Getting Back on the Bus and Back to Work

This briefing by RMI examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public transit, arguing that the crisis provides a unique opportunity to modernize transit systems through data-driven redesign, the prioritization of bus lanes over single-occupancy vehicles, and the continued pursuit of bus electrification to improve health and climate outcomes.

• The pandemic caused a severe decline in public transit revenue and ridership, while automobile traffic increased, risking a return to higher congestion and pollution. Public transit remains strategic for lowering emissions and moving people, as cities cannot accommodate the additional 10 billion annual trips currently handled by transit.
• Transit agencies demonstrated adaptability during the crisis by adjusting service for essential workers and implementing safety measures such as contactless payments, rear door entry, and increased cleaning. This has provided agencies with a clearer understanding of essential coverage areas tied to employment, creating an opportunity to integrate transit routes with essential employee mobility needs.
• To 'build back better,' transit agencies should move away from rigid timetable constructs toward a data-rooted multimodal model. This involves using AI, state-of-the-art data science, and anonymized movement data from mobility-as-a-service providers and micro-mobility vendors to redesign systems based on 'trips served' rather than just ridership.
• Decarbonizing transportation requires upending the hierarchy that prioritizes single-occupancy vehicles (SOVs). While electrification is important, the document argues that operational efficiency—specifically dedicated bus priority lanes—should be prioritized to decrease travel times and increase ridership.
• The document emphasizes that long-term strategic initiatives, including bus electrification, must continue because clean mobility addresses interconnected climate, health, and equity goals, particularly regarding air quality and health equality.

APA

RMI (2020). Getting Back on the Bus and Back to Work. https://rmi.org/resources/getting-back-on-the-bus-and-back-to-work/

Chicago

RMI. Getting Back on the Bus and Back to Work. 2020. https://rmi.org/resources/getting-back-on-the-bus-and-back-to-work/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Getting Back on the Bus and Back to Work |date=19 May 2020 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/getting-back-on-the-bus-and-back-to-work/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2020getting, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Getting Back on the Bus and Back to Work}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/getting-back-on-the-bus-and-back-to-work/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }