SANTA CRUZ COUNTY—The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District (METRO) lifted its mandatory face mask mandate for vaccinated staff and riders effective Tuesday.
The move came a day after the Transportation Security Administration advised public transport operators that they no longer need to enforce the federal face mask mandate as of Tuesday.
METRO spokeswoman Danielle Glagola says the agency strongly recommends riders continue to wear masks on METRO vehicles and at transit centers. People who are unvaccinated will still be required to wear a face mask while riding METRO vehicles and at transit centers.
“METRO continues to follow public health guidelines from official sources such as CDC, state, and local guidance whenever possible to support safe travel,” Glagola said. “That includes cleaning and disinfecting transit vehicles and requiring riders and employees to avoid public transit if they have been exposed to Covid-19 or feel ill.”
Additionally, today METRO is supporting Earth Day by offering free fares countywide on all fixed-route, ParaCruz, and Highway 17 Express services.
For information on the rescinded TSA Security Directive, visit transit.dot.gov/TransitMaskUp. For information on METRO, visit scmtd.com or to view METRO’s current schedule visit scmtd.com/en/routes/schedule.
