Written by David Peter Alan , Contributing Editor. The curtain of my cabin was closed, and not wanting me to miss the view, Linda hopped on our cars intercom to make an announcement. "We know this is an airborne virus. Reliable data on the frequency of COVID transmission in cars is lacking, however. The driver of a tractor-trailer struck by an Amtrak train in Vermont on Monday has been ticketed. Many buses have HVAC (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning) systems similar to those on subways and trains, with one additional factor: buses are more likely to have windows that open. 01:32 (LOSE FILE CHIP) IT'S NOT JUST BUILDINGS -- PUBLIC TRANSIT LIKE AMTRAK HAS BEEN LOOKING AT AIR QUALITY TOO. For someone like me with immune issues that put them in a higher-risk category for COVID-19, having this option offered an off-load of anxiety. Khabbaza recommends train travelers book a private roomette or bedroom if they can afford to and if they are available. A LIVE READING 09:37 FOR MOST OF US -- THE SOLUTION IS LIKELY AS SIMPLE AS OPENING OUR WINDOWS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. A September report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) examined the coronaviruss spread in cities around the globe that had robust public transit systems. In fact, the whole room looked like what I would have expected to find in a first-class suite on an international flight back in the 1970s (if they made them this big). And be sure to wash your hands after boarding (Amtrak bathrooms are equipped with soap and running water). Initially some researchers blamed the metropoliss bustling subwaywhich carried 5.5 million commuters on a typical pre-COVID weekdayfor making it the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S. Over Thanksgiving weekend, the Transportation Security Administration reported a massive bump in travelers passing through airports, and AAA predicted nearly 50 million people would be traveling by car. Successfully activated Positive Train Control on all required routes across the Amtrak system in advance of new regulations. However, she adds, I dont think many people realize that the trains have very sophisticated ventilation. An onboard filtration system continuously refreshes the space every four to five minutes, removing air from the cars interior and replacing it with new, conditioned, external air. "Youll have much more control over your environment and you can go a long way without being in contact with other people. For decades, improvements crept at the pace of a freight train inching through a switchyard. If a window is able to be opened, that always helps getting droplets to disperse very quickly, making it very unlikely that they will make it to another person in enough of a concentration to transmit infection, especially if masking is enforced, he said. We will continue to prioritize offering a modern, safe and reliable customer experience and preparing for what should be a monumental fiscal year 2022.. For those who cant get a private room, Khabbaza recommended accessing fresh air for improved ventilation, even though Amtrak says all of its trains have onboard filtration systems with a fresh air exchange rate every four to five minutes. Follow her on Twitter @tanyalewis314Credit: Nick Higgins, Amanda Montaez is an associate graphics editor at Scientific American. Amtrak rider Erin Silverman of Bloomfield Hills got off the train on the night of Feb. 5 in Troy, after riding the rails all the way to and from Denver. Ive made a habit of giving every hotel room or Airbnb Ive stayed in during the pandemic a solid wipe down for my own sanity and security. Thats far less risky than the indoor settings of airport security lines and waiting areas where passengers gather and sit before boarding. Al mejorar la ventilacin puede reducir las partculas de virus dentro de su casa y evitar la propagacin del COVID-19. For the buses, ridership is down about 60% from pre-pandemic levels. For more stories like this, sign up for our newsletter. Amtrak said on Friday that it will temporarily reduce service on some trains because of staffing challenges stemming from a surge in cases of the Omicron variant among workers . "We were at 2,000 PPM for the local classrooms here, and we opened the window and we were at 550 PPM," Arnot said. Doing so might limit the spread of virus-carrying droplets from coughing, sneezing, breathing or speaking but is unlikely to prevent viral transmission via smaller airborne particles. In the station, Lofgren says you should practice the same kind of social distancing that youd do at, say, the grocery store: Minimize your contact with other people, so if someone is boarding, hang out until theres space for you to safely get on behind them. (CG: DENISE BECK, GREATER PORTLAND METRO) 04:04 TWO OF OUR NEW BUSSES HAVE AN AIR PURIFICATION, A UV LIGHT FILTER -- AND WE ARE TESTING THAT. At night, she saw passengers traveling in coach with masks down as they slept, and during the day, mask use seemed intermittent at best in communal areas. If the rate of community transmission in your region is low, chances are that taking the occasional taxi or ride-share car is not a huge riskprovided you wear a mask and keep the windows open as much as possible. Some Maine schools, like in Gorham, have used federal relief bill money to install upgrade their ventilation systems. So far on the journey, Id soaked in the wooded landscape of the Pacific Northwest, gluing myself to the window as we snaked through trees already painted with golden yellows, bright oranges, and fiery reds. But later reviews of the evidence suggest mass transit systems have not been major drivers of viral spread. Amtrak typically makes track announcements between 10 and 15 minutes before departure, and I wanted to get a good seat. Airline seating is much more confined than the seating on Amtrak cars, Silverman said. The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Linda and her boisterous charm bid me adieu, promising to return to show me around my new digs after she was able to meet, greet, and guide her other sleeping car passengers to their rooms. Experts worry safe ventilation overlooked as coronavirus capacity limits, mask mandates lift, WMTW NEWS 8'S STEVE BOTTARI REPORTS THERE'S ANOTHER PIECE OF THE SAFETY PUZZLE: VENTILATION. He has also been recommending face shields to patients. SHARON, Vt. (AP) The driver of a tractor-trailer that was hit by an Amtrak train on Monday has been . Sometimes, doing all this extra work makes me feel paranoid, and I almost didnt do it this time. That, this summer -- and even heading into colder months -- may be the key, according to Dr. Arnot: "Fundamentally you've got to have clean outdoor air, indoors and where could you