COVID-19 and Public Transportation: Current Assessment, Prospects, and Research Needs

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a great challenge for contemporary public transportation worldwide, resulting from an unprecedented decline in demand and revenue. In this paper, we synthesize the state-of-the-art, up to early June 2020, on key developments regarding public transportation and the COVID-19 pandemic, including the different responses adopted by governments and public transportation agencies around the world, and the research needs pertaining to critical issues that minimize contagion risk in public transportation in the so-called post-lockdown phase. While attempts at adherence to physical distancing (which challenges the very concept of mass public transportation) are looming in several countries, the latest research shows that for closed environments such as public transportation vehicles, the proper use of face masks has significantly reduced the probability of contagion. The economic and social effects of the COVID-19 outbreak in public transportation extend beyond service performance and health risks to financial viability, social equity, and sustainable mobility. There is a risk that if the public transportation sector is perceived as poorly transitioning to post-pandemic conditions, that viewing public transportation as unhealthy will gain ground and might be sustained. To this end, this paper identifies the research needs and outlines a research agenda for the public health implications of alternative strategies and scenarios, specifically measures to reduce crowding in public transportation. The paper provides an overview and an outlook for transit policy makers, planners, and researchers to map the state-of-affairs and research needs related to the impacts of the pandemic crisis on public transportation. Some research needs require urgent attention given what is ultimately at stake in several countries: restoring the ability of public transportation systems to fulfill their societal role.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel behavior in Istanbul: A panel data analysis

“…At the time of writing this paper, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing; thus, there is a limited, but growing number of studies on the impacts of the pandemic on the transportation sector – more specifically, travel behavior (e.g. Aloi et al, 2020 ; Beck & Hensher, 2020a , 2020b ; Beck, Hensher, & Wei, 2020 ; De Haas, Faber, & Hamersma, 2020 ; De Vos, 2020 ; Gutiérrez, Miravet, & Domènech, 2020 ; Hensher, 2020 ; Jenelius & Cebecauer, 2020 ; Lee & Lee, 2020 ; Molloy, Tchervenkov, Hintermann, & Axhausen, 2020 ; Nurse & Dunning, 2020 ; Parady, Taniguchi, & Takami, 2020 ; Shamshiripour, Rahimi, Shabanpour, & Mohammadian, 2020 ; Tirachini & Cats, 2020 ). Table 1 presents some of the key findings of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel behavior in different cities or countries.…”

Public Transit Ridership Analysis During the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…The impact analysis of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic in 2003 [15]. The result of several surveys in different places, including Switzerland [16], Chile [17], and Sweden [18], also showed a reduction in public transit ridership. Such a decline is related to government-imposed limitations and travelers' choices.…”

Impacts of COVID-19 on public transport ridership in Sweden: Analysis of ticket validations, sales and passenger counts

“…The research literature on the impacts of COVID-19 on public transport use is, as of autumn 2020, still limited. Tirachini and Cats (2020) outline a number of urgent issues and important directions for research in order to cope with the ongoing crisis while continuing the development towards a sustainable transport system. Aloi et al (2020) combine data from traffic counters, public transport GPS and ticket sales data, and pedestrian flows from traffic cameras to provide an overall assessment for Santander, Spain.…”