![]() ![]() Deploying technologies that help not only with current pandemic-related safety, but also physical safety well into the future will be critical to investing dollars wisely. ![]() Public safety will continue to be a top priority for transit agencies during the pandemic and long beyond. Contactless travel, already growing in enthusiasm before COVID-19, is becoming a mandate from travelers checking bags without printing tags, to airplane restrooms and subway elevators which operate through voice commands, safety innovations have flourished in the past year. Thermal scanning at entry gates and social distancing monitoring solutions are helping agencies mitigate the risks of COVID-19 and try to prevent further spread. The pandemic has forever changed notions of safety. Transportation agencies have no impediments to using these funds to implement projects that boost operational efficiency, build revenue streams, promote health and safety, enhance the passenger experience, and rebuild rider confidence as we prepare for the new normal.įirst and foremost, transit agencies need to rebuild passenger confidence to recover. These highly flexible funds are designed to push out money quickly to stabilize and stimulate the economy. This is in addition to emergency funding provided to the transit industry to the tune of $25 billion from the CARES Act, in March 2020, and the $14 billion provided through the CRRSA Act, from December 2020. The package includes $360 billion in direct allocations for state and local governments and transportation agencies, and $30 billion for COVID-19 emergency relief funding. However, the American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion coronavirus aid package that was signed in March, is poised to change all that. Agencies have struggled with decreases in tax revenue and ridership, forcing many to adopt a “keep the lights on” attitude toward spending. COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on public transportation agencies with the pandemic clearing out airports, buses, rail, and subway stations. ![]()
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