ncy Data: wd Pleaser Sharing crowding levels on transit vehicles empowers riders to make informed decisions about their trips now and will continue to add value to the rider experience beyond the pandemic. By Mischa Wanek-Libman, executive editor T HE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS CHANGED HOW PEOple approach many situations, but none so drastically as how they contend with and avoid crowds. Proximity to others can be viewed as unsafe in the current climate. The traditional rush hour crowding found on transit has shifted out of the realm of slight annoyance and minor inconvenience and into one that is a personal health and safety concern. While several global studies have found no correlation between transit use and COVID-19 transmission, more effort will be needed to change perceptions and boost rider confidence and trust. One way agencies have been changing perceptions is by providing information on crowding levels of transit vehicles. This information can be crowdsourced from fellow riders, based on historical data or provided in real time. Transit surveyed 6,000 of its app users in June 2020 on transit crowding in five North American cities and found their threshold for crowding to be lower during the pandemic. Prior to COVID-19, the survey found more than 60 percent of riders would board a transit vehicle "even if riders were packed like sardines." Now, the survey found more riders prefer to sit alone. SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020 | MassTransitmag.com | Mass Transit | 19http://www.MassTransitmag.com