Of planes, trains, and automobiles, the latter handily dominates the space of this column. And automobiles should, as they are the most widespread transportation method in metro Atlanta. Thus, four-wheeled transit and the roads that facilitate it create the most “drama” to discuss here weekly.
The coronavirus prompted the roads to empty quickly, but car traffic has mostly returned. The plummet in commuter rail ridership and air travel has been more profound and numbers in those arenas have not rebounded as well as the socially-distanced and separate vehicles. But the light crowds on trains and planes are just the reason to choose them for travel during this pandemic.
Just this month, I have taken a flight and ridden MARTA for the first time since the outbreak. And both experiences quelled some worries about traveling in small spaces and around strangers when cleanliness is of utmost importance.
One of Atlanta’s biggest industries is transportation and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a large reason why. The airport is normally the world’s busiest, but “busy” wouldn’t describe the environment when I flew for the first time on July 2. While the interstates (particularly I-75 in Henry County) were crowded that getaway Thursday afternoon, the crowd at Hartsfield-Jackson was nowhere near the normal holiday volume. Considering I had to finish my 95.5 WSB traffic shift just before 7 p.m. and our flight was after 8, this was a relief.
The security wait time at the main checkpoint, which had been shut down the day before because a TSA agent had tested positive for COVID-19, was minimal. Employees handed out cloth masks to anyone that needed one and there were ample hand sanitizing stations around the Airport. While masks were not required, every employee we saw and almost every passenger wore them. Like most stores, signs on the floors directed people where to stand in line, six feet apart.
Queuing in lines (yes, that sounded British) were the instances where social-distancing could have taken place better. Many restaurants in the Airport remained closed, so the few open ones saw bigger lines and the proper distance was hard to maintain. This was also true in the security line, though there was space to separate there, given how few people were there.
Delta’s boarding process has changed, due to COVID-19. While first-class passengers, military, and those that need extra time can board first, Delta flights now load from the rear rows, forward. This helps lessen how much mixing and passing occurs in the plane. Delta also has wisely left every middle seat empty and requires all passengers to wear masks.
So flying is certainly less than ideal, given it requires breathing the circulated air of strangers in a giant, metal tube during an airborne virus pandemic. But Hartsfield-Jackson and Delta have at least taken the right precautions to mitigate the dangers.
I've flown on two different trips this month and for the earlier one I drove and parked at the Airport. Given that air travel is down 65% compared to last year, I was surprised how nearly full the daily lot was. As our plane took off over the parking lots, they all looked quite packed. Far fewer people taking MARTA to the Airport could have been a factor in that parking lot volume.
Habits have changed during the pandemic because of fears of being in public and because many are teleworking. These have driven MARTA ridership down. But I decided that I wanted to ride MARTA to the Airport for my second trip and the trip went smoothly.
Much like with air travel, concerns about being in a big crowd during COVID-19 are non-existent on Atlanta’s lightly-used commuter rail. I rode MARTA at 3:30 on a Wednesday afternoon and I didn’t have one other air traveler in my rail car. The only others on the train seemed to be daily riders using MARTA to travel to work. So social-distancing was easy on MARTA.
Unlike planes or rental cars, however, MARTA rail cars are not sanitized after every use. They can’t be, because people constantly come and go. Another concern is the amount of trash people had left behind in my car. This is more of a psychological fear, but just seeing other people’s dirty, unwanted things left behind does not radiate the feeling of cleanliness people need to feel to take MARTA.
Another big concern is that masks aren't required on MARTA and less than half of the people I saw were wearing them. MARTA is trying to encourage wearing the protective coverings, by handing them out from 7-11 a.m. each weekday. MARTA agents and even volunteers are distributing 2 million masks to anyone that asks for one. MARTA has also eliminated some bus routes, so it can add more buses to busy routes and decrease the amount of people on each bus. The agency has also bolstered cleaning efforts on buses and trains.
Again, the biggest benefit from choosing air travel or mass transit these days is simply that less people are. Those in sensitive groups or that aren’t feeling well should shy away from flying or taking MARTA, but others that choose to will find some reassuring measures in place.
Overall, the Atlanta Airport and Delta have gone the extra mile to keep people masked, sanitized, and spread out. MARTA’s light crowd volume is a big plus, but the lack of masks in the closed rail cars and buses is concerning. These travel options may not be ideal these days, but they certainly are viable, when necessary.
Doug Turnbull, the PM drive Skycopter anchor for Triple Team Traffic on 95.5 WSB, is the Gridlock Guy. He also writes a traffic blog and hosts a podcast with Smilin' Mark McKay on wsbradio.com. Contact him at Doug.Turnbull@cmg.com,
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