Public Transit During a Pandemic
Riley M. Appelgren
How can public transportation systems adapt to falling ridership while preventing riders from falling ill?
In 2019, Americans took 9.9 billion trips on public transportation systems (Schwartz, 2020). In 2020, the new coronavirus caused a pandemic and has upended public life as we know it. The virus, SARS-CoV-2, is transmitted through close contact with an infected person. Public health officials were initially concerned by densely-packed riders on mass transit who share the same air. With proper precautions including ventilation, social distancing, and requiring masks, there have been no outbreaks linked to public transportation use. However, issues like declining ridership and increase in single-occupancy vehicle commuting will continue to trouble transportation agencies in the United States.
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New Routines
Transportation systems around the world have adapted and responded to risks associated with the coronavirus. Immediate measures included frequent cleaning and sanitization of transportation spaces, but more recent research shows that SARS-CoV-2 is most likely transmitted from person-to-person, rather than from object-to-person. Most large public transit systems require riders to wear face coverings, which have proven to be an effective way of reducing transmission of COVID-19 (Schwartz, 2020).
Bay Area Rapid Transit demonstrates electrostatic fogging backpacks that spray sanitizer on transportation surfaces.
Additionally, places where riders can sit or stand one meter apart are clearly marked to spread out riders and limit the number of passengers onboard (WHO, 2020). Ventilation of public transportation helps to clear air that has been exhaled by passengers and introduces clean air into the space. In some cities, plexiglass barriers are used to separate the driver from riders, preventing droplet transmission once again.
In the event of an exposure on mass transit there are several methods of intensive cleaning that can be implemented. In Portland, fogging machines create hydrogen peroxide-based aerosol disinfectant to fill the space, cleaning the air and surfaces. (TriMet Blog, 2020). In other cities, ultraviolet light and ozone gas have been used to kill SARS-CoV-2 on transportation vehicles (APTA, 2020). These intensive cleaning methods can't be done while passengers are onboard, so busses must be emptied and returned to the garage before disinfecting. Therefore, it is important for transit employees to be able to recognize when a rider is a possible exposure risk for COVID-19 so the vehicle can be cleaned as soon as possible.
Protecting transportation agency staff is another important step in providing safe and reliable public transportation. Employees need personal protective equipment like masks, gloves, and if possible, clear plastic barriers to separate themselves during face-to-face contact with other people (APTA, 2020). Additionally, if employees are exposed or fall ill, time off and financial support must be provided during the employee's quarantine or isolation period. Without those, employees who are ill may feel pressured to continue working.
With these precautions in place, analyses of public transit ridership have shown that there is little correlation between case rates and ridership rates (Schwartz, 2020).
It is thought that short-duration trips and lack of speaking to fellow passengers contributes to the low transmission rates. However, with these short but overlapping rides it is difficult to identify passengers who might have been riding together, and therefore difficult to trace an outbreak to a specific instance on public transit (Prevent Epidemics, 2020). Additionally, asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic riders may unknowingly spread SARS-CoV-2. With the opportunity for close contact between many people, mass transit vehicles and busy transit stations could result in clustered infections if precautions are not taken (Shen et al., 2020).
Ridership Changes
Major declines in transportation ridership were recorded as the pandemic began in the spring of 2020. Public health officials urged people to 'flatten the curve' by reducing non-essential trips, working from home, and avoiding public spaces. One of the most extreme examples of this was New York City, which was severely impacted by the coronavirus in April and May of 2020 as the city shut down and people stayed home. From March 14 to October 31, Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) subway ridership has been down an average of 78% and bus ridership has been down an average of 54% in comparison to 2019 levels (MTA, 2020, November 20).
Many other cities like San Francisco, Austin, and Portland have also seen fallen demand for transportation services since March 2020 (Schwartz, 2020). The reductions in ridership are attributed both to fear of contracting COVID-19 and an increased likelihood of riders being able to work or attend school from home. Transportation agencies also limit the number of riders allowed on each bus in order to follow social distancing guidelines. For example, in Seattle busses that typically transport 50-100 riders are now allowing only 12-18 on board (King County Metro, 2020). Some cities have also reduced service to save money and encourage everyone but essential workers to stay home (Schwartz, 2020; Harbin, 2020; Powell, 2020; Cobbs, 2020).
Unfortunately, cutting service could lead to crowding on busses that come less frequently. On many routes, riders must wait much longer until a bus or train comes that has open seats. These waits can add extra hours to trips, taking away time that could be spent at home, work, or at their destination (de la Garza, 2020).
