‘Tactical Urbanism’ – Pop-up COVID-19 bike lanes increased biking, reduced NOx exposure
In the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, “pop-up” bike lanes in Berlin contributed to an increase in bike traffic and a reduction in exposure to pollutants for cyclists, according to a new study.
At the start of the ongoing pandemic, many cities around Europe rushed to implement temporary bike lanes which would allow increased bike usage as the public avoided shared transport options. These temporary bike lanes were built much faster than traditional infrastructure projects, which can take years.
As a result, behavioral changes could be measured more quickly than in normal infrastructure projects. Previous studies showed that pop-up bike lanes increased cycling by 42% in cities that implemented them, even when controlling for a general increase in cycling during the pandemic.
This study primarily focused on a particular street in Berlin, Kottbusser Damm, and also measured exposure to nitrogen dioxide, one of the main contributors to smog, a majority of which is produced by fossil-fuel transportation emissions. It found a 22% decrease in NO₂ exposure along Kottbusser Damm, one of the first of these bike lanes implemented. Side streets connecting to Kottbusser Damm did not see similar reductions, showing that the bike lane itself contributed to this decrease, rather than the decrease as a result of the COVID pandemic as a whole.
Bike traffic increased by 73% on Kottbusser Damm over the course of 2020, compared to a 20-23% increase in Berlin as a whole. The highest peak of usage was in May 2020, when the lane was new, which showed a year-over-year increase of 141% from May 2019.
The swift nature of these changes (which the study authors called “tactical urbanism”) was made possible by broad agreement and cooperation between the various entities involved which were all interested in moving quickly due to COVID. It shows how a crisis can cut through red tape to make positive changes more rapidly.
The Berlin public was found to support the new bike lanes – at least, pedestrians, cyclists, and public transport users did. Car drivers, however, mostly opposed them, thinking they would increase traffic jams or decrease parking availability. (Apparently owning 90% of the width of the roads is not enough – cars must own 100% of them.) But the study results show a reduction in vehicle pollutants, suggesting that traffic jams were not increased by the presence of pop-up bike lanes.
The study suggests that temporary and experimental changes like this could help urban planners learn more about what solutions would work and how to implement those solutions more quickly – and then, if they work, to make them permanent. This is important given the rapid changes required in society to combat many current and increasing transportation-related problems, including climate change and Europe’s current energy crisis.
Electrek’s Take
This may seem like a “duh” result, but it’s still important to confirm and quantify assumptions that we have about these things so that we can find the best and fastest ways to combat climate change.
While we focus a lot on electric cars here, it is true that cars, regardless of if they are electric, are a big waste of space compared to bikes, public transport, and walking. Bicycles are the most efficient land transportation humanity has ever invented, so implementing measures to increase bicycle usage is good thing for society’s overall energy use.
Image: Wikipedia
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On today’s incredibly frustrating episode of Quick Charge, Tesla is making it easier than ever to make fun of them by rolling out a new, “affordable” Model Y that costs $2,000 more than the “expensive” one did last week, thanks to the cancellation of the $7,500 tax credit that Elon Musk (the guy who is so good at business that he’s allegedly worth $1 trillion) spent $200 million campaigning for.
We’ve also got the new, single-motor Volvo EX30 at a price that undercuts the cheap Tesla, but includes a full length glass roof that isn’t inexplicably covered in upholstery to punish poor people. All this and more – enjoy!
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If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
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Chevy’s electric SUV is now the best-selling EV in the US outside of Tesla. The 2026 Chevy Equinox EV is slightly more expensive than the outgoing model, but GM has added new style packages for you to choose from.
GM raises 2026 Chevy Equinox EV price, adds options
The Chevy Equinox EV doesn’t need much help. Starting at just $34,995, the 2025 Chevy Equinox quickly became one of the best-selling electric vehicles in the US.
Entering its third year, the Equinox EV remains GM’s most affordable EV, with starting prices slightly higher at $36,495. That includes the $1,395 destination fee.
Since it’s a carryover model, there aren’t too many changes, but buyers will have several new style packages to choose from.
The 2026 Chevy Equinox LT gains a new Midnight Package, which adds black emblems, bowtie, badging, wheel caps, and 19″ black painted aluminum wheels, for $595.
There’s also a new Tech Bronze Package available on the LT and RS trims. The new option includes a Tech Bronze decal, a black nameplate, a black bowtie emblem, and 21″ Tech Bronze wheels. It costs an extra $3,595.
The 2026 Chevy Equinox EV is now listed on GM’s website. It’s still available in LT1, LT2, and RS trims with Front Wheel Drive (FWD) and All Wheel Drive (AWD) powertrain options.
The base 2026 LT FWD trim starts at $36,495 with up to 319 miles of range, including a $1,395 destination fee. Upgrading to AWD costs an extra $5,300, with a slightly shorter range of 307 miles.
| Chevy Equinox EV trim | 2025 Starting Price | 2026 Starting Price | EPA-estimated Range |
| LT 1 FWD | $34,995 | $36,495 | 319 miles |
| LT 1 AWD | $38,295 | $39,795 | 307 miles |
| LT 2 FWD | $43,295 | $43,295 | 319 miles |
| LT 2 AWD | $46,595 | $46,595 | 307 miles |
| RS FWD | $44,795 | $45,595 | 319 miles |
| RS AWD | $48,095 | $48,895 | 307 miles |
Following another record quarter of EV sales in Q3, GM said that the Chevy Equinox EV was the best-selling non-Tesla electric vehicle in the US.
With several new affordable EVs arriving, including the new Nissan LEAF, will the Equinox continue to be a top seller in 2026? It will be interesting to see where the rankings end up at this time next year.
Wondering if Chevy’s electric SUV lives up to the hype? You can use our link to find 2025 and 2026 Chevy Equinox EV models near you and try it out for yourself.
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A surge in EV charging cable thefts is putting the reliability of the UK’s charging network at risk and undermining trust among drivers. InstaVolt is the UK’s largest network of fast chargers, and over the past two years, nearly 1,000 of its charging stations (it has over 2,100, so nearly 50%) have been targeted by cable thieves. But now InstaVolt is fighting back with GPS tracking.
Bafflingly, the incentive for thieves is low-value scrap: There’s only about £25 ($33) worth of copper inside a charging cable. But the damage is costly – around £1,000 ($1,342) per site for repairs.
In April, InstaVolt CEO Delvin Lane told the BBC that the thefts had cost his company about £410,000 ($550,150) since November 2023. Lane said, “This isn’t just an InstaVolt problem; this is an industry problem. The biggest impact is on drivers.”
InstaVolt has reinforced its cables with Kevlar sheaths, making them harder to cut. It has also rolled out live GPS tracking across its network on its charging cables in partnership with GPS supplier Trackit247. The technology provides location updates every three seconds, allowing the company to detect, trace, and recover stolen cables in real time.
Each charging cable is geo-fenced to its charger, so an alert is immediately triggered if it moves outside the designated area. InstaVolt’s 24/7 security center receives instant notifications by text, email, and phone, and it can coordinate directly with the police.
The system’s biggest advantage is live tracking in transit. If a thief drives off with a charging cable, police can follow its exact route and move in fast, increasing the chance of recovery and arrest. Instavolt’s GPS technology marks a major step forward in protecting critical EV infrastructure, deterring theft, and enabling quick response when it happens.
Read more: Meet the UK’s largest solar + storage EV charging ‘Superhub’
The 30% federal solar tax credit is ending this year. If you’ve ever considered going solar, now’s the time to act. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.
Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.
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