Port Authority asks nonessential riders to stay home, redeploys largest buses
Port Authority is moving its largest buses to new routes at a time when it is asking people not to ride them.
The agency, going through its most dramatic loss of ridership in history, is assigning longer, articulated buses to trips with the highest ridership to allow riders to maintain a safe distance from each other. But at the same time it plans to ask riders making nonessential trips to stay home.
Spokesman Adam Brandolph said Tuesday the authority will push its message through the message board on the front of buses and light rail vehicles, cards inside the vehicles, social media and station announcements. The agency has reduced service by about 25% and ridership is down more than 75% in response to the COVID-19 virus emergency, but the head of the Amalgamated Transit Union says his members report some riders don’t seem to be making essential trips.
“There is no way to say that for sure,” Mr. Brandolph said. “We did see our numbers rise a little when we saw one nice day last week, but maybe people waited for that one day to go to the store or pharmacy.”
Nevertheless, the agency will make a stronger push on its message since the virus began, “Stay home, save lives.”
“Stay home. Only go out if your trip is essential,” Mr. Brandolph said, pushing the same message as top health officials. “Obviously, if you’re using public transit to get to work, to buy groceries, go to the pharmacy or help someone who needs it, we want to be there for you.
“But now is not the time to go to Home Depot to buy a lawnmower.”
For people who aren’t going to work, Mr. Brandolph encouraged
riding between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when ridership is lowest.
He stressed the agency isn’t doing anything to check where riders are going or to enforce only riders making essential trips can board.
The authority has reduced service and has passengers entering through the rear door to maintain social distance to prevent the spread of the virus.
To offer more space for riders, the authority will use the larger, articulated buses on more than 15 routes: 28X; 61A, B, C, D; 67; 69; 71A, B, C; 79; 82; 86; 91; P3; P7; and P78.
Steve Palonis, president and business agent for Local 85 of the ATU, said drivers are concerned they are regularly seeing the same riders making nonessential trips.
“My message is, ‘If you don’t have to go out for work or medicine or food, stay home,’” he said Tuesday. “It’s scary out there.”
Two drivers have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and 67 others are awaiting test results, Mr. Palonis said. Overall, he said 110 managers and union members have symptoms and are in quarantine.
Mr. Brandolph disagreed with those numbers.
“Yes, we have more people in quarantine and selfisolation,” he said. “No, 110 is patently incorrect.”
Although the national ATU and the similar Transit Workers Union of America have been sharply critical of public and private transportation agencies for not protecting transit workers well enough, Mr. Palonis said he “absolutely” is satisfied with Port Authority’s response. Management and union leaders meet weekly, he said, and the agency has been cooperative by providing hand sanitizer, sanitizing buses and stations daily and deep cleaning and disinfecting the garages where the drivers tested positive.