What's coming next for the transit industry is a hot topic in a normal year, but this isn't a normal year. With all the changes we've been through in the past 18 months, it's no wonder we're obsessed (in a good way) with what's coming next.
This week on Transit Unplugged - Comfort's Corner Paul chats with Stewart Mader of VAX Transit. Now, VAX Transit is an amazing thing, and Stewart deserves all the accolades coming for his hard work on the project, but that part of the discussion isn't what you should listen for.
You need to listen for what Stewart says about the future of commuter rail and what he thinks about masks on transit.
Commuter bus and rail have been a pillar of getting lots of people from the suburbs into the city. When I lived farther from the city of Vancouver I took the West Coast Express commuter rail into the city and I loved it. I could get a lot of work done and, because I live in British Columbia, the views along the way were something else.
But...
It only had five runs in the morning and five runs in the evening. During the holiday season, they ran special shopping trains for people to get into the city, but that was only once a year. What if I wanted to go into the city later in the day for a show? Or go on the weekend to go to a museum?
And this is exactly what Stewart and Paul got into. Stewart suggests that commuter rail (and bus) might be better positioned as regional rail and offer services catering to our new reality. Stewart puts it in really sharp economic terms as well. Usually, when you buy a monthly pass for commuter rail you're only using a portion of the value. If you're only using it twice a day, five days a week, that's not great from a cost/ride measure. But what if it's coupled with other services (it is here in Metro Vancouver)? And more to the point, what if there were more options outside of the Monday-Friday AM-PM peaks?
This refrain has come up repeatedly in the past several months. The transit industry needs to rethink when people need transit and where they want to go. But, this is a chicken-and-egg scenario if there ever was one. Transit agencies are just bouncing back from reducing service, how can they plan for new regional options when things are just getting back on track (pun somewhat intended)?
If what's going on in San Francisco is any indication, agencies are making a lot of the " pandemic experiments" permanent. I think agencies took the chance to reboot themselves. Looking at all the data and signals they were getting from people and seeing how things can be done differently. The next several months will be very telling. It would be interesting to check in on this topic a year from now and see if "regional rail" has become a reality.
The U.S. federal mask mandate is still in place through at least the summer. There are some really good questions to ask about the conflicting messages of "come back to transit, it's safe" and "but you need to wear a mask for safety". Agencies like in Chapel Hill, NC have invested thousands of dollars to improve air filtration and cleaning protocols on buses and trains. Every agency we work with has extensive cleaning regimens, so what's the risk on transit? Is there a risk on transit?
That answer it best left to public health experts, however, what is really interesting is the undeniable fact that essentially there wasn't a flu season last year. The flu was barely a blip on the radar. A lot of that had to do with people social distancing, being in lockdowns, and wearing masks (and washing hands).
So maybe wearing a mask when you're feeling a cold coming on is a good thing. It's very common in Asia for people to wear masks when they are sick. Even before the pandemic, it was common to see people in Vancouver wearing masks during cold and flu season.
And Stewart makes a good case for, why not create a mask-accepting culture on transit? Let's promote it's okay to wear a mask if you want to. We should destigmatize mask-wearing when we're sick. Whether mask mandates come back if there are big flu outbreaks in a region, that's a good question, but for now, I think we need to think about the benefits to ourselves and others when we wear masks.
Elea Carey segued nicely into this discussion by talking about how transit agencies can broaden the narrative on masks to talk about how transit is a healthier choice for the community at large. Fewer cars on the road means less pollution. More walking, it's better for you. Public transit is a net positive for cities and that is the message Elea thinks agencies should focus on.
A month or so ago I noticed the city workers emptying the (disgustingly overfull) garbage can at the bus stop near my house.
And I thanked them. I said I appreciated what they were doing.
And they waved and smiled back.
That might have been the only time that day someone from the public thanked them for doing their essential job.
Why is that?
In Mike's Minute, Mike talks about ways to make someone's day a little brighter each day. Say hi and smile to a person walking by. Hold the door for someone. Say thank you to the person giving you your coffee.
Mike's dad gave this advice to him, and it's something we should absolutely make a part of our daily lives. Take a moment to brighten someone's day.
Hope you enjoy the show. Until next week...
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