Life in the City of Melbourne during 2020 has been accompanied by immense disruption. The arrival of the SARS-CoV-2 virus to Australian shores in March necessitated a dramatic health response. During the period from March - October the City of Melbourne has been subject to a spectrum of restrictions and lockdown measures. These were directed at limiting or reducing the population's movement so as to limit the potential transmission and spread of the virus. The impact and resultant effects of these measures is explored below.
Pedestrian counting system readings in the City of Melbourne, during the July period.
Note the shape of the daily peaks coincides with typical work day schedules. With the peaks of weekday traffic generally experienced at 8am, 12pm, and 5pm. With most CBD-based businesses implementing work-from-home policies during the pandemic, it is not surprising that these workday peaks were not similarly experienced in 2020.
Please select a location, hour, and date below to compare pedestrian traffic across 2019-2020 in the July period.
Changes to mobility in Melbourne during the period from January - October 2020.
Mobility patterns in Melbourne have endured massive upheaval over the 2020 period. Driving, walking, and transit all experienced significant decreases in mobility (as compared to January 13th, 2020). Transit i.e. public transport, traffic has collapsed to between 14-41% of normal levels. This is likely the compounding effect of movement restrictions, work-from-home policies, and perceived fear of virus transmission in public spaces.
Melbourne's measured air quality during the period from April - June in 2019 and 2020.
The restrictions placed on movement saw a dramatic decrease in the levels of sulphur-dioxide pollution measured in Melbourne's CBD. On some days, such as June 5, the level of sulphur-dioxide recorded was over 17x less in 2020 than the level recorded the previous year. These pollutants are a common component of car exhaust emissions.