possibly have better air than the state of Maine.". For the most part, it seemed the protocols were being adhered to, but when staff seemed more lax about sanitizing and enforcing mask policy, passengers used that opportunity to be less safe themselves.. At the same time, the rail service announced that it would begin strictly monitoring where passengers sit and how many board each car. Some bus companies have installed clear partitions between drivers and passengers. In theory, at least, traveling by train seems like a good compromise between taking a long car trip (with or without a portable potty) or getting on a disconcertingly crowded airplane. Yet, Amtrak mandated masks for all passengers and employees beginning last spring. SO THERE IS A LOT OF EXCHANGE 09:34 AND THAT HAS REALLY BEEN SOMETHING I THINK THAT HAS GIVEN PEOPLE A SENSE OF COMFORT 09:39 ("METROBUSAIRPURIFICATION) METRO IS TESTING OUT HIGH- TECH PURIFICATION SYSTEMS ON BOARD THEIR NEW BUSES. Our customers trust Amtraks commitment to safety and are responding positively to the investments and improvements we are making, said Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn. They even had a decent selection of vegetarian and gluten-free options. Those numbers suggest there could be another travel bump in the next few weeks around Christmas. Discover world-changing science. Wundermans advice for travelers considering taking trains this holiday season is to book a roomette or fly instead. During the COVID-19 pandemic, local train travel dipped from 8,000 passengers a day to 200. Im Linda, and Ill be your cabin attendant taking care of you all the way to Los Angeles. Lindas cheerful spirit was contagious, giving me the first real feeling of excitement and adventure since my last trip, a food-filled exploration of Houston back in late February. Yes, its lonely and solitary, but unfortunately during the coronavirus, thats perfect.. The APTA report notes that on most systems subway cars and buses, new air replaces stale air almost 18 times an hour. It sits in the air and moves over time and space," said Dr. Bob Arnot, a longtime medical journalist and infectious disease expert who treated Ebola patients in Africa in the early 2000s. When I finally made it to the dining room the next day, after official breakfast hours were over, Sandy and Linda greeted me. I grabbed a cup of freshly brewed coffee, and put in my order for lunch. Among . App users will also receive boarding gate and track information at select stations so they can head directly to their train. And, for a moment, everything felt normal again. Create your free account or Sign in to continue. Helmet ventilation has been in use for 2 decades in certain countries, especially Italy; and its use has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. You dont want to get sick just because someone was unwilling to choose a different seat. Or, get someone sick if you're a carrier. Most passengers were respectful of the rules, though there was the occasional person who used this rule as a way to get around wearing a mask for an extended period of time in other sections, like the observation car. So Flynn also asked Congress to give Amtrak the right to sue freight rail operations in federal court, so we can ensure our customers are not unnecessarily delayed by freight trains, and arrive on time.. COVID-19 Innovative Adaptations As COVID-19 has greatly impacted the transportation industry, Amtrak has had to make some innovative adaptations. To maximize space between passengers and manage flow, Amtrak is encouraging customers to arrive 30 minutes before departure (60 minutes if they need ticketing or baggage assistance). Unfortunately, roaming around the train is a bad idea right nowand for the foreseeable future. Nationwide, Amtrak was on time only 60% to 70% of the time in many states in 2019. In Michigan, a clear example is a batch of recently upgraded locomotives and soon-to-arrive, new passenger cars. 3hr 15min late into Wilmington (WIL) due to earlier police activity and rail congestion. The airport, for example, is usually an extremely busy place with people coming and going from all over, and passengers typically spend a long time cooped up together waiting for their plane. Finally, experts suggest that limiting the length of a ride can also be helpful: 15 minutes on a subway is safer than a multihour train trip. We reached my room and I was immediately impressed. Explore our digital archive back to 1845, including articles by more than 150 Nobel Prize winners. 8 Supporting data . With flying, COVID risk really comes down to how closely one sits to other people and for how long, whether or not everyone is wearing a mask, and how infectious any passengers are at the time. It found no correlation between mass transit use and transmission of the virus. A representative is available by phone 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to provide information regarding railroad operating matters. light filter, and we are testing that," said Denise Beck, Marketing and Community Outreach Manager for Greater Portland METRO.METRO has partnered with the University of Southern Maine to carry out the tests on those devices. This time, I was in one of the private bedrooms located on the second floor of the trains two-bedroom sleeper cars. In fact, we have a full-time medical director and public health and safety team who have been on the frontlines throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. But many planes have excellent high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters that capture more than 99 percent of particles in the air, including microbes as SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID. PEOPLE MOVE AROUND. 00:27 THESE ARE OUR MOST SOPHISTICATED INTERIOR SYSTEMS, AND THERE DESIGNED TO CYCLE AIR ON AVERAGE 44 TIMES AN HOUR 00:3 AMTRAK EVEN PUT OUT THIS VIDEO -- HIGHLIGHTING THEIR SYSTEM -- SOMETHING THE DOWNEASTER SAYS HAS BEEN HELPFUL FOR RIDERS. YOU CAN FI, With mask mandates and capacity limits lifting in Maine on May 24, some experts are warning we need to take a closer look at something they feel has been overlooked in this pandemic: the quality of the air we are sharing inside. At first, the feeling was confusing and almost unrecognizable, but then it hit me: For the first time in seven months, I wasnt just going somewhere I was traveling. COVID-19 risk calculator: The safest and most dangerous things to do this holiday season; Updated number of COVID-19 deaths, cases in Bay Area; COVID-19 Help: Comprehensive list of resources . Passport wait times are up again. Amtrak will restore traditional dining car service on six western routes and the Auto Train on June 23. 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