In the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, New York City committed to “keep the subways running” but did not initiate plans for addressing the health and well-being of transit workers. The NYU transit study team conducted a pilot project in August 2020 to better understand the experience of transit workers eight months into the pandemic.
The research team found 80% of study participants were men, two-thirds were black or Hispanic, and nearly 60% were 59 years old or older. At the time, most workers reported having no access to face masks, sanitizers, or gloves at work. Nearly all were worried about getting infected with COVID-19 at work and almost a quarter of participants said they had already been infected. This was found to be related to inadequate protection such as a lack of face masks. Work conditions also caused mental health strains, such as the worry of being attacked by riders for asking them to wear masks.
For additional details regarding the pilot study, please click on the links below.
