There is little evidence that the New York Subway is spreading the coronavirus, according to analysis by Alon Levy.
Alon Levy writes a rebuttal to arguments about the role of the New York Subway in spreading the coronavirus, especially a paper by MIT economist Jeffrey Harris, "claiming that the subways did in fact seed the Covid-19 epidemic in New York." According to Levy, however, Harris cites no evidence in building this argument, and so Levy debunks the paper.
After considering the low infection rates in other high-transit cities worldwide, Levy returns the focus to New York City:
So the question is not whether rapid transit systems are inherently unsafe for riders, which they are not. It’s whether New York, with all of its repeated failings killing tens of workers from exposure to the virus, has an unsafe rapid transit system. Nonetheless, the answer appears to be negative: no evidence exists that the subway is leading to higher infection rates, and the paper does not introduce any.
Levy takes on both of two central claims in the paper—one about infection rates in Manhattan relative to other boroughs and the second about high infection rates in neighborhoods adjacent to subway lines. According to Levy, "neither is even remotely correct."
The details of Levy's counterargument are best left to the source article, which is linked below, although other public health and transit experts also spoke out against the findings of Harris's paper, as evident in an article written by Aaron Gordon for Motherboard.
FULL STORY: The Subway is Probably not Why New York is a Disaster Zone
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
How Freeway Projects Impact Climate Resilience
In addition to displacement and public health impacts, highway expansions can also make communities less resilient to flooding and other climate-related disasters.
California Grid Runs on 100% Renewable Energy for Over 9 Hours
The state’s energy grid was entirely powered by clean energy for some portion of the day on 37 out of the last 45 days.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.