University of California Institute of Transportation Studies

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended how people travel and how transportation systems function. Travel is down across all modes in 2020, though the declines on public transit have been greater and the recovery slower than on other travel modes, such as private automobiles and “active” transportation modes like biking and walking. This shift in travel mode choice away from transit is likely explained at least in part by would-be riders’ fears of infection during this communicable disease outbreak because public transit congregates people in dense and enclosed environments. To lower the risk of infection and reduce the spread of COVID-19, transit agencies worldwide have implemented measures such as route and service modifications, improved ventilation and air filtration, increased cleaning and disinfecting, modifications of seating and boarding protocols to ensure physical distancing, mask-wearing requirements, and even screening riders for fevers.