As part of its proactive response to the pandemic, OCTA is distributing face coverings to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. Face coverings are required onboard OC Bus for both passengers and coach operators as part of California’s face-covering requirements on public transit.
Earlier this year, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) donated 60,000 reusable cloth masks to OCTA for distribution to Orange County transit riders.
On July 27, OCTA began a pilot program on three of its busiest routes to distribute free face coverings for passengers who need them. Buses are equipped with onboard dispensers on Route 43 and Bravo! Route 543 that run along Harbor Boulevard between Fullerton and Costa Mesa, and Route 66, which runs along McFadden Avenue between Huntington Beach and Irvine.
So far, OCTA has handed out more than 11,000 face coverings onboard the OC Bus system. OCTA employees quickly devised and installed the onboard dispensers and volunteered to wrap the face coverings in plastic for safer distribution. The face coverings are also available in the OCTA Store for free to passengers upon request.
In addition, OCTA widened its distribution network by working with its community partners and social-service agencies to get thousands of additional face coverings to the people who need them. To date, 24 agencies have agreed to distribute the cloth face coverings and more than 7,100 are being sent to agencies such as Meals on Wheels of Orange County, Abrazar, The Salvation Army and the Assistance League Orange County.
OCTA has adopted many other safety measures for passengers and coach operators onboard OC Bus, such as installing hand sanitizers, requiring passes to be purchased before boarding, having passengers board through the rear doors and limiting the number of passengers onboard for social distancing. Read about OCTA’s COVID-19 safety measures here.