Commonwealth Commutes

May 7, 2020

A Public Outreach Campaign to Guide Commuters from Home to the Workplace

Written by Caitlin Allen-Connelly, Project Director

RETURNING TO THE WORKPLACE, RETURNING TO OUR COMMUTE

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 500,000 people across the Commonwealth relied on the MBTA daily as their primary transportation method.¹ Most had set routines, and apart from delays, riders knew exactly what to expect during their commute. After weeks of lockdown, the gradual reopening of the economy won’t just be a “restart” or back to “business-as-usual.” It will come with a new set of rules—the “new normal”—that redefine the very fabric of our daily lives. For many, this change will come with underlying fears, in particular related to getting back on public transportation. A recent survey suggests that only 18 percent of people surveyed would feel comfortable riding buses, subways, or commuter trains when they return to the workplace.² This is a huge hurdle to overcome, and the MBTA has a critical role to play in easing those fears.

A Better City recommends that the MBTA launch of a dynamic, multilingual and multimedia public outreach campaign, Commonwealth Commutes, to let riders know about the aggressive health and safety efforts the MBTA is taking to create a safe public transit environment and to inform riders of the new protocols in place that will protect them throughout all stages of their commute—from home to the workplace.

The campaign would help answer questions like: What should I expect when I leave the house to return to the workplace or to find a new job? What tools will I need to commute safely into the dense urban core? What practices do I need to embrace to keep myself, my family, and my fellow commuters safe and healthy? These are basic but vexing questions that require attention and a clear response to create a supportive environment to build back commuter confidence, encourage public transit use, and facilitate a coordinated and safe return to the workplace every step of the way.

As many make their return to the workplace, public perception of the commute could make or break the use of public transportation for years to come; therefore, it is imperative that all protective measures are put in place to help the MBTA succeed in gradually welcoming back commuters. Commonwealth Commutes puts a personal and community face on the reopening by focusing on the challenges commuters will tackle together once the gates are gradually opened. In the post-COVID-19 world, it will no longer be “I Commute” but rather “We Commute,” underscoring the social compact amongst riders to safeguard public transportation for all.

THE CRITICAL ROLE OF THE MBTA TO SUPPORT THE REGIONAL REOPENING

The role of the MBTA is critical to the reopening of the regional economy. It has historically provided mobility to a great many residents across the Commonwealth, and is a continuously vital service to under-resourced populations. Commuting in the post-COVID-19 world will be anything but business-as-usual. It will come with a new set of “commute essentials” and standard protocols that start at home, extend over the full commute, and end at the workplace. The MBTA can and must play a pivotal role in reassuring commuters that public transit is safe and in guiding them through the new set of commuting rules to create a safe environment for all, and ensure a successful return to the workplace.

BUILDING COMMUTER CONFIDENCE

Given the current status of the pandemic and experts’ knowledge of COVID-19, it is unclear what the commuting mode mix will look like when the economy gradually reopens. There is a likelihood that commuters may be hesitant to get back on public transportation as the recent survey published in the Boston Globe suggested.³ This reaction, or public perception, presents a huge challenge to the MBTA, but it’s not insurmountable, and it deserves attention so that commuters get the facts. The MBTA will need to communicate its aggressive health and safety plan and provide commuters with the facts on the public health risks associated with public transit.

A recent report, Public Health Principles for Phased Reopening During COVID-19: Guidance for Governors, by The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Health Security recently, sheds some light on risk and mitigation potential for the public transportation sector. The research shows the while public transportation does rank high for contact intensity and number of contacts, transit operators can mitigate these risks.

TABLE 1: QUALITATIVE RISK ASSESSMENT FOR TRANSPORTATION SETTINGS

CATEGORY	CONTACT INTENSITY	NUMBER OF CONTACTS	MODIFICATION POTENTIAL
Buses	High	High	Medium
Metros/Rail	High	High	Medium
Rideshare/Taxis	High	Low	Low

^{Source: https://www.centerforhealthsecurity.org/our-work/pubs_archive/pubs-pdfs/2020/200417-reopening-guidance-governors.pdf}

It is incumbent upon the MBTA to enact, communicate, enforce, and track robust mitigation measures. If the MBTA and commuters work together, they can create a safe environment that gradually welcomes back riders to public transit.

