As New York’s economy grinds to a halt amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has ordered all nonessential businesses to shutter and for residents across the state to stay home as much as possible to curb the spread of COVID-19.
“We need everyone to be safe, or no one can be safe,” Cuomo said during a recent press conference announcing the new regulations. “This is not life as usual. Accept it, realize it, and deal with it.”
Throughout March, Dr. Oxiris Barbot, New York City’s health commissioner, has cautioned those feeling ill—and even those who are not—from leaving their homes. “We want to reduce the number of New Yorkers who are at risk for bad health outcomes,” she said at a recent press conference. “So it’s incumbent on all of us to play our part and stay home.”
And the reasons to set foot outside have grown increasingly slim even prior to Cuomo’s mandate; city and state officials had previously restricted all eateries to take out and delivery, shuttered entertainment venues, and closed the public school system.
But if you absolutely have to leave your home—whether to stock up on groceries or get to and from an essential job—you may be wondering how can you get around safely during this time. Dr. Robyn Gershon, a professor of epidemiology at New York University’s School of Global Public Health, recommends walking above all else. But since that likely isn’t practical if you’re going beyond your neighborhood, biking is a close second, especially if you’re using your own bike.
“If you have to travel, the outdoors is a way to really dilute anything that could be around you,” says Gershon. “The sunlight is also really good because it’s a natural disinfectant.”
In early March, de Blasio encouraged commuters to “bike or walk” to reduce the spread of COVID-19 if they had to travel, and New Yorkers listened: According to the city’s Department of Transportation, bike traffic over its bridges spiked this month compared to the same time last year.
Citi Bike also saw demand surge 67 percent in early March. Those blue bikes are being kept clean by staffers who are disinfecting “high-contact surfaces,” according to the Lyft-owned company. Gershon recommends going a step further by cleaning the handlebars and seat with a bleach wipe before taking a ride.
If you’re new to a cycling commute, you’ll want to brush up on your biking basics. Transportation Alternatives spokesperson Joe Cutrufo recommends packing a change of clothes for those who have to bike more than a few miles. For a less sweaty ride, consider panniers attached to the bike’s rear rack instead of a backpack, and don’t forget a helmet. It’s also key to plan your route in advance (using the city’s map of bike lanes).
“The city’s network of protected bike lanes doesn’t reach every neighborhood, so seek out streets that have less traffic and lower speeds,” says Cutrufo.
Much must be done to expand and improve safe cycling infrastructure across the boroughs, but as the city grapples with a pandemic, there are immediate steps officials could take to make biking to work a possibility for more New Yorkers, according to Trans Alt. The organization recommends the city add pop-up bike lanes (like those deployed during the UN General Assembly last September), reconfigure key East River crossings for smoother traffic flow, fast-track construction of sidewalk and on-street bike parking, and expedite Citi Bike’s expansion to underserved neighborhoods.
DOT spokesperson Brian Zumhagen says the agency will “use cones or movable barriers” to create temporary bike paths with space from traffic lanes, and may designate new parking for bikes on sidewalks and in pedestrian plazas. DOT is also working with Citi Bike to add more docks in parts of Manhattan. On March 20, de Blasio announced that the city is rolling out new, temporary bike lanes on Second Avenue in Manhattan between 34th and 42nd streets and on parts of Smith Street in Brooklyn that don’t already have bike lanes.
“We’ll be looking for other areas all over the city that need them,” de Blasio told reporters at a recent press conference announcing the lanes. “Certainly want to encourage people to use bikes as much as they can at this moment.”
Biking, of course, isn’t an option for everyone. Those with limited mobility or who simply have to travel a vast distance may have little choice but to stick to public transit. And interim New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg insists the MTA plans on keeping trains and buses running, even if service on certain lines is reduced.
“Right now, we’re staying open for those who need us—and for those whom we all need,” Feinberg said in a statement. “That includes our medical professionals, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, child care workers, food service employees, and everyone else we need to keep New York safe and healthy. We continue to run trains and the buses so that these folks can get where they need to be.”
Starting March 23, the MTA has implementing rear door board on all of its local bus routes to keep drivers and riders a safe distance apart. Bus ridership has nosedived 50 percent during the city’s COVID-19 crisis, and it’s far from alone with subway ridership plunging some 66 percent compared to the year prior, data shows. The Staten Island Ferry and NYC Ferry have also suffered major traffic hits. Weekday service for both city-run ferry systems is being reduced from four to three vessels from rush hour. For both ferry services, those changes took effect March 22.
MTA workers are disinfecting subway cars, commuter rail, and buses daily; surfaces that customers frequently touch are being disinfected at least twice a day, says Feinberg. Still, Gershon suggests arming yourself with gloves (one-time use, rubber, winter—whatever you have available) while navigating the subway. Try to avoid touching surfaces, use your clothed arm to push into the turnstile, and hold subway poles with the crook of your arm. Though with ridership down, straphangers may not have a problem finding a seat.
Gershon has found herself relying on bleach wipes during her travels for subway poles and railings. The moment you’re out of the subway she recommends that you use hand sanitizer (here’s how to make your own), discard any reusable gloves or wipes you used while traveling, and disinfect your phone, bag straps, and anything else you touched.
“This is certainly going to take down the viral load,” says Gershon. “It may not get it to zero but it’s taking it down, and that’s good enough for me right now.”
The same logic applies to trips made in taxis or in ride-hailing vehicles, where previous riders have likely handled seatbelts and door handles. But Gershon points to a 50-year-old lawyer in New Rochelle who infected his neighbor after a short car trip to the hospital, noting “a close, confined rebreathing of the same air within six feet of each other may not be the best thing right now.”
Gershon ultimately warns that you should stay home unless you have an essential job, but if you take the necessary precautions, biking and public transit can safely move you through New York City.
“We have to self-police and be generous to protect each other,” says Gershon. “The more of us that can stay away, the better it will be for the people who absolutely have to go in.”
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