Highlights This study collected empirical information on the impacts and actions associated with transit’s response to COVID 19. A survey was designed and distributed to transit agencies in Texas to learn about cleaning strategies, staffing impacts, revenue loss, and preparedness. Ridership declines associated with fear of close social interactions and disease transmission may translate into reduced support for transit funding during future legislative or other decision-making activities. If some transit agencies in Texas experience greater declines due to local conditions, there will be an imbalanced impact on funding for future years.
Abstract The rapid nature of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in limited real-time understanding of the true impacts of COVID-19 on transit and the actions taken by transit agencies to respond to the conditions and support their riders. To collect empirical information on the impacts and actions associated with transit’s response to COVID 19, we conducted a survey on transit agencies in Texas designed to provide a better, quantifiable picture of transit realities during the early stages of the pandemic. This paper presents the findings derived from a full analysis of the survey data, highlighting important takeaways, and shares the result of follow up study from three focused case studies that present deeper insight into some transit agencies’ responses to these impacts, and specific policy implications that transit may experience during or after the pandemic. Survey findings showed that about 65 percent of the respondents did not have a plan for dealing with a pandemic prior to COVID-19. The cost of cleaning (both labor and supplies) hit large urban agencies and metropolitan transit authorities particularly hard. Among the lessons learned from the case studies, we found that agencies are inclined to retain employees through the pandemic and resulting downturn in ridership, with cuts in hours and allowance to work at home where possible, rather than laying off staff and later having to recruit, hire, and train the staff buildup when pre-pandemic ridership levels resume. We also suggest specific policies in four areas of revenue levels, equitable transit access, transit and employment.
Analysis of the impacts of COVID-19 on the performance of Texas transit agencies
2023-08-22
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
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