A COMPREHENSIVE PUBLIC OUTREACH CAMPAIGN THAT PUTS RIDERS FIRST

While state and local governments, as well as business leaders, contemplate what practices to implement that will define business-as-usual upon reopening, workers are wondering how they are going to be affected by new and evolving mandates and guidelines. Some may have been teleworking, others furloughed, and others laid off, but all will go back to work eventually and will need a mode of transportation to get there. The MBTA wants commuters to return to a public transportation system that respects the new normal—and the return of riders to public transit is not only good for the MBTA, it’s better for the environment and it provides mobility to all segments of the population.

The MBTA is in a unique position to support commuters and should launch a dynamic, multilingual, multimedia public outreach campaign, Commonwealth Commutes, to proactively engage with their riders to let them know what the MBTA is doing to ensure their commute is safe and provide riders with the essential information they need to achieve a seamless commute from the moment they leave their homes to when they get to work.

FIGURE 1: Commonwealth Commutes: A Public Outreach Campaign to Guide Commuters from Home to the Workplace

THINGS YOU MAY NEED TO KNOW FOR YOUR REOPENING COMMUTE

COMMUTE ESSENTIALS

Prior to the pandemic, these might have included coffee, lunch, and a change of shoes, when the economy reopens, commuters will need to add at least masks and hand sanitizer to their work bags. Depending on other protocols, “commute essentials” might include an app for commuting that provides crowding information, and maybe even an app to track health data.

COMMUTING RULES

The MBTA is currently developing a plan for what commuting will look like post-COVID-19 that will no doubt build off of current mitigation measures and adapt to new government guidance, including relevant CDC reopening guidelines, and workforce reentry strategies. In addition to measures already in place (rear-door boarding, some physical barriers), commuters may also see changes to service and occupancy.⁴

LAST MILE DIRECTIVES

The MBTA will be following carefully what municipalities are planning to do to secure sidewalks and bike lanes for the gradual reopening. There may be one-way sidewalks, markers to indicate safe distancing, and other guidelines. This information is still under preparation would be included in the MBTA to guidance to commuters.

WORKPLACE PROTOCOL

Business leaders are focused on reimagining the workplace for the post-COVID-19 world. Each sector—and each individual employer—will no doubt have tailored policies and protocols, but there will be commonalities and standard practices. It will be essential for the MBTA to continue coordinating closely with the business community to provide service that matches the new normal and to help reinforce business protocols by mirroring requirements during the commute and informing commuters on what to expect when they get to work. Secretary Pollack and General Manager Poftak have already done a tremendous job engaging with the private sector, including through Governor Baker’s Reopening Advisory Board and its various subcommittees.

IMPLEMENTING THE PUBLIC OUTREACH CAMPAIGN

Developing and implementing the public outreach campaign will require actively engaging with stakeholders, including municipalities and employers to assess, aggregate, and communicate the tenets of their reentry plans. Even prior to the pandemic, the MBTA has used a range of communication methods to convey information to riders, including announcements (oral or written) on vehicles and in stations, as well as messaging via online videos and other social media. For the reopening, the MBTA will need to continue using these tools engage with workers before they reenter the workforce and continue to accompany them once they are back on public transportation.

In South Korea, the government has successfully used television broadcasts, subway station announcements, and smartphone alerts to communicate requirements and advisories, while fostering a unified approach to fighting the war against COVID-19. This approach has undoubtedly helped to create a high level of public awareness and voluntary compliance as part of a collective effort to flatten the curve.⁵

Commonwealth Commutes will support the gradual reopening of the regional economy throughout all its phases to build commuter confidence, keep public transit services running, and ensure a safe commute. Today, more than ever, we are all in this together. If there isn’t a coordinated and enforced approach to the reopening, including the commute, there is a higher risk of future outbreaks, which would only bring us back to square one.