Local transit agencies are wiping down their buses and trains with disinfectants, and looking to reassure riders anxious about coronavirus.
But there have not been any signs so far that riders are fleeing public transportation in droves because they fear sharing space.
Despite mounting worry about the virus’ spread and a troubling rise of cases around the Bay Area, BART continued to carry about 405,000 daily riders on average each weekday in February, according to data the agency released this week.
Commonly touched surfaces already cleaned daily, with detergent and water, now receive an additional application of a disinfectant. pic.twitter.com/AZpFnJMm4c
— AC Transit Media (@ACTransitMedia) March 2, 2020
That figure was down less than 1 percent compared to ridership in February 2019 — back before the world knew the name COVID-19 — when the system averaged 407,000 weekday passengers. There were bigger declines in weekend ridership, though both differences follow a broader trend in which BART has been losing riders, especially outside of commute hours.
Meanwhile BART and AC Transit officials say they have stepped up the daily cleaning their vehicles already receive.
BART maintenance staff have begun wiping down fare gates with a “hospital-grade disinfectant” each day, BART officials said. They have started doing the same with hand rails inside cars when trains reach the end of the line, as time allows.
BART has also been putting up posters in its stations and employee areas reminding people how to prevent the spread of illnesses like coronavirus and the flu, with steps such as regularly washing your hands and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
AC Transit has similarly added a disinfecting step to the cleaning its buses receive at the end of their day, which previously involved detergent and water.
San Francisco Bay Ferry officials said they are cleaning frequently touched surfaces as well, and have added hand sanitizer dispensers.
VTA, Caltrain and SamTrans officials said their trains and buses are regularly sanitized as well.
There have not been any disruptions to service as a result of the virus, and the agencies all say they are in regular contact with local and federal public health officials to make sure they are responding appropriately.
