San Francisco transit agencies unveil 'healthy transit' plan

Six San Francisco Bay Area transit operators, including rail agencies, last week issued standards for keeping transit safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The “Riding Together: Bay Area Healthy Transit Plan” outlines actions such as frequent cleaning, personal protective equipment, face coverings, social distancing, ventilation and touchless fares.

The plan was created as part of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Blue Ribbon Transit Recovery Task Force. 

Six leaders of transit agencies spoke on different aspects of the plan at a news conference last week. The leaders included Bay Area Rapid Transit General Manage Bob Powers, Caltrain Executive Director Jim Hartnett, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Nuria Fernandez and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's Director of Transportation Jeffrey Tumlin. 

During the news conference, the different agencies demonstrated various cleaning procedures and other key elements to the transit plan.