Covid-19 Fears Spur More Cars on Roads, Threatening Air Quality

Officials across the nation are worried that as the coronavirus pandemic persists, commuters will avoid taking buses and trains, and opt for their cars, potentially leading to dangerous new levels of air pollution.

More cars on the roads in congested urban centers like New York City—the virus epicenter in the spring—Washington, San Francisco, and Philadelphia means more emissions of smog-forming pollutants and poorer air quality. That could cause some cities to miss federal standards for ground-level ozone, which in turn could mean losing federal highway dollars at a time of already declining local revenues.

“If a significant number of people ...