Here are the rules for local buses, Amtrak and rideshare as California mandates masks

A state order requiring people to wear masks in public came as Regional Transit officials in Sacramento were planning to roll out their own mandate for passengers, following in the footsteps of rideshare companies and passenger railroad services.

RT has been encouraging riders to wear masks and they are required of employees, including bus and light rail operators. The agency planned to soon roll out a mask requirement of its own but the details of enforcement are still unsettled, said Devra Selenis, an RT spokesperson.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that all Californians must wear masks in indoor public spaces to slow the spread of COVID-19 — including people riding in taxis and rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, or taking public transit.

Under the new rules, children under age 2 don’t have to wear masks. People with medical conditions or developmental disabilities that prevent them from wearing masks are also exempt. And masks won’t be required for exercising outdoors, including walking, running, hiking and biking.

Selenis said they’re still working out the details on how to get passengers to comply with a mask order. The Federal Transit Administration gave RT 15,000 masks and another 14,000 are expected. RT will be giving those away to passengers on buses and light rail trains, she said.

“We’re going to be handing them out as much as we can. Obviously, we can’t be on every single bus at one time but we are going to have people out on the (transit) system handing them out,” Selenis said.

Although it’s unclear if riders could be asked to leave for not wearing a mask.

“We’re working on the best way to enforce this rule going forward because it’s so new,” Selenis said. “We will enforce the requirement to the extent that we can.”

At the beginning of the pandemic March, RT saw its ridership fall by 65 to 70 percent. In the last month, they’ve started to see passenger volume increase by at least 10 percent. It’s a sign that people are venturing out more as the state eases out of a shutdown.

“That’s why it’s really important that we enforce a mask requirement,” Selenis said.

How Amtrak, Greyhound, Uber and Lyft are doing it

Amtrak started requiring masks on its Capitol Corridor trains and connector buses more than a month ago. Capitol Corridor, which provides service from the Sacramento Valley to the Bay Area, recently expanded the number of trains and stations it was operating after several weeks of reduced services during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Amtrak said its policy requires customers to wear a mask over their nose and mouth “while in stations, on trains, and on connecting buses.” They said passengers can remove their mask when seated alone or with a travel companion in their own pair of seats, or when eating at their seat. Cafe service has been closed on Amtrak trains, but passengers can eat their own food at their seats.

In addition to requiring 6-feet social distancing, mandating masks and closing the cafe, Amtrak said it has increased its cleaning services on trains and added more hand sanitizers and disinfected wipes.

Uber and Lyft have required masks for its drivers and passengers for more than a month. At Uber, drivers are required to confirm that they are wearing a mask by sending a selfie to the company’s app. Passengers are also required to confirm they are wearing a mask and have sanitized their hands.

“They must also agree to sit in the back seat and open windows for ventilation,” the company said. “We’re also reducing the maximum suggested number of passengers for an UberX ride to 3 from 4.”

Greyhound bus service also requires passengers and drivers to wear masks.

This story was originally published June 18, 2020 at 3:04 PM.