Amid Coronavirus, MTS Will Continue Regular Service on Buses and Trolleys Through March 31

San Diego – The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System will continue running normal weekday and weekend service through March 31. This will allow more opportunities for passengers to practice social distancing during this critical time. MTS will continue to monitor bus and Trolley ridership and adjust service levels if necessary.

“Our buses and Trolleys are taking our most vulnerable residents to critical services, and first responders, grocery store employees, nurses and other healthcare workers to their jobs when we need them the most,” said MTS Chief Executive Officer Paul Jablonski.  “We will continue doing that at the same level at least through March 31. Preliminary estimates suggest ridership is down approximately 40% compared to the average weekday. Regardless of service levels, we will continue to sanitize our system daily using cleaners recommended by the CDC.”

MTS has implemented a very strict cleaning regimen on all Trolleys, buses, and stations, including:

• All MTS vehicles are cleaned daily, with additional deep cleanings using bleach to disinfect, and other solutions recommended by CDC
• Disinfectant is used to wipe down exposed surfaces nightly to help eliminate germs
• Maintenance teams sweep, dust and spot mop nightly
• Trolleys are often wiped down mid-day
• Frequent deep cleanings are done on Trolley stations. This includes power washing floors, canopies, railing, benches, kiosk signs, disinfecting trash cans and more
• Handwashing stations at all 54 Trolley stations, plus the UTC Transit Center
• Stationed cleaning crews at the San Ysidro, 12th & Imperial, Old Town & El Cajon stations from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. to further disinfect station surfaces, as well as Trolley doors and buttons when they arrive to the stations

MTS would also like to remind its monthly and 30-day Compass Card pass holders that have signed up for auto-renewals to be mindful of their renewal timeline if they are not riding. Please visit the Compass webpage for more information or call 619-595-5636 or 511 to speak with a representative.   

MTS operates 95 bus routes and three Trolley lines on 53 miles of double-tracked railway. Every weekday, 300,000 passenger trips are taken on MTS bus and Trolley services in 10 cities and unincorporated areas of the county. In FY 2019, MTS served more than 85 million riders.  For more information on how you can use public transportation and save money, go to www.sdmts.com.    

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