Transit agencies prepare for commuter rush
The gradual reopening of Canada’s economy will not mean business as usual for the country’s public transit agencies.
Despite the fact that a slowly growing number of workers will make their way back to the country’s buses, streetcars and subways as they return to workplaces shuttered by the COVID-19 pandemic, the systems that will help get them there say they anticipate maintaining measures that took effect while most of their riders were in lockdown.
Reduced service levels, limited seating and enhanced cleaning protocols will still be in place, several transit agencies said, acknowledging that even more steps may come into play over time but declining to offer details.
“COVID has changed everything for us,” said Anne Marie Aikins, spokesman for Ontario regional transit provider Metrolinx that operates the heavily travelled GO Transit network. “That’s not going to disappear overnight.”
Aikins said most of the more than 40 pandemic-related measures implemented since the beginning of the year will remain in effect. Riders returning to Go Transit after their enforced hiatus will find their commutes looking different, she said, noting trains and buses now have hand sanitizer dispensers on board and drivers seated behind protective shields. Several seats have been blocked off in the interest of both protecting Metrolinx staff and encouraging passengers to maintain the standard physical distancing barrier of two metres, she said.
Commuters still making use of Go services have not struggled to find seats, Aikins said, noting ridership has plunged 90% since widespread shutdowns took effect in mid-March.
The decline meant Go had to scale back its services to 50% of typical capacity, but Aikins said Metrolinx tailored remaining routes to align with hospital shift changes, grocery store hours and other scheduling constraints in play for the essential workers still making a daily commute.
The disparity between ridership and service levels, she said, means Go Transit has room to adjust to the gradual increase of traffic expected when Ontario’s economy begins to reopen in the coming weeks.
Similar conversations are taking place at the Toronto Transit Commission, according to spokesman Stuart Green.
The transit provider, which temporarily laid off 1,200 employees amid an 85% drop in ridership, is still running between 70% to 80% of its usual routes in a bid to accommodate essential workers and those reliant on public transit for crucial errands and medical visits. Green said those workers will start gradually returning as passengers find their way back onto public transit, but said several challenges remain as the TTC tries to find ways of maintaining both operations and public safety. “It’s very much a balancing act,” Green said.
Ottawa’s transit provider, OCTranspo, said it would be guided by industry best practices.
“OCTranspo will be ready to adapt the way we provide transit services to meet customer demand and will consult with public health officials as recovery plans evolve in order to provide a safe environment for our customers and employees,” Transit customer systems and planning director Pat Scrimgeour said without providing details.
Similar approaches are unfolding in parts of the country whose return to pre-pandemic norms seems more imminent.
Demands on local transit systems will likely increase in Alberta as early as Monday, when most health services in the province are allowed to resume. In Winnipeg, where some businesses will reopen on Monday, City Emergency Operation Centre manager Jay Shaw said buses will continue to run on a reduced schedule, adding more vehicles if physical distancing is becoming too difficult to enforce with existing resources.