Analyzing the impact of the covid epidemic on beach access traffic

Abstract

The covid 19 epidemic has been marking the pace of life around the world for the last two years, and it left clear marks on economic activity, our social life and even the pollution associated with human activity. One of the consequences is related to the decrease in car traffic, especially in the months of mandatory social confinement. This work analyzes the impact of the epidemic on traffic regarding access to the beaches of Barra and Costa Nova in the region of Aveiro, Portugal, through the infrastructure of the PASMO project. Therefore, the weekly and weekend traffic profiles evolution were analyzed over the various months of 2020. The work also compared the evolution of infections with the evolution of road traffic, as well as the impact of the various events related to the epidemic in road traffic.