Did air pollution continue to affect bike share usage in Seoul during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Hong, J. , Mcarthur, D. P. , Sim, J. and Kim, C. H. (2022) Did air pollution continue to affect bike share usage in Seoul during the COVID-19 pandemic? Journal of Transport and Health, 24, 101342. (doi: 10.1016/j.jth.2022.101342) (PMCID:PMC8853829)

Abstract

Introduction: The role of cycling has become more important in the urban transport system during the Covid-19 pandemic. As public transport passengers have tried to avoid crowded vehicles due to safety concerns, a rapid surge of cycling activities has been noted in many countries. This implies that more cyclists might be exposed to air pollution, potentially leading to health problems in cities like Seoul where the level of air pollution is high. Methods: We utilised three years of bike sharing programme (Ddareungi) data in Seoul and time series models to examine the changes in the relationship between particulate concentration (PM2.5) and daily cycling duration before and during the pandemic. Results: We find that cyclists reacted less to the PM2.5 level during the pandemic, potentially due to the lack of covid-secure travel modes. Specifically, our results showed significant negative associations between concentrations of PM2.5 and daily cycling duration before the pandemic (year 2018 and 2019). However, this association became insignificant in 2020. Conclusions: Building comprehensive cycling infrastructure that can reduce air pollution exposure of cyclists and improving air quality alert systems could help build a more resilient city for the future.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Hong, Dr Jinhyun and Mcarthur, Dr David
• Authors: Hong, J., Mcarthur, D. P., Sim, J., and Kim, C. H.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Social and Political Sciences > Urban Studies
• Journal Name: Journal of Transport and Health
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 2214-1405
• ISSN (Online): 2214-1413
• Published Online: 18 February 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 Elsevier ltd.
• First Published: First published in Journal of Transport and Health 24: 101342
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
190698		Urban Big Data Research Centre	Nick Bailey	Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)	ES/L011921/1	S&PS - Urban Big Data
304042		UBDC Centre Transition	Nick Bailey	Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)	ES/S007105/1	S&PS - Administration