Despite what the CDC would like to think, some people have no options other than public transit for mobility. CityLab shares the advice of several experts on the reality of public health risk, and how to take precautions, on public transit.
Feargus O'Sullivan spoke with several experts about the dangers of riding public transit during the pandemic, and the necessary precautions that can protect riders from coronavirus infection.
Experts interviewed for the story include Dr. Simon Clark, associate professor of microbiology at the University of Reading, Dr. Julian Tang, a professor in the Department of Respiratory Sciences at the University of Leicester, and Dr. Lena Ciric, a microbiologist at University College London. The experts discuss the risks of several modes of transportation, like planes, trains, and buses.
While acknowledging that the risks on public transit are no greater than occupying any enclosed space in proximity to many other people for an extended amount of time, and the precautions in either situation will be similar.
"So what can you do if you still have to ride? The advice here will sound familiar: Wear a mask, keep your distance and don’t touch your face."
The acknowledgement that many people might have to ride public transit for the tasks of their daily lives, while tacit here, seems to have been lost on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which released a report at the end of May that recommended that all people avoid public transit until the novel coronavirus is defeated.
FULL STORY: How to Safely Travel on Mass Transit During Coronavirus
What Is the Future for Transit After COVID? - A Debate
Critic Randal O'Toole and advocate Todd Litman debate how communities should plan for public transit in the post pandemic future. Should it contract or expand?
Nine Months Later: How the Pandemic Is Changing Communities
Planetizen shares the latest in a series of compendia tackling the effects of the pandemic, now and in the future, for cities and communities.
Pandemic Persists With Tragic Consequences for Transit Workers
Labor unions are raising alarms about the difficulties of keeping transit workers—the essential workers upon which so many essential workers rely—safe during the pandemic.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie