September 24, 2020
Over 100 Transit Agencies Across the Country Signing on to Program
ALBANY, NY (September 24, 2020) CDTA is proud to announce that it has joined the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) “Health and Safety Commitments Program,” the public transportation industry’s overarching pledge to passengers that public transit systems are taking all the necessary measures to operate safely as the nation recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The health and safety of passengers and operators is the most important priority for CDTA, said CDTA CEO Carm Basile. “Since the beginning of the pandemic, CDTA has worked tirelessly to keep riders safe from infection from the coronavirus. By signing on to the APTA Health and Safety Commitments Program CDTA and the public transit industry are actively working to instill confidence in riders that it’s committed to protecting their health and safety.”
The Program was developed after asking transit users from across the country what measures would make them feel more confident riding public transportation amid concerns about COVID-19. From this research, the industry identified four key areas that transit systems need to address to earn riders’ confidence:
- Following public health guidelines from official sources
- Cleaning and disinfecting transit vehicles frequently and requiring face coverings and other protections
- Keeping passengers informed and empowered to choose the safest times and routes to ride
- Putting health first by requiring riders and employees to avoid public transit if they have been exposed to COVID-19 or feel ill
CDTA has pledged to meet these commitments by creating specific policies that are effective for our system, our riders, and our community. A key component of the Health and Safety Commitments Program is the shared responsibility of our system and our riders to follow the guidelines. Riders rely on us to follow these commitments, and CDTA relies on riders to protect themselves and other customers.
CDTA is committed to continually addressing and implementing pillars of the Program. Current plans include:
- Stepped up cleaning and disinfecting measures on buses
- Operator compartment barriers
- Masks required on buses and social distancing
“The program is the public transportation industry’s pledge to promote sensible policies and practices designed to keep transit users and transit employees safe during the COVID-19 crisis,” said APTA President and CEO Paul P. Skoutelas. “It is a logical extension of the innovation and commitment we have been demonstrating for the past several months – and it makes the need for at least $32 billion in additional emergency funding that much more urgent and critical.”
CDTA returned to front door boarding and fare collection on August 19, 2020 after installing protective barriers in the operator compartment on all buses. CDTA had not collected fares since April 6 when rear door only boarding was implemented as part of CDTA’s pandemic plan.
Updated service information and COVID-19 response can be found at www.cdta.org and our social media channels Facebook (@ridecdta), Twitter (@cdta), Instagram (@cdta), YouTube (CDTA).
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