The public transport system is the heart of NYC, and keeping it running is crucial even during emergencies. NYC was one of the hardest hit cities in the United States during the pandemic, which posed great challenges to the transit system and the workers as the transit system was expected to operate as usual. The NYC subway workers were greatly impacted by the pandemic.
The Transit Worker Study focuses on the experiences of the workers during the pandemic. By hearing and analyzing the workers’ experience during the pandemic, the study will develop recommendations that can help make practical improvements to MTA’s preparedness and response disaster plans and, ultimately, provide better health and safety protections to the workforce.
The Transit Worker Study aims to (1) determine impacts of existing multi-level mitigation strategies on pandemic-related outcomes (i.e., health/mental health, interpersonal relationships, psychosocial factors, health behaviors, pandemic self-efficacy, and especially, resilience); (2) develop and assess a worker-driven model of crisis management to facilitate worker resilience in this community of essential workers; (3) develop and disseminate transit-related policy and practice strategies with the support of study stakeholders and Advisory Boards.
The expected public health-related project outcome is information on risk reduction interventions that will have applicability for NYC transit workers, other U.S. public transit systems, and other non-healthcare essential workers. These efforts will lead to the development of novel strategies to enhance the effectiveness of worksite and community interventions, as well as evaluations of the strategies for feasibility, acceptability and estimates of effectiveness.