Muni’s COVID-19 Distancing Requirement to End on June 15

Muni’s COVID-19 Distancing Requirement to End on June 15
By Kristen Holland

San Francisco’s Health Officer has confirmed that the SFMTA may eliminate the requirement that customers maintain 3-feet of physical distance from others on Muni beginning June 15 to coincide with the broader statewide reopening campaign. The requirement to wear masks still applies while waiting for, paying for, and riding on Muni, and customers must maintain a six-foot distance from operators.

Thanks to the Department of Public Health’s (DPH) leadership, our community has extremely high citywide vaccination rates and the lowest case rates since the beginning of the pandemic. This means that more riders will be permitted onboard each vehicle, which will reduce pass ups and allow us to restore additional service later this summer.

For the past year, physical distancing regulations and other pandemic constraints required us to consolidate Muni service to a reduced number of routes, ensuring sufficient capacity for essential trip-takers. With these regulations relaxing, more Muni coverage is on the way, but your trip might look a bit different, with some new lines and temporary reroutes. These changes allow us to continue to safely provide more transit to more people.

Eliminating distancing requirements will allow us to implement additional Muni service coverage planned for August, which is contingent on increasing passenger capacity per vehicle. Muni will no longer need as many buses on certain routes to compensate for the reduced capacity. With each vehicle able to carry more riders, extra vehicles can be reallocated to other routes and areas not previously served.

Critically, we want to remind all customers that regardless of vaccination status, masks and staying six feet away from operators will still be required on-board to comply with FTA and OSHA mandates.

Public health and safety remain our top priorities as Muni service expands. We are working with our transit operators to detail health and safety protocols and with DPH to implement science-based practices that protect staff and the public during the pandemic.  

 

Published June 02, 2021 at 08:52AM
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