This paper presents a review of social distancing measures deployed by transit agencies in the United States and Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic and discusses how specific operators across the two countries have implemented changes. Challenges and impacts on their operations are also provided.

Social distancing is one of the community mitigation measures traditionally implemented during influenza pandemics and the novel coronavirus pandemic. Research has shown that social distancing is effective in containing the spread of disease. This is applicable to the current situation with the novel coronavirus, given the lack of effective vaccines and treatments in the United States and Canada in the first eight months of the pandemic. Moreover, social distancing is particularly useful in settings where community transmission is substantial.

Directives for social distancing were issued in several states and public transit operators were charged with how to provide for physical distance of six feet between passengers on their property including physical infrastructure such as station buildings and rolling infrastructure (rolling stock) including trains, subway cars and buses. Operational changes were also required due to physical distancing, e.g. adding train cars to provide for opportunities to physically distance on the train. Examples of some measures discussed in this research includes taping off every other seat on buses, increasing the total length of trains by adding cars, separating bus drivers from passengers with plastic sheeting, rear door boarding, etc. This research also analyzes long-term impacts for transit operators and challenges to encourage passengers to return to public transit after lockdown requirements ordered by government officials are lifted. A section on the policies that are being explored by government to continue to sustain public transportation is also included.

本文回顾了美国和加拿大的运输机构在 COVID-19 大流行期间采取的社会疏离措施，并讨论了两国具体运营商如何实施变革。还提供了对其运营的挑战和影响。

保持社交距离是传统上在流感大流行和新型冠状病毒大流行期间实施的社区缓解措施之一。研究表明，保持社交距离可有效遏制疾病的传播。鉴于美国和加拿大在大流行的前八个月缺乏有效的疫苗和治疗方法，这适用于新型冠状病毒的现状。此外，在社区传播严重的环境中，保持社交距离特别有用。

几个州发布了社会疏远指令，公共交通运营商负责如何在其物业内提供乘客之间 6 英尺的物理距离，包括有形基础设施，如车站大楼和机车基础设施（机车车辆），包括火车、地铁车厢和公共汽车。由于保持物理距离，还需要进行操作更改，例如，增加火车车厢以提供在火车上保持物理距离的机会。本研究中讨论的一些措施的例子包括在公共汽车上每隔一个座位隔一个胶带，通过增加车厢来增加火车的总长度，用塑料布将公共汽车司机与乘客分开，后门登机等。这项研究还分析了对交通运营商的长期影响以及在政府官员下令的封锁要求解除后鼓励乘客返回公共交通的挑战。还包括有关政府为继续维持公共交通而正在探索的政策的部分。