While it’s clear that COVID-19 has changed life as we know it, it’s unclear just how much it’s impacting certain demographics, such as individuals with disabilities. Initial research reveals that the pandemic has increased psychological distress across the board. Physical distancing and economical impacts have their own consequences, but marginalized populations such as individuals with disabilities have even less access to supportive networks and resources.

Public transportation etiquette has always been important, but since the onset of the coronavirus, public transportation etiquette has transitioned from simple politeness to a practice in safety. These days, polite society means wearing a mask and using lots of hand sanitizer. So what does that mean for public transportation, especially as more places go back to work in the office?

Pedestrian fatalities have been on the rise since 2008, in fact, between 2007 and 2017, pedestrian fatalities increased by 35%, and more than a third of those fatalities occurred on local streets—not highways or state roads. And 2018 was projected to have the most deaths since 1990.

This fact is sobering, and it doesn’t have to be that way.