Work at Home Affects the Number of Traffic Accidents
Want to know where all those odd traffic accidents are coming from in Contra Costa County? The increase in hit-and-run accidents, racing in the streets, drunk and drugged driving? It might have something to do with the fact that few people are now riders on Caltrain, VTA, and BART. These once busy stations are more like ghost towns with few riders, and people are working from home, so traffic is considerably lighter.
Bay Area Train Stations Haven’t Recovered
So, what is keeping riders away? You can blame the pandemic. Although stations in the Bay Area used to be packed, it is among the slowest to recover when it comes to train transportation. Stations in the East Bay area of Pleasanton and Dublin have seen an 80 percent decrease in BART riders. The Moffett Park Station in Sunnyvale only sees around 22 passengers a day during the week, which represents a 95 percent loss. The popular Caltrain line heading into San Francisco’s downtown area has dropped from 20,000 passengers to 1,400 a day, which is a tremendous loss.
BART Commuter Trains to Pittsburg/Bay Point
Even though three more BART commuter trains were added to the Yellow Line and extended to Pittsburg/Bay Point in 2020, and the number of riders dropped, they are going all out to provide safe transportation with the hopes that passengers will begin taking the trains again. Airflow in the cars is exchanged every 70 seconds, and the filter has been upgraded to provide more protection. Face masks for riders are required through March 22 and are available for those who do not have one. BART promises that the trains are cleaner and less crowded. Time will tell whether riders take them up on the newly improved commuter lines.
BART Ridership Down as Techies Work From Home
Ridership of the BART trains has dropped by 85 percent since the beginning of the pandemic, so people aren’t driving to use them and parking lots are empty. This includes new rail lines in the South Bay area, Berryessa and Milpitas and Fremont’s Warm Springs station. This gateway for Silicon Valley is pretty much deserted. Tech workers that would have been using the systems are stuck in the area due to contracts, but many apparently would rather move to Texas and have given up commuting to work.
VTA Light Rail Suffering
The VTA light rail system, the Green Line, runs from San Jose’s downtown to Diridon Station and Campbell. However, even though it was the system least-used, their recovery rate shot up 34 percent. As in other areas, much of the decline in public transit use, especially by techies, is being blamed on remote work. This may indicate a permanent change in those who use public transit. Instead of concentrating on work commuters, shorter trips might become more viable. Buses are being suggested because they have a ridership rate of 99 percent.
As the Number of Cars on the Roads Increase, so Will Traffic Accidents
As motorists take back to the roads as well as motorcycle riders, truckers, pedestrians and bicyclists, it can be expected that the rate of traffic accidents will go up. In addition, some have taken advantage of the diminished traffic to commit hit-and-runs, drink while driving, race other vehicles and commit other dangerous traffic infractions.
It may be difficult for motorists to adjust to something approaching normal after this hiatus. When traffic accidents happen, many people suffer serious injuries resulting in high medical bills, pain and suffering and lost wages. The one thing you can do when you’re injured by a negligent driver is to contact a personal injury lawyer to help you recover the compensation you deserve.
Bay Point Personal Injury Lawyer
I am Ed Smith, a Bay Point personal injury lawyer. When your traffic accident injuries were because of a negligent driver, you may be able to place a claim to recover compensation. Contact our injury lawyers for free and friendly advice at (925) 428-5220 or (800) 404-5400. You can also reach us online.
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Photo attribution: Image by Rudy and Peter Skitterians from Pixabay
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