policy brief

Higher Bus Ridership Unlikely to Increase Community COVID-19 Transmission

Abstract

Public transportation has been blamed for facilitating the spread of COVID-19 in dense, urban areas. As a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, transit agencies have reduced service and implemented mask-wearing mandates and social distancing aboard transit. Some prior studies that address public transportation provide some evidence that negative COVID-19 outcomes are linked to high transit use. One early study of COVID-19 transmission on trains in China found that transmission is also affected by the density of passengers, seat spacing, and length of time traveled with other passengers aboard the trains.

Suggested Citation
David Brownstone and Henry Bernal (2021) Higher Bus Ridership Unlikely to Increase Community COVID-19 Transmission. Policy Brief. UC ITS. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7922/g2p26wgh.