New safety measures coming on transit as restrictions ease

Handing out masks, setting up sanitizer stations and boosting service are some of the measures transit authorities are instituting to prepare for more people taking transit as COVID-19 restrictions are eased across the country.

Transit agencies in Canada and around the world have suffered financial losses as ridership has plummeted during the novel coronavirus pandemic, and most made cuts to save money. Now that jurisdictions are trying to restart economies and usher in a “new normal,” riders are concerned about safety.

B.C.’s restart plan took effect on Tuesday, and TransLink, Metro Vancouver’s transit authority, plans to announce its latest safety initiatives this week.

TransLink Mayors’ Council chair Jonathan Coté said in a recent interview that the goal is to make the region’s public transit system viable and safe for residents.

“TransLink is busy working on, really, how do we ensure that the transit system is safe and comfortable so that people feel comfortable coming back to the transit system?”

TransLink has already limited seating and capacity on buses. Front-door boarding and fares, which have been suspended since March 20, will be reinstituted on June 1, at which time drivers will be protected by Plexiglas and vinyl barriers. The agency is also scaling service up after making cuts, a move that is supposed to reduce crowding on the system as people slowly return to transit.

SkyTrain is operating at about 90 per cent of its pre-coronavirus levels, and next week Expo and Millennium line service will be fully restored.

On the bus, scheduled route cancellations and reductions did not take effect on Monday and 15 routes that were suspended last month have been reinstated, along with six West Vancouver and Bowen Island routes. Three seasonal routes were added on May 16. SeaBus operating hours are back to normal, but with 30-minute frequency. West Coast Express trips are still limited, with three of the five trains running in each direction.

BC Transit, which runs transit systems outside of Metro Vancouver, will resume front-door boarding and fare collection on all buses on

June 1, with a full driver door or vinyl panel to protect operators. Passenger capacity limits remain in effect and cleaning has been increased.

The agency is working with the province and the provincial health officer to finalize a plan for the various stages of B.C.’s restart plan, said B.C. Transit spokesperson Jonathon Dyck, and more details will be available in the coming days.

At transit agencies throughout the country, driver-protection barriers, rear-door boarding, suspending fares, limiting the number of passengers on vehicles to promote physical distancing, service adjustments and frequent cleaning have become standard measures during the COVID-19 crisis.

They are also telling those who feel sick to avoid using transit and to cough or sneeze into a tissue or their elbows, and advising users to wash their hands or use sanitizer frequently.

Although wearing a non-medical mask or face covering has not become mandatory on any Canadian system, all are recommending passengers cover up.