Transit Agencies Grapple with Policy Fog in Vaccine Rollout

This week, bus stops across New York City will display a memorial video on large screens to honor the 136 employees of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) who died due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The eight-minute film, titled "Travels Far," will loop on electronic screens at more than 100 stations through February 7.

Former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith wrote verses for the memorial: "Through stations and years, through the veins of strangers' hearts—what you gave travels far and never fades."

The MTA is just one of many transit agencies that have suffered losses during the pandemic—with sharp revenue declines, falling ridership, and the loss of colleagues and friends—while transit service has never been interrupted.

Differences in state vaccination tiers and rollout

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has listed public transit as one of 16 "critical infrastructure sectors" that should receive priority for vaccines. Based on this guidance, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that transit workers be vaccinated in Phase 1b alongside other essential industry workers.

Union leaders agree, emphasizing the critical role transit workers have played during the pandemic.

"Bus drivers and other transit workers have been essential personnel keeping society running, and we will continue in that role," said Greg Regan, secretary-treasurer of the Transportation Trades Department (TTD) of the AFL-CIO. "When considering which essential workers should be prioritized for vaccination to help us get out of this crisis, transit workers should be in Phase 1b—because they will be part of the vaccine distribution effort, ensuring everyone else can get vaccinated."

However, state vaccination plans vary widely. While many states follow CDC guidelines, others have developed their own plans or have been tight-lipped about their arrangements.

In California, Governor Gavin Newsom has faced criticism for recently shifting vaccine priority from essential workers to age-based eligibility. This decision prompted the California Transit Association (CTA) to send a letter to Newsom urging him to reconsider.

"Our frontline employees cannot work from home, and they come into direct contact every day with people who are prioritized under the state's new plan," CTA Executive Director Michael Pimentel wrote in the letter. "The services provided by transit agencies closely align with those provided by the few sectors that still retain industry priority under the new plan."

Meanwhile, states such as Massachusetts and Nevada are taking additional steps to expand vaccine access for the industry, including ride-hailing drivers alongside transit workers in their rollout.

Workforce management and employee education

Experts warn that once transit workers gain access to vaccines, new challenges in ensuring continuity of transit service may emerge. Mindy Honcoop, chief people officer at Time Clock Plus (TCP), a workforce management software company, says supervisors need to balance employee health needs with passenger service demands, emphasizing the importance of leveraging existing tools.

"With time and attendance management tools, supervisors can approve employees to go get vaccinated because they have backup personnel who can step in to drive buses," Honcoop said. "Because after the second dose, some people may experience side effects and need two or three days to recover. Supervisors can approve leave accordingly while ensuring someone can take over the vehicle."

Drivers are not the only ones who need vaccines. Michael Urban, senior lecturer in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of New Haven's School of Health Sciences, notes that transit agencies should consider prioritizing frontline employees over administrative staff who face lower infection risk.

"Some employees want to serve as ambassadors or work in ticket booths—before the pandemic, they were behind plexiglass partitions with decent ventilation," Urban said. "Others are in contact with large crowds wearing only a mask. I think that's the consideration that should determine who gets priority."

Guidance for vaccinating paratransit drivers is more ambiguous. These drivers transport people with disabilities and older adults, and they are often private contractors working on behalf of transit agencies rather than direct employees. While transit agencies can mandate vaccines for direct employees, imposing the same requirement on contractors is more challenging.

"Paratransit drivers, beyond being transportation workers, come into contact with many different levels—they deal with people who have medical needs," said Guy James, international representative for the International Union of Journeymen and Allied Trades (IUJAT), which represents paratransit drivers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. "They're not caregivers directly handling medical issues, but they're in contact with people who have medical issues, people who need to get to various social programs, while also operating a vehicle."

The role of unions

Elected officials say organized labor can be a key force in promoting vaccine outreach and education among workers.

At a January 5 press conference, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) called on public safety departments and transit systems to "build their own vaccination systems" and use union resources to ease pressure on the public health system.

"They have their own employees who can administer vaccines," Cuomo said. "If essential industry workers can use their own staff or healthcare providers to get vaccinated, it will relieve the burden on the retail vaccination system and also reduce pressure on the hospital system."

The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) has urged governors in letters to prioritize transit workers for vaccines and has offered to assist local governments with vaccination efforts—especially given that many frontline workers still rely on public transit to get around.

"We sent that letter to discuss how the transit industry can play a significant role in accelerating vaccinations, and to remind them: don't forget we're here and can be mobilized," said John Costa, international president of ATU. "Frankly, we carry essential workers to their jobs every day. If we're affected, then those who depend on them for food, medicine, and healthcare services will also be impacted."

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"Unions know their members better than anyone."

Greg Regan

Secretary-Treasurer, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO

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Regan of TTD says the most important role for transit unions is educating members on the necessity of vaccination, scheduling second-dose appointments, and ensuring that misinformation about vaccine safety is clarified.

"Unions know their members better than anyone," he said. "I think all parties should consult unions; unions should play a role in protecting their members and helping the country get out of this crisis."

John Samuelsen, president of the Transport Workers Union (TWU), says the union has already helped some New York City workers get to vaccination sites, and similar efforts are underway elsewhere—provided vaccine supply remains steady.

"The bigger issue is state and local logistics, vaccine shortages, or both," Samuelsen said. "It's not that workers don't want to get vaccinated. Anyone who says that is just using it as an excuse to cover up their own incompetence."

The future of transit

The distribution of COVID-19 vaccines is not only critical to the recovery of the transit workforce, but also to the rebound of ridership—as agencies work to prove the safety of trains and buses.

"Regaining public trust in public transit is part of the solution," said Arno Kerkhof, head of the bus division at the International Association of Public Transport (UITP), during a recent Optibus webinar. "Local transport networks should strengthen communication and transparency with passengers. All the efforts to disinfect buses and ensure safety—making that invisible process visible—will help win back passenger trust."

Beyond vaccinations, increasing personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing capacity can also help restore passenger confidence. A UK company has begun expanding distribution of PPE and testing supplies through contactless vending machines. Stop the Spread Solutions says its vision is to deploy these machines at airports, transit stations, and other locations, making PPE as convenient to purchase while traveling as phone chargers and other essentials.

"I think we can learn from Eastern European and East Asian countries—where people wear PPE when they show any symptoms of illness," said Henry Farrelly, managing director of the company. "This helps prevent the spread of the common cold... Having PPE readily available in vending machines in public places will certainly help people get protective gear promptly when they feel symptoms."

But others warn that if public transit is to truly thrive after the pandemic, more fundamental changes are needed. Samuelsen says more direct tax investment is needed to help agencies restore sound financial health. He notes that agencies required multiple rounds of federal relief when revenues plummeted last year, and he calls on leaders to rethink agency revenue sources to reduce dependence on fare revenue.

"When a caregiver comes to your home, you don't hand over $20 before they start treating your loved one," Samuelsen said. "That cost is built into the tax base because society recognizes it as a necessary public service. Public transit must be recognized as one of society's most critical public services and gradually move away from over-reliance on fare revenue. If we don't do this, we'll repeat the same mistakes."