Transit advisory board recommends changes to get people using transit again safely
By
Mack Male
Service changes that enable physical distancing, better communication of cleaning procedures, and a strengthening of the existing mask mandate are some of the recommendations in a new report aimed at getting people to use transit again safely.
City council's urban planning committee will consider the report prepared by the Edmonton Transit Advisory Board (ETSAB) on March 23.
Although available evidence from other jurisdictions suggests that public transit is not a hotspot for COVID-19 transmission, a perception that transit is unsafe remains, the report says. A policy brief prepared by the International Association of Public Transport indicates that only 0.2% of traceable outbreaks were linked to public transit in Germany, for instance.
To better enable physical distancing, ETSAB recommends dynamically adjusting bus service to respond to busy areas and routes, and suggests looking at renting or leasing underused vehicles from other companies such as school buses.