A designer created a new concept for Milan's trams that seats separated by plexiglass and tells passengers which section to get in to social distance

Passarella tram design.Arturo Tedeschi

• Design Arturo Tedeschi created a concept for public transportation with social distancing.
• The Passarella design is specifically for trams in Milan, but the ideas could work on subways and busses around the world.
• Seats are separated by plexiglass, and markings at stops indicate where passengers should stand.

Italian architect Arturo Tedeschi designed a coronavirus-friendly version of public transportation for his home city of Milan. Milan was one of the hardest-hit cities in Italy by the coronavirus pandemic, and COVID-19 has changed people's habits, including how they think about and use public transportation.

Public transportation has been cited as one of the vectors of coronavirus spread. The virus can reportedly survive on bus and subway surfaces for up to 72 hours. The CDC has recommended that Americans choose cars over public transportation when possible to avoid close contact with others. In response, subway cars and buses have been cleaned more frequently, and stop-gap measures like covering every other seat or stickers advising people to stay six feet apart have become the norm. Tedeschi's design adapts Milan's trams to the coronavirus age in a way that's conscious of aesthetics and design principles.

Here's what it looks like.