Two North Bay transit agencies are relaxing COVID-19 social distancing guidelines starting Wednesday.
Passengers on Marin Transit and Golden Gate Transit and Ferry can now sit 3 feet instead of 6 feet apart on all rides in Marin County and San Francisco. Passengers must still maintain 6 feet of distance from vehicle operators.
The change will allow rider capacity to increase to 50%, decreasing the number of times buses skip stops due to reaching their passenger limit.
Robert Betts, director of operations and planning for Marin Transit, said the change will better accommodate students who rely on public transportation to get to school.
“It really minimizes the impacts that many of our riders are facing today with getting reliable public transit service,” Betts said. “We’ve actually increased our service over pre-COVID levels to try and respond to the pass-up activity that we’re experiencing.”
Betts also said the new guideline aligns with Marin County’s reopening strategies, as the number of positive COVID-19 cases there and in San Francisco has decreased.
Marin Transit and Golden Gate Transit and Ferry join BART and San Francisco’s Muni in loosening social distancing requirements. BART, in its 15-step plan to welcome back riders, has determined 3 feet of social distancing can be achieved with no more than 60 people per car.