Entrepreneurs and transit agencies are trying to help riders cope with their fears of germs on trains and buses.
"This year, the TranStrap was launched in the U.S. It's a personal hand loop that you hook on the subway overhead bar, thus avoiding any unwanted contact. 'I found out that many people who use public transit do so under deep distress,' writes inventor Stan Dolberg on his website, transtrap.com. 'They worry about getting sick from sharing bars and poles.'
Then came the 'City Mitt,' a performance microfibre glove embedded with silver ions, which are naturally antimicrobial, says Emily Beck, the developer from Wilmington, Del., who also works in New York. When she moved to Manhattan and took the subway for the first time, she found it 'extremely dirty, and noticed that so many others felt the same way â€" balancing themselves on one finger on the chrome poles,' Beck says in an interview."
Additionally, the Toronto Transit Commission is planning to order the first subway cars with "an antimicrobial covering on all surfaces that are meant to be held, such as vertical and horizontal bars and metal handles."
FULL STORY: Howard Hughes would be so proud

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.
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