When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, city governments and transit agencies were on the front lines: around the world, they responded to the direct threat and constantly evolving challenges posed by the global public health crisis. Whether rapidly building transit priority lanes to keep essential workers moving or temporarily widening sidewalks to promote social distancing, city transportation staff quickly developed policies and projects to promote public health and livelihoods during this emergency.

The COVID-19 Transportation Response Center was a clearinghouse of resources that supported city and transit agency staff as they responded to immediate needs brought on by the pandemic. Through this resource, NACTO:

• Documented city actions using trackers, network calls, webinars, and audio briefings, so practitioners could see what their peers were doing
• Provided a cities-only listserv for immediate and candid conversations between cities about pandemic response
• Organized cities-only calls and webinars to facilitate fast-changing best practice sharing during the emergency 
• Created toolboxes as rough manuals capturing on-the-ground trends
• Produced Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery, a  resource documenting emerging practice in rapidly implemented street projects 
• Administered the Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery Grant Program to help member transportation agencies partner and their community partners to implement changes to streets to meet the needs of populations disproportionately harmed by COVID-19. <Link to1.5.4 Streets for Pandemic Recovery and Response Grant Program  (Archived)>

In the first six months of the pandemic in North America, when cities most needed guidance, more than 100,000 people visited and used these resources. The resource reached people from cities across the United States, Canada, and over 100 other countries.