Inequities in Ridership
In many cities the pandemic has exacerbated existing inequalities in transit access. Reducing service to lines that serve low-income communities, communities of color, and people who are disabled could have disastrous outcomes on their abilities to get to work, school, and other essential trips. People of color comprise two-thirds of all essential workers who ride public transit, performing increasingly important work in healthcare and sanitation (Transit Center, 2020). In the Seattle metro area, routes that served low-income neighborhoods south of downtown had the least amount of ridership loss, down an average of 51% from 2019 rates, compared to higher income neighborhoods experiencing loss of 98% of riders (Groover, 2020). Of course, with lines that haven’t seen a reduction in ridership, extra busses or longer wait times are necessary to allow riders to maintain distance from one another while on board. Bay Area Rapid Transit in San Francisco has adjusted to these shifting demands by concentrating their entire pandemic service plan around the 17 lines with highest ridership, many of which serve low-income riders and communities of color. Other cities are prioritizing routes that serve medical campuses or reducing service during what would be considered pre-pandemic rush hours, since many essential workers don’t have 9-to-5 schedules (Transit Center, 2020).
Air Quality Impacts
At the beginning of the pandemic, everyone was encouraged to walk, bike, or drive to their destinations to avoid contact with others if possible (CDC, 2020, October 21). However, as many riders switch to personal vehicles for commuting, carbon emissions will continue to increase (Federal Transit Administration, 2010). With public transit ridership on the decline across the country and now facing a precarious financial situation, some communities may not be able to continue to offer transportation services that are becoming more expensive to maintain while serving fewer people. Mass transportation systems have long been heralded as an important step in reducing CO2 emissions in metropolitan areas but have struggled to take hold in the US. Now the many challenges of the pandemic threaten collective changes that are needed to mitigate climate change. One of the major struggles is to prove to riders that public transit is still a safe and effective mode of transportation for essential trips.
To learn more, check out the pages on short-term and long-term air quality effects related to Covid-19.
Future of Transit Systems
Transportation systems around the country are experiencing reduced ridership and loss of fare revenue. In some cases, transportation systems even waived fares for essential trips early in the pandemic (Rivett, 2020). At the end of March, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was passed, which provided $25 billion in emergency assistance to public transportation (US Department of Transportation, 2020). The CARES Act was intended to reimburse public transit agencies for lost revenue during the pandemic and helped to pay for protective equipment and leave for sick employees. Many public transit agencies are still struggling with long-term losses in revenue from reduced ridership and increased staff demands for cleaning and sanitizing. MTA estimates that transit agencies nationwide will need $32 billion to address pandemic related costs into 2021 (MTA, 2020, May 8). Issues with transportation systems will have far-felt effects since the fifteen largest public transportation agencies in the US comprise over one third of the national GDP (MTA, 2020, May 8). In short, additional emergency funding is necessary to preserve essential transportation in the long run.
Proposed Solutions
Innovations and Ideas
Transportation apps can provide data on which lines are used most frequently. Apps can also be used to notify riders if a specific bus is crowded or at capacity.
Some cities with ride services for first and last mile transportation have turned those vehicles into on-demand transit, similar to a rideshare. These services can be used for healthcare workers commuting or for trips to grocery stores and pharmacies.
Chicago Transit Authority is managing overcrowding by giving bus operators authority to run as “drop-off only” and bypass bus stops if their bus is becoming crowded (Levy & Goldwyn, 2020). With this approach, riders may be forced to wait for the next bus, so frequent service is necessary.
On stainless steel and plastic surfaces SARS-CoV-2 remains viable for 3 or more days, while on copper the virus is only viable for 4-8 hours (Aboukar, Sharafeldin, & Goyal, 2020). Frequent touch points on mass transit could be coated in copper for a longer-lasting hygienic solution, especially in situations where the vehicle can only be cleaned once a day.
In China, facial recognition technology has been used to alert drivers when passengers without masks board the vehicle (Levy & Goldwyn, 2020). This method brings up ethical concerns regarding surveillance, but it is one solution that could increase mask adherence.
Private-public partnerships between transportation agencies and rideshare platforms have been established to drive essential workers and residents to medical facilities (Rivett, 2020).
Best Practices
Transportation agencies can be flexible in their response, meet changing demands for service routes, and avoid crowding by measuring passenger flow.
Reduce face-to-face contact between employees and riders by installing plastic barriers and closing adjacent seats to reinforce social distancing.
Workers and riders should stay home if they feel ill. Time off of work & financial support should be provided to allow employees to quarantine or isolate. Employees should also be trained to recognize signs and symptoms of COVID-19 in riders and in themselves.
Ventilation and disinfection practices should be enhanced to reduce the presence of SARS-CoV-2 on mass transit.
Hand-washing stations or hand sanitizer should be provided on all vehicles and transit stations.
Masks should be worn at all times on transportation, with signs and audio reminders to reinforce their importance.
References
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