and Sidney Drill, two Qlik employees, carpool from Center City Philadelphia to their company’s headquarters in King of Prussia. It quickly became evident that what may have started as a practical solution to an hour-long commute, one way, had blossomed into a close friendsh

The COVID-19 pandemic is putting pressure on deliveries and local logistics. Autonomous vehicles (AVs) could help alleviate the strain on existing delivery services while reducing the risk of exposure for citizens. Yet regulatory hurdles remain before AVs can be deployed at scale. The COVID-19 pandemic has put an incredible strain on global supply chains, from medical supplies to household goods, as spikes in demand stress-test logistics infrastructures. There is an opportunity for unmanned delivery vehicles to assist in addressing this demand and help to reduce the risk of spreading infection. Here's a look at some of the challenges and opportunities for automated vehicles (AVs) in last-mil

There is some good news, at least. Americans are indeed driving less — up to 94 percent less in some places — as the global COVID-19 pandemic keeps people at home, but rural segments of the country are not doing their share to flatten the curve, the result of a patchwork of rules set in statehouses rather than at the White House. New vehicle miles traveled stats released today by StreetLight Data and Cuebiq, which compiles cellphone location data, confirm what everyone has been seeing anecdotally — that driving is down — but it’s not down consistently. The national map (above and linked here) shows that driving has decreased by far less across a wide portion of the American southeast — where

Congresswoman Dean spoke to GVF partners regarding the recent bills passed by congress that includes the CARES Act.