As the COVID-19 events continue to increase within the service area, Trinity Metro is making some temporary service adjustments to reduce the COVID-19 risk for customers and employees.
“We are making service modifications to maintain operations to help passengers get where they need to go,” Trinity Metro President and CEO Bob Baulsir said in a news release. “Our mission is to provide mobility options, and we want to ensure that our customers have transportation during this health crisis.”
Beginning Monday, March 23, all regular bus service will operate on a modified Sunday schedule seven days a week. This means that the schedule those routes use on Sunday will be duplicated throughout the week.
Routes that do not operate on Sunday, such as the downtown Lunch Line and 71-Forest Hill, will be temporarily suspended.
This service change is expected to last two weeks, and then the status will be re-evaluated to see if any additional changes are needed. If other alterations are needed, Trinity Metro will provide updates three days before changes are implemented, the news release said.
Express routes 63X/64X and 65X will continue to operate on their regular schedules.
During this time, TEXRail will shift to an hourly service, which is based upon the current schedule, seven days a week. Trinity Railway Express (TRE) will operate six days a week based upon its current Saturday schedule, with no service on Sundays.
To limit the risk of COVID-19 exposure, Trinity Metro will offer free rides for these two weeks, beginning Monday, on bus routes and TEXRail.
This should significantly minimize the amount of contact between operators and customers as well as conductors and riders.
“Everyone can practice social distancing by reducing the exposure between staff and customers,” Baulsir said. “Providing a safe environment is vital for our customers and our employees.”
Because TRE is a shared service with DART, those passengers will need a ticket to ride.
The number of ACCESS rides will be reduced, with a focus on only making essential trips. ZIPZONE services are not impacted by this temporary change.
– FWBP Staff