COVID-19 and the Future of Mobility

For the past two years, the purpose of this blog and the Law and Mobility Program has been to peak around the corner and see what’s next. We have explored the legal and policy ramifications of emerging transportation technologies and tried to figure out how those technologies, be they automated vehicles, e-scooters, delivery drones, or even flying cars, will fit into our existing transportation and legal systems.

As it has with so many aspects of our lives, the COVID-19 pandemic has complicated our ability to look forward – the world to come is harder to predict. How close to “normal” will we get without a vaccine or treatment? If a significant portion of the workforce moves to remote work (Twitter, for example, is going to a permanent remote work option), what does that mean for our transportation system? Will people retreat from large, dense cities? As the pandemic disrupts state and local budgets, what will happen to transportation budgets? Right now, there are no clear answers.

Going forward, this blog and the Law and Mobility Program will remain focused on the future, with a keen eye on today. We will still explore new technologies and their ramifications, while also seeking a better understanding of how the current crisis is altering the mobility landscape. Later today we’ll publish the first of a series of blog posts dealing with some of the specific disruptions and changes that are already occurring. We hope you’ll enjoy these posts and, as always, invite you to join us in the conversation by submitting posts of your own – outside blog post submissions (of 500-1,000 words) are always welcome at JLMsubmissions@umich.edu (all submissions are evaluated for publication by our staff).