by Thea Marie Rood
Masks or face coverings are now required by Sacramento Regional Transit District, which launched a public information campaign late last month to inform its riders.
“Wearing is Caring” is designed to remind people that wearing a mask protects those around you if you have COVID and don’t yet know it, and has been determined to be one of the most effective ways to slow the spread of the virus.
Since June 29, passengers must wear masks or face coverings while they are waiting at bus stops and light rail stations and while they are riding. Free masks are available at the Customer Service and Sales Center, key transit centers and stations, and on trains and buses upon boarding.
SacRT also requires all its employees, including bus and train operators, to wear masks and other personal protective gear at work and to have their temperatures checked before starting every shift.
This is all part of SacRT’s efforts to continue providing safe public transportation for riders who need to work, shop or care for family members, while also protecting its frontline staff.
Mandatory mask-wearing also goes along with the public health order recently issued by Gov. Gavin Newsom, which carries the force of law and requires all Californians to wear face coverings in public places, at work and outdoors when it’s impossible to stay 6 feet apart. “Simply put, we are seeing too many people with faces uncovered—putting at risk the real progress we have made in fighting the disease,” the governor said when the order went into effect.
The public health order doesn’t require children under the age of 2 or people with a medical, mental health or developmental disability to wear a mask, and SacRT also exempts those riders.
In addition to masks, SacRT created 6-foot social distancing markings at stops and stations and blocked off certain seats to maintain more distance between passengers on buses and light rail trains. SacRT also frequently cleans and sanitizes vehicles and facilities, installed plexiglass barriers by the driver’s seat to reduce risks when paying, and offers contact-less paying options (such as ZipPass, the free mobile fare app).
To read more about precautions being taken by SacRT, visit sacrt.com/covid19. To download ZipPass, visit the App Store for iPhones or Google Play for Androids.
