WASHINGTON (April 14, 2020) – “The American Public Transportation Association, on behalf of the entire public transportation industry, is saddened by the loss of the hard-working and dedicated front-line employees doing essential work during the COVID-19 crisis.

It is these men and women who continue to valiantly provide vital services for health care workers, law enforcement, first responders, grocery store workers, and other essential personnel. These courageous employees provide medical transportation for kidney dialysis, cancer treatments and other critical care.

The public transportation industry will continue its tireless efforts to maintain operations, deliver essential services, and protect and serve the public, while at the same time innovating to safeguard employees and riders.

APTA continues to coordinate with the CDC to ensure guidance is tailored for public transit agencies to implement and ensure the safest environment for its workers and riders.

Public transit systems have moved quickly and implemented many measures to adapt as best as possible to the new pandemic dynamic. These include cordoning off the area around the bus operator and closing the first and last car on trains, implementing rear door boarding for passengers, and reducing touchpoints with fare collection. They have greatly stepped up cleaning of vehicles and facilities, and are providing face masks and gloves when available. They are stressing that only essential workers should be riding, and are encouraging social distancing on buses and trains and urging that riders also wear masks.”

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The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is a nonprofit international association of 1,500 public and private sector organizations which represent a $74 billion industry that directly employs 435,000 people and supports millions of private sector jobs. APTA members are engaged in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne services, and intercity and high-speed passenger rail. This includes: transit systems; planning, design, construction, and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; transit associations and state departments of transportation. APTA is the only association in North America that represents all modes of public transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical transit services and products.