An estimation of the effects of social distancing measures on transit vehicle capacity and operations

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has a direct impact on public transport operations. In this paper, impacts on transit operations of the physical distancing measures deployed to slow the spread of the virus are analyzed and recommendations are provided. At first, two social distancing optimization solutions are provided in order to keep riders at a safe distance. The first is a discrete optimization that can be used in buses with fixed seats, while the second is a continuous optimization that can be used to distribute riders on a grid and be applied on a bus or subway platform. Assuming that the ridership will eventually go back to its level before the pandemic, the second objective of this research is to address the transit operation parameters that need to be changed in order to serve the pre-COVID ridership level, while respecting the social distancing measures. An O-D distribution has been developed in this paper for New York City (NYC) subway line 1, based on the 2018 NYC Travel Survey conducted by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. Five scenarios of physical distancing are simulated and analyzed in this paper: 3ft, 4ft, 5ft, 5.4ft, and 6ft of separation between passengers. The results show the number of additional trains required to accommodate the hypothetical pre-COVID ridership demand while maintaining social distancing. An interesting key finding is that, by decreasing the minimum distance from 6ft to 5.4ft, the number of additional trains required to serve the transit demand drastically decreases and hence more resources are saved.

A systematic review of COVID-19 transport policies and mitigation strategies around the globe

“… Lee et al (2020) analyzes the total social distancing when returning to activity. Other authors analyze the physical distance in public transportation vehicles ( Liu et al, 2020 , Zhang et al, 2020 , Bilde et al, 2021 , Wang et al, 2022 , Yu et al, 2020 , Thomas et al, 2022 , Kamga et al, 2021 ). Mohammed Salih and Hussein (2021) analyze the effect of social distance on walking and cycling, and indicate that social distance can act as what they label an “Urban Antigen” to any epidemic.…”

“…Edwards et al (2021) suggest that, in the absence of seating data, adjacent seating should only be allowed for household family members. In a study of passengers waiting at subway stations, ( Zou and He, 2021 ) find that the default 2-meters social distancing guideline may not be enough due to train-induced wind; in contraposition, (Kamga & Eickemeyer, 2021) suggest reducing social distancing by 10 % to reduce operational burden; while ( Kamga et al, 2021 ) suggest a 1-meter social distancing combined with mandatory mask-wearing, floor and seats stickers, and off-board fare collection to avoid the 2-meter distancing. Related to this category, the only industry-oriented strategy found in the literature proposes changes in bus layouts , reducing the seats in the vehicles from 32 to 24 units ( Setiyo & Waluyo, 2021 ).…”

Data analytics during pandemics: a transportation and location planning perspective

“… 2021 ) Developing a seating distribution plan for finding the additional number of trains required in order to accommodate the passengers waiting for the next train within the safe social distance in NYC subway (Kamga et al. 2021 ) Analyzing the social vulnerability and built environment factors that affect COVID-19 cases (Kashem et al. 2021 ) Developing social distance compliant smart parking solutions that will help drivers to find an available parking space (Delot and Ilarri 2020 ).…”

“…Developing a seating distribution plan for finding the additional number of trains required in order to accommodate the passengers waiting for the next train within the safe social distance in NYC subway (Kamga et al. 2021 )…”

Managing public transit during a pandemic: The trade-off between safety and mobility

“…They included the most common transit modes, including trains, subway cars, buses, and standard policies such as adding train cars and rear door boarding. Kamga et al (2021) used simulations to evaluate how much resources are required to enforce the six-foot minimum distance in NYC’s subway systems. Their results revealed that 117 trains per hour were beyond the current operational capacities.…”