Metro is here for your essential trips during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We continue to run modified service to help you travel when necessary and our top priority remains safety for our riders and our employees, especially with the current surge in COVID-19 cases.
Stay safe when riding
Photo by Adrian Hernandez/LA Metro.
In the past month, we’ve added capacity on 95 Metro bus lines to help alleviate crowding and encourage riders to practice physical distancing as much as possible. Updated bus and train schedules can be seen here. Service adjustments continue in response to real-time ridership observations.
You can help us get a better idea of which lines need more service by emailing details of your trip to CustomerRelations@metro.net. Please include the bus or train line number or name and other details of your transit trip such as day and time you typically ride, direction of travel, and stops/stations you board and exit the bus and/or train.
Wear a face mask or covering when you ride. Metro requires riders to wear cloth face coverings or masks, unless you have a health condition or disability that prevents you from wearing one. We will do our best to provide face coverings to those who do not have one.
Only rear door boarding on Metro buses is allowed for now unless you use a wheelchair. If you are using the bike rack on Metro buses, please let the bus operator know before exiting the rear doors of the bus — to give you time to get your bike off the rack at the front of the bus.
Plan your trip in advance and get real-time bus and train arrival info with Metro’s official Transit App for smartphones.
And some other handy tips to help protect you and those around you:
- Wash your hands before/after traveling. If soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Metro has installed hand sanitizer dispensers at major transit stops and stations.
- Limit touching surfaces (i.e. seat backs, stanchion bars or handles). Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue. And then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Keep your distance whenever possible.
- If possible, avoid sitting in a vacant seat directly next to another rider.
- Keep at least one row of seats between you and other riders.
- If a vehicle is too crowded, consider moving to another rail car or waiting for the next bus/train.
- Do not travel if you are sick and avoid close contact with people who are sick.
About our cleaning procedures
Stations
Metro’s team of custodians cleans and disinfects high touchpoint surfaces three times per day at all rail stations, as well as all G Line (Orange) stations and both the El Monte and Harbor Gateway bus stations. Our cleaning crews also remove trash, clean spills and biohazards and spot-clean seats, floors and other surfaces. We use disinfectants that kill viruses and are EPA approved.
Buses
Buses are cleaned before and after they go into service on a route. Our team uses strengthened supplies to clean high touchpoint surfaces on every bus, including:
- front and rear door areas and handles
- hand rails
- seats
- windows
- floors
- stanchions
Trains
Trains are cleaned each time they begin and end service along a line. Metro’s custodial team takes pride in meeting heightened cleaning standards for high touchpoint surfaces, including:
- seats and seat frames
- all stanchions and handrails
- strap hangers and bike straps
- interior door, wall and window surfaces
Service attendants also spot clean vehicles as necessary. You can report any issues by providing the location, line and car number to Metro staff by using the train intercom, station intercom box, or by messaging us on Twitter @metrolosangeles.
We’re also exploring additional sanitation options, such as the use of antibacterial copper film over high-touchpoint contact surfaces and use of UV lights for added disinfection of Metro rail vehicles.
Categories: Go Metro
When I think of safety I think of metro police patrols. I don’t care if you wipe down surfaces because I’m going to wash my hands after riding.
Only rear door boarding on Metro buses is allowed for now unless you use a wheelchair. what if use a walker ? or need ramp?
Hi Mark;
In those cases, the bus operator will let you use the front door.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source
One other thing. I realize that many bus drivers need to stay home during the disease pandemic, and I support them. However, since your buses are overcrowded for purposes of fighting COVID-19, is Metro offering unlimited overtime to anyone who wants it (allowing for a safe amount of rest hours)?
Would you please answer “Yes” or “No”?
Thank you for nothing.
I have previously informed Metro of overcrowding, but I have not observed any results. I will start informing Metro again of specific overcrowded buses, but I do not expect any results.
Recently, every bus which i have rode on has one or two passengers whom are not wearing ace masks. Some passengers do not have them, others have them but do not wear them.
Metro has done nothing to enforce the face covering rule. Neither has Metro asked passengers to report anyone whom is not wearing a face mask.
I have never seen Metro offering to provide any passenger with a face mask.
Many Black or Latino persons feel unsafe if police officers patrol Metro. Although I am White, I have been dismayed myself with the sheriffs arresting numerous low-income persons for fare evasion. (The L.A. police have now replaced the sheriffs in much of my neighborhood.) However COVID-19 is disproportionately harming Black and Latino persons, and it would be in everyone’s interest to have police or security officers enforce the face mask requirement.
Hi Dominick;
We added trips to several bus lines after receiving rider feedback and monitoring ridership. That began last week (July 27): https://thesource.metro.net/2020/07/24/metro-rolling-out-additional-service-adjustments-on-select-bus-lines-starting-monday-july-27/
We are trying to use education as the best way to get everyone wearing face coverings. We don’t believe that having more confrontations as we’ve seen around the country will be beneficial to anyone — riders, our staff and our law enforcement partners.
Please keep letting us know about buses with overcrowding. We are trying to balance the service we provide with our available resources (i.e. funding) and we’re trying to emphasize and work on other ways to keep safe, too — wearing face coverings (as you say), air circulation and strengthened cleaning regimes. We are trying to provide as much service as we can but there are limits. Thanks for continuing to ride and for your feedback.
Steve Hymon
Editor, The Source