Coronavirus and Transportation

Portland Bus Lane

‘Forward Together’ Bus System Redesign Rolling Out in Portland

Portland is redesigning its bus system to respond to the changing patterns of the post-pandemic world—with twin goals of increasing ridership and improving equity.

August 30, 2023 - Mass Transit

Fare gates at underground BART station in San Francisco, California

U.S. Transit Agencies Still in Need of a Long-Term Solution to the Looming ‘Fiscal Cliff’

San Francisco and New York exemplify the political challenges in finding long-term finding solutions for public transit in the post-pandemic United States.

August 28, 2023 - Route Fifty

Cincinnati and Covington

A Roundtable Discussion on the Future of Cities

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been shortage of opinions on the coming evolution of cities. It’s time to check in with the debate.

August 10, 2023 - Vox

A local train is in motion on one of the platforms at the Amsterdaam Centraal train station.

Eurostar Temporarily Closing Two High-Speed Rail Routes

Eurostar is temporarily closing routes from London to Disneyland Paris and London to Amsterdam.

June 15, 2023 - Trains

Fare gates at underground BART station in San Francisco, California

Breaking: Budget Deal Saves California’s Transit Systems, For Now

California state political leaders last night struck a deal to keep the state’s transit systems afloat as ridership continues to recover and federal pandemic stimulus money runs dry.

June 12, 2023 - San Francisco Chronicle

Regional Transit

BART’s Credit Rating Dinged

U.S. public transit agencies haven’t yet seen the bottom of a pandemic-induced fiscal crisis.

June 12, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

Empty New York City street during the COVID-19 pandemic with #NYSTRONG billboard in foreground.

Biden Signs Legislation Ending Covid 19 National Emergency

The Covid 19 national emergency enacted by then-President Donald Trump in March 2020 was officially ended on Monday by President Joe Biden.

April 11, 2023 - CNN

Close-up view of empty bus from behind seat. Seats have blue upholstery

Opinion: Free Fares Won’t Solve the Transit Crisis

“The biggest US transit agencies must be allowed to simply focus on delivering high-quality service. There is no Plan B.”

March 29, 2023 - Vox

A Metro Los Angeles bus driver is behind the wheel while wearing a mask.

Confronting the Crisis on Public Transit

Problems, old and new, are threatening what remains of our public spaces. How we respond right now could be make or break for public transit.

March 23, 2023 - Angie Schmitt

A homeless encampment is set up outside a transit station, next to bike share stations and a ticket dispenser.

The Deepening Transit Crisis: L.A. Times Reports Drug Use on Transit

An article by the L.A. Times earlier this week has raised the temperature of the debate about drug users and crime on rail transit. Concerns about public safety on transit are a common symptom of post-pandemic transit around the country.

March 17, 2023 - Los Angeles Times

Empty Road

Driving Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels in the U.S., Study Says

Congestion is increasing much faster than vehicle miles traveled, suggesting that the “new normal” of hybrid work and an influx of suburban residents is taking a toll on the nation's transportation system.

March 13, 2023 - State Smart Transportation Initiative

Close-up view of empty bus from behind seat. Seats have blue upholstery

Public Transit’s Existential Crisis

U.S. transit systems are still scrambling to find alternate funding sources and adjust their service to new needs as ridership remains below pre-pandemic levels.

March 1, 2023 - Governing

New York City sidewalk with outdoor dining patio with black and white striped umbrellas and black barriers protecting diners from traffic

The Slow Retreat of Pandemic-Era Outdoor Dining Programs Continues

It’s been almost three years since the political dynamics of outdoor dining in the United States shifted, suddenly and overwhelmingly. Increasingly, the status quo is being restored.

March 1, 2023 - James Brasuell

Los Angeles Subway

Subway Ridership Still Lagging as Cities Come Back to Life

While other aspects of urban life are starting to recover to pre-pandemic ‘normals,’ ridership on the nation’s subway systems is still well below average levels.

January 5, 2023 - The Hill

New York City Subway

New York Subway Surpasses 1 Billion Riders for the First Time Since 2019

There’s still a long way to go for the nation’s busiest transit system to get back to pre-pandemic ridership levels, but New Yorkers crossed at least one symbolic threshold in 2022.

December 30, 2022 - AMNY

Man walking away past glass elevator in brightly lit New York City subway station corridor

New York Post-Pandemic First: Big Transit Service Changes

More service on the weekends, less on Monday and Friday, reflects the patterns of post-pandemic transit ridership.

December 22, 2022 - Gothamist

two riders wearing masks during the covid-19 pandemic exit a blue city bus in the Bronx in New York City.

Can New York Legislators Make Buses Free While Improving Service?

A pair of state legislators hope to make buses free while improving service levels on the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s (MTA) bus system in New York City. The effort will require a new level of political will for transit.

December 19, 2022 - AMNY

A light rail trail leaves a station with a field of grass under the blue sky in the background.

Denver’s C and F Light Rail Routes Closed Permanently

The Regional Transportation District in Denver suspended two light rail lines at the onset of Covid-19 in March 2020. The routes have now been permanently discontinued.

December 18, 2022 - The Denver Post

White NJ Transit bus

New Jersey Transit Will Ban Riders Who Assault Workers

As part of a bill passed to protect transit operators from violence and abuse, NJ Transit is creating a policy for banning violent passengers, permanently in some cases.

December 18, 2022 - NJ.com

New York MTA subway station

Deficit Plan for New York MTA Includes Fare Hikes, More Relief

A series of federal relief funding in 2020 and 2021 helped the New York MTA keep its head above water over the past three years, but the funding is running out and the books still have to be balanced for a post-pandemic world.

December 5, 2022 - The Center Square

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