Todd Newland is a CENTRO bus driver. The number of people riding his CENTRO routes is down almost 50 percent.

Todd says as people board a bus bound for Western Lights, “Since COVID, it’s been slow for business. The buses use to be packed. Not no more.”

But that doesn’t change Todd’s happy disposition while he’s working. Even with all the extra cleaning protocols and safety measures.
Todd shows all the supplies he carries from CENTRO on his bus now to help protect him and passengers from COVID-19.

"I carry extra masks, in case they don’t have any masks on them, so we have masks to give to the customers. Here’s my wipes. If I get out of my seat, I take one of them wipe down all of my steering wheel, the seat, and everything I touch. For the next driver not having to worry about touching anything I touched. I use sanitizer a lot," said Todd.

A large sheet of clear plastic is also new separating Todd from his passengers.

Despite all of this, Todd loves his job.

"It’s fun, you know?" he said. "It's got bad days and good days. But most of the time, it’s all good."

But there is one change in the pandemic that does make Todd uneasy, like a lot of Americans.

“I'm nervous about my job, because what happens if [the] business doesn’t pick up?" said Todd. "How can CENTRO keep going? It worries my family and I because, you know, it’s a terrible feeling to have.”

Todd's gaze goes to the back of his bus, where there is only one passenger on board.

Pre-pandemic, at least 20 people would have been in these seats. Todd hopes business picks up soon, and the 100 buses that leave the CENTRO hub every day get to take people where they need to go.

Where are most people heading?

"They’re going home, or they are going to Wegmans or Price Chopper, or they go to get something to eat at McDonald’s," Todd said.