Transit and Sustainable Mobility Post-Covid
By Kevin Desmond, Principal and National Director, Transit + Rail
The Covid-19 Pandemic presented an existential crisis for public transit across the globe, with ridership and operating revenues collapsing nearly overnight. Even as the US and Canada are re-opening as the result of widespread vaccination, transit ridership, as predicted, has been slow to rebound. With traffic at pre-Covid levels in many metropolitan regions, the coming months will be critical for efforts by transit operators, cities and regional planning organizations to invite former riders back into the habit of taking transit while reaching new customers.
Even during the depths of the crisis last year, transit leaders were already beginning to contemplate ridership recovery scenarios. These involved many unknowns, including community vaccination rates, lingering public health and safety considerations, and the pace with which employers would bring workers back to their offices.
Large numbers of people—essential workers and those without other reasonable means to get around town—have continued to use bus and rail systems safely, with little to no evidence of community transmission of Covid on public transit. The recent signs of modest ridership recovery are encouraging, but it is going to take time to regain public trust and confidence and restore ridership to pre-Covid levels.
Transit agencies, working in collaboration with municipal and regional partners, should be considering comprehensive steps to welcome customers back and capitalize on new market opportunities.
Get the basics right: Transit has to be convenient and reliable to attract and retain riders. Thanks to Federal aid, most agencies are in a position to restore service to full pre-Covid levels. Most also recognize that reduced frequency or operating hours due to low ridership thwarts ridership recovery. Some agencies are actually increasing off-peak service frequencies beyond pre-Covid levels to capture the uptick in midday, evening and weekend ridership.
Respond quickly to changing travel patterns and improve access to transit in historically under-served communities: Transit agencies are closely monitoring rider travel patterns via boarding data, surveys, community equity assessments, and other market evaluation tools. Adjusting service can often take time, but it is crucial to move quickly to capture new market demand. Network redesign projects were commonplace pre-Covid, but to the extent that new travel patterns and a greater appreciation for underserved community needs have emerged, taking a fresh look can re-energize demand and create a pathway for long-term ridership growth.
Partner with municipalities and state government to advance and expand transit priority: During the Covid crisis, it was encouraging to see cities move quickly to re-imagine public spaces to improve the pedestrian experience, support community businesses, and provide new transit priority treatments on key bus corridors. Faster and more reliable service is a proven method to increase transit ridership. Cities across the country are leveraging new Federal grants to develop Bus Rapid Transit corridors; these projects can work in concert with walkability and active transportation initiatives. The key is to embrace partnerships with city DOT’s, public health institutions, local business associations and other stakeholders.
Embrace new mobility tools: Prior to Covid, new mobility services—e.g. TNC’s, bike share, car share, mobility as a service apps—were disrupting the transit industry worldwide. While Covid put the brakes on this dynamic temporarily, it is clear these services provide many appealing options. With micromobility pilots underway across the continent, and numerous technology companies vying to establish user-friendly mobility-as-a-service booking and payment platforms, transit agencies are incorporating these services into their own strategic objectives.
Plan for the long-term: While agencies demonstrated impressive agility in responding to this crisis, most of their strategic and capital planning efforts are long-term by nature: striking the right balance between state of good repair capital and operating requirements and major expansion projects is a constant challenge. At this pivot point, agencies are also increasingly contemplating how to address emerging priorities, like electrifying bus fleets, climate-proofing assets, and preparing for changes in technology, with the understanding that investments made now will impact operations for years to come.
As we emerge from the pandemic, transit agencies and their federal, state and local partners have a chance to pursue sustainable mobility: a comprehensive vision for multi-modal transportation options available to everyone that encompasses congestion management, social equity, affordable housing, and climate action. The Biden Administration’s proposed infrastructure bill, in particular, could offer substantial new investments in support of these plans. We should not let this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape our mobility landscape pass us by.
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