ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Community members venturing out of their homes can now use buses from the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority (TheRide) for non-essential trips.
The area public transportation authority announced that it was welcoming back more riders and lifting capacity limits on its fleet of fixed-route buses and on-demand services.
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Users are still required to wear masks, per an order from the Transportation Security Administration.
“As businesses and organizations begin to re-open, TheRide is happy to support the community by welcoming back all riders on board,” said TheRide Deputy CEO of Operations Bryan D. Smith in an announcement.
“During the pandemic, we previously had reduced capacity on our buses to allow for social distancing and requested those traveling to only use TheRide for essential travel. As more individuals are getting vaccinated and COVID-19 restrictions are being lifted, now is the time to take this next step. We remind our riders to continue to wear your mask when riding, as required by law.”
The capacity change went into effect on July 1 based on guidance from the Washtenaw County Health Department, the announcement said.
TheRide will continue to enforce preventative safety measures including face coverings, CDC-recommended cleaning protocols, plastic dividers between patrons and drivers, providing sanitation and PPE supplies to drivers and employees, and the temporary suspension of the lost and found collection.
Riders should only approach the driver for emergencies.