> And what's the alternative, assuming N people still need to make trips to a particular location?

Public transport? Works really well in a lot of cities.

I was a big public transit user. Since covid, lockdowns and a lack of seasonal flus and cold I'm starting to wonder how healthy it is to cram as many people as possible together in a hot closed environment.

We have learned a lot. I hope that means transit upgrades to better ventilation which in turn mitigates those issues.

That and also, many public-transit-heavy countries in Asia have fared quite well since people believe in science (masks, etc.)