For the Coronavirus Pandemic, Public Transit Is the Move

Arturo Ardila-Gomez sees public transit as the savior of the coronavirus-caused transportation dilemma. Inaccurately demonized as a prime location for disease-spreading contact, mass transit is not responsible for increasing COVID-19 cases, says Ardila-Gomez.  "Since the beginning of the pandemic, most public transport operators have quickly stepped up to the plate and taken concrete action to make transit systems COVID-safe for staff and passengers."

Ardila-Gomez suggests that now is the time to adapt transportation infrastructure and that "transport providers must adapt their operations to minimize the overlap of the three Cs: Closed and Crowded spaces, and Close contact situations." In the long-term, transit providers will need to rethink the way cities are served and take measures to plan for future health emergencies, being ready with such interventions as pop-up bus lanes at a moment's notice. Transit preparedness is essential to ensuring that people at all income levels are able to navigate the city effectively, says Ardila-Gomez.