Coronavirus In Minnesota: Metro Transit Enhances Cleaning On Buses, Trains
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Metro Transit is taking precautions for its roughly 250,000 daily riders.
Its goal is to do an enhanced clean on every bus and train every three days. People are taking their own measures, too.
Riders depend on Metro Transit to get to work and school, and to see family and friends -- but it also carries riders in close, confined quarters. A rider named Brandon is taking some precautions along for the ride. He has started carrying anti-bacterial wipes since learning of COVID-19.
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"You're stuck in a tube with people," Brendan said. "Just touching buttons, really anything other people probably touch."
It's an area Metro Transit is paying attention to now. Public Relations Manager Howie Padilla says his agency started doing a deep, enhanced clean on all buses and trains over the weekend.
"And what that entails is wiping down every horizontal surface," Padilla said.
He said they're following guidance from peer agencies like MTA in New York. The regimen is up from the regular deep clean every 30 days for rail, and every 45 days for buses. They are also continuing the daily sweep and clean.
"We're going to keep evaluating. We're going to keep working with the [Minnesota Department of Health] to keep making sure everybody's safe as much as possible," Padilla said.
Riders like Jennifer Kerr are glad to hear of the precautions, but she questions them.
"I think it's nice. It's not going to be enough," Kerr said.
So riders like Deja Chappell will continue taking measures of their own.
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"Being cautious about not touching my face after I've been on the train, making sure to change my clothes when I get there, and then washing my hands when I get home, too," Chappell said.
They realize it is up to each individual to stay home if sick, to cough into your elbow, and to avoid close contact if possible.
"We all own our health, and I think we owe it to everybody else to just be conscientious of that and not cough in each other's faces and be considerate," Kerr said.
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