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Montgomery County Department of Transportation Will Require Ride On Bus Passengers to Wear Face Coverings Starting Thursday, April 16

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Passengers on Montgomery County Ride On buses will be required to wear face coverings to board the bus, a measure the County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) will make effective starting Thursday, April 16. MCDOT previously encouraged riders to wear face coverings, but that will now become mandatory. Customers who do not comply will be advised of the requirement to wear a face covering and may be directed not to board the vehicle or to exit the vehicle. 

The directive follows guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Federal Transit Administration. A face covering can be a homemade cloth mask, a scarf, bandana or other means of snugly covering over the mouth and nose. The steps are being taken to help riders performing essential travel protect each other and bus operators during the COVID-19 health crisis. All Ride On bus operators were provided with County-issued face coverings earlier this week.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan today stated his support for these safety measures. He expanded his executive order of safety measures to address the COVID-19 health crisis to include the required wearing of face coverings for users of public transportation and those entering retail stores. His order on those measure becomes effective at 7 a.m. on Saturday, April 18. MCDOT, however, is making the face covering requirement effective April 16. 

Tips for making homemade coverings and safe usage can be found at the CDC website. It is important to note that face coverings are not a substitute for social distancing. MCDOT encourages residents to refrain from all travel unless trips are for essential purposes.

For the most up-to-date local transportation information, follow @RideOnMCT and @MCDOTNow on Twitter, visit MCDOT’s transportation resource page for COVID-19, or subscribe to MCDOT news releases.

For the latest COVID-19 updates, visit the County’s COVID-19 website and follow Montgomery County on Facebook @MontgomeryCountyInfo and Twitter @MontgomeryCoMD


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Release ID: 20-196
Media Contact: Hannah Henn 240-777-8389