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57 Conclusions DOTs and transit agencies have learned, responded, and innovated throughout the COVIDÂ19 pandemic. One emergency manager likened the experience to âinÂflight missile repair,â103 another to âan intense training exercise, with one improbable inject after anotherâ only this exercise doesnât stopâit keeps going on and on and on.â104 ⢠A pandemic, by definition, is a novel, global event. Expect the unexpected. Pandemic expectations and reality often differ. Flexibility is critical. Remember that viruses mutate, and situations can change rapidly, just as hurricanes quickly change direction and wildfires skip communities because of a change in a gust. ⢠Lessons learned can come from all types of events. A cyber ransomware incident provided lessons for telework. Agency efforts with the homeless can inform social aspects of response to a pandemic. ⢠Pandemics affect people, not infrastructure, and they do not affect everyone equally. In transportation, as in many other fields, many employees can continue working remotely for extended periods of time while others in publicÂfacing jobs are exposed to risk daily. Agencies must consider social equity and environmental justice in policy responses to pandemics. ⢠A pandemic is a long-term stressor that will likely require vigilance and countermeasures for months or years to come. This is not a sprint, but a marathon, and could be an ultra marathon. Together, agencies, employees, and the public can weather a pandemic and adapt to its longerÂterm impacts by becoming stronger, more resilient, more compassionate, and more aware of human fragility and common humanity. Appendix E provides resources on emergency management and pandemic response. Silver Linings Pandemics, like other events, bring the good along with the bad. Agencies can discover silver linings as they struggle to respond and recover. Transportation agency responses to COVIDÂ19 have created some significant benefits for agencies, their employees, and the community. Following are some notable examples from the response to COVIDÂ19: For Employees ⢠A leap forward in widespread adaptation and acceptance of remote work technology. This led to increased productivity and improved workâlife balance for many employees due to reduced or eliminated commuting time. In addition, this change creates greater resilience to future events. C H A P T E R 6
58 A Pandemic Playbook for Transportation Agencies ⢠A new definition, understanding, and appreciation for essential workers. In the COVIDÂ19 pandemic, they have been defined as health workers, bus and train operators, truck drivers, postal service employees and delivery personnel, grocery store and pharmacy personnel, food processing workers, and manufacturers. Transportation is a crucial, common thread for all these essential workers. ⢠Better relationships within and outside of the organization. As the head of MST put it, âThis has forced us to not just talk about problems, but to get to know each other as people and develop a relationshipâthatâs helped out a lot.â105 For the Agency ⢠Reduced peak hour and overall traffic volumes enabled some highway construction and reconstruction projects to advance faster than scheduled because of additional available work hours. ⢠Implementation of planned equipment and technology, such as protective barriers for operators and contactless credit card payment systems, has been sped up. ⢠Community perception of transportation agencies has changed. âThey see us . . . not as a stodgy, bureaucratic entitlement program but as a solution that they need,â observed the CEO of MST.106 For the Community ⢠Reduced peak congestion has given a boost to the complete streets movement, enabling some cities and towns to reclaim traffic lanes for bicycle, pedestrian, or exclusive bus lane use. Some of these temporary adjustments may become permanent. ⢠There is a new appreciation for local suppliers of essential materials and an understanding of ways to strengthen weak links in the supply chain and of how transportation agencies can support them. Moving Forward Although the COVIDÂ19 pandemic has exposed weaknesses in the nationâs systems of response and recovery, it has also highlighted the importance of transportation as an essential service. Society has changed because of COVIDÂ19. In an age of viruses, the risk of another pandemic after COVIDÂ19 is likely. Therefore, a renewed focus on transportation resilience is essential. Pandemic resilience requires that, at a minimum, agencies ⢠Maintain a hygienic system, ⢠Promote and communicate new health and safety norms, ⢠Protect workers and the public, ⢠Mitigate passenger and traffic congestion with dynamic vehicle management and realÂtime status information, and ⢠Make space for social distancing.107 As a Jacksonville local transportation agency summarized it, âThe pandemic has given us the opportunity to pause and reflect on what we currently provide in terms of our services, and we are using it frankly as the momentum to be the transportation network of the future.â108