Denver International Airport Won't Limit Crowds On Trains Between Concourses
DENVER (CBS4) - With COVID-19 cases rising nationally, and in Colorado, traveling can be risky -- but the virus won't stop everyone from flying. It is, however, raising questions about crowds in parts of Denver's airport.
"We're living life. We were ready. If you're going to catch it, you're going to catch it," say Akyah, Raneka, Shykelia and Brittney -- four friends who are flying through Denver on their way to Las Vegas.
Lots of people in crowded areas can lead to easier transmission, and, at Denver International Airport, there was no shortage of people, especially on the trains.
"Yes that was really crowded. It was way more people," say the women.
While other forms of public transportation have capacity limits, this one doesn't because metering people could cause an even greater problem.
"The problem is that if we limit the capacity on the train car itself, then we back up people onto the platform and potentially back to the TSA lines," Emily Williams a Spokesperson for DIA explains. "So we are really just moving the problem."
Instead, the airport says it's running more trains and launched the free "Verifly" program, which allows people to make a reservation for a dedicated TSA lane and a limited capacity train car. Through the system, they can limit the number of people who will be utilizing the train car at a specific time.
"We allow twelve people on the car at a time," Williams said.
While the best advice for staying healthy is to stay home as much as you can, if you have to fly, try to keep your space, because DIA is a busy airport with lots of people traveling through. Like the four friends from North Carolina on their way for a girls' weekend in Vegas.
"North Carolina's airport was empty but when we came here there was way more people," says Akyah.
If you are flying and you want to shorten your train ride or eliminate it, you can always take the "A" bridge. That leads you directly to the "A" concourse without a ride.
