Starting Monday, the Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority is changing bus and shuttle schedules, limiting the number of passengers and waiving fares in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 and ensure driver safety.
All passengers will be allowed to enter buses only from the rear door, reducing face-to-face interactions with drivers that would happen when paying fares. Buses will not be allowed to carry more than 10 passengers at a time, according to a CARTA statement released Wednesday.
Lakecha Strickland, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1212, said the union has pushed for rear boarding since the viral outbreak began. Across the country, from New York City to Detroit, dozens of transit workers have died as they continue to work during the global pandemic.
The new coronavirus spreads from person to person through droplets released when someone carrying the virus coughs or sneezes, for example. Chattanooga's drivers, considered essential workers, have been regularly coming into close contact with people when they enter through the front doors of the buses.
Implementing rear-door boarding and providing drivers with masks and gloves will keep drivers safer, Strickland said.
"We'll be practicing social distancing," she said. "The only time we will be boarding from the front is if the person has a wheelchair or a walker."
Lisa Maragnano, CARTA executive director, emphasized driver safety as well in the announcement.
"The safety of our operators and customers is always our number one concern," Maragnano said. "We encourage everyone to stay home, adhere to the CDC's guidelines by practicing social distancing, washing their hands and using hand sanitizer, and to wear masks and gloves when necessary to help prevent the spread of COVID-19."
With the coming changes, the buses will run on a Saturday schedule between Monday and Saturday, meaning there will be more time between stops and the last bus will leave downtown at 9:30 p.m.
Sunday schedules will remain unchanged, according to the statement from CARTA.
The Downtown Shuttle will run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the North Shore Shuttle will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday with no weekend shuttle service, according to the statement. The service changes will be in place until ongoing stay-home orders are lifted and the effects of COVID-19 are reduced, officials said.
Contact Wyatt Massey at wmassey@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249. Follow him on Twitter @news4mass.