Staying safe(ish) on AC Transit: Riding the bus during ‘new normal’ in COVID-19 climate

Social distancing triggered by the coronavirus has affected nearly every facet of urban living. Face masks are mandatory fashion statements, grocery shopping takes on apocalyptic overtones, and telecommuting, for whom it is available, is the “new normal.” 

Among the areas most affected by the pandemic is public transportation, and a look at Oakland-based AC Transit makes it easy to see why. The agency operates buses in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, as well as transbay services, and pre-COVID-19 its annual ridership was put 53 million.