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1/7/2021
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) last month partnered with researchers from Drexel University in Philadelphia to enhance efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on public transportation.
The partnership will focus on understanding the role of masks, ventilation, air treatment and surface cleaning in preventing transmission of the virus; developing strategies that SEPTA can deploy in the near future; and guiding the agency in communicating these new safety protocols, SEPTA officials said in a press release.
The agency and institute are pursuing a federal grant for research into risk assessment, mitigation and communication strategies that will help keep riders safe and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic, they said.
Since the onset of the pandemic, Drexel research teams have educated the public about COVID-19, studied its transmission and developed techniques to prevent its spread. The SEPTA partnership allows the agency to tap into that knowledge as it continues to adjust operations, SEPTA officials said.
"Studies during the pandemic have shown that public transportation is safe, and there have been no direct links between riding SEPTA and contracting the coronavirus," SEPTA General Manager Leslie Richards said. "By partnering with Drexel, SEPTA will be positioned to continue to adapt and add measures to improve the safety of customers and employees."
Researchers will evaluate and report on the effectiveness of SEPTA’s current safety measures, such as mask requirements, social distancing and enhanced cleaning.