Apple, Google mobility trends reports show how Covid-19 has impacted travel and activities

[Shawn Knight]

The big picture: Health concerns aside, the Covid-19 outbreak and resulting mitigation efforts are proving to be a fascinating case study in cause and effect. Change one thing in an equation and suddenly, you’re witnessing a domino effect that impacts dozens of seemingly unrelated industries.

To help visualize what stay-at-home orders actually look like, Apple has published daily reports based on requests for directions in Apple Maps. With fewer people venturing outside the confines of their homes, requests for directions have predictably dropped. The suddenness of it all and the steep curves, however, may surprise you.

In New York City, one of the world’s most populated regions, we can see that behavior really started to change in the first week of March. Just a couple of weeks later, transit direction requests were down a staggering 87 percent as the city effectively slow down.

The impact is even greater in Italy, one of the countries hit hardest by the Coronavirus. Here, we see that requests for mapping data started falling off near the end of February with all three modes of transportation having essentially flatlined since the middle of March.

Google is also sharing community mobility reports to help users and public health officials understand responses to social distancing guidelines. These are posted in the form of downloadable PDFs; in the US, for example, you can browse reports by individual states.

Masthead credit: Joshua Lombard

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https://www.techspot.com/news/84873-apple-google-mobility-trends-reports-show-how-covid.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Nature itself is LOVING social distancing. The sky is clearer than it's been in a while, there's less dust and pollution. The waterways are clearing and less turbid.

I am here in NYC enjoying the traffic. I can drive just about anywhere in the 5 boros at no less than 80mph and for the most part, the cops really don't bother you as long as you aren't doing anything stupid.

Crime is down: rape, murder, robbery, etc (although Domestic Violence calls are up)

I saved $300 of gas money last month, saved a lot of money in alcohol and not having to buy lunch daily. Cooked more at home. Spent more time with my family. Spoke to old friends. Spending most of my time day trading stocks with saved cash.

Most of these jobs that are "essential" can be done from home we're seeing.

Honestly...Coronavirus, aside from the deaths, is the reset button I think we needed to re-evaluate our place in life and what's important.

 

[DaveBG]

Nature itself is LOVING social distancing. The sky is clearer than it's been in a while, there's less dust and pollution. The waterways are clearing and less turbid.

If everyone drives electric cars it will be like that ALL the time. I hope people open their eyes after this.

 

[Gunnerbob]

Until it's time to dispose of the batteries......

 

[DaveBG]

Until it's time to dispose of the batteries......

Recycle. Try to recycle burnt oil.

 

[mbrowne5061]

If everyone drives electric cars it will be like that ALL the time. I hope people open their eyes after this.

To a certain degree.

Don't get me wrong - bring on those electric cars, I want an all electric Toyota 4runner ASAP - but the energy isn't free, just generated elsewhere. Solar, wind, and nuclear, golden. No carbon. While the thermo cycles of coal and natural gas plants are much more efficient than the Otto cycle of cars, they are still putting out carbon.

All the energy consumed by gasoline cars will need to be produced in the grid. Unless all that extra energy demand is met by carbon-free/emission-free sources, you'll still see most of the pollution come back.

 

[DaveBG]

To a certain degree.

Don't get me wrong - bring on those electric cars, I want an all electric Toyota 4runner ASAP - but the energy isn't free, just generated elsewhere. Solar, wind, and nuclear, golden. No carbon. While the thermo cycles of coal and natural gas plants are much more efficient than the Otto cycle of cars, they are still putting out carbon.

All the energy consumed by gasoline cars will need to be produced in the grid. Unless all that extra energy demand is met by carbon-free/emission-free sources, you'll still see most of the pollution come back.

Today most, tomorrow half next day zero...