Abstract
Wildfires pose threats to health due to exposure to wildfire smoke and other toxic debris. Those who rely on public transit are potentially more exposed to these threats, yet little is known about how transit riders navigate this increased exposure amid evacuation and displacement. In this study the research team examines the exposures of transit riders during a fast-moving wildfire emergency, the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. The team conducted a mixed methods study of transit riders, drawing from a survey and semi-structured interviews of riders sampled from Transit, a widely used real-time bus tracking app for transit riders. Preliminary findings show that during the wildfire, many transit riders relied on informal rides, public transit, or walking to evacuate, leading to longer evacuation times and heightened exposure to smoke. Survey-linked air quality data revealed that nearly half of Black and Latino respondents experienced “unhealthy” PM2.5 concentrations at their homes on peak smoke days, a burden echoed in widespread reports of respiratory and mental health impacts. Riders adopted protective strategies such as wearing masks and avoiding transit when possible, but those without cars faced limited options. These results underscore the need for transportation planners and emergency managers to design evacuation and communication strategies that explicitly support transit-reliant and car-less households.
