Mask Mandate Dropped On Most Public Transportation In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — One day after a federal judge in Florida struck down a federal mandate requiring masks on public transportation, transit agencies across Riverside County began dropping face-covering mandates on buses and trains Tuesday.

The Riverside Transit Agency announced Tuesday that masks will no longer be required on its buses, but they will be "recommended for customers and RTA employers."

The Coachella Valley's SunLine Transit Agency also announced that "masks are no longer required" on SunLine buses or SunRide vehicles, although face coverings will still be recommended.

The Metrolink commuter rail service also dropped its mask mandate on trains and at stations, while also recommending them as an option for customers.

OmniTrans was continuing to require masks on its buses, as was Beaumont Transit.

A customer service representative at Palo Verde Valley Transit Agency confirmed the serve in eastern Riverside County had made masks optional effective Tuesday.

There was no immediate announcement on policy changes from Banning Connect or Corona Cruisers.

Mask-wearing requirements on transit operations were thrown into doubt Monday when U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle in Florida issued a ruling saying the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had exceeded its authority by mandating face-coverings on mass transportation.

Most major airlines — including Southwest, Delta Air Lines, American and United — quickly made mask-wearing optional in response to the ruling. All of the airlines service Ontario International Airport and Palm Springs International Airport. The Transportation Security Administration also announced that it would no longer to enforce the mask rule at airports.

The ride-hailing services Uber and Lyft also both lifted mask-wearing requirements for drivers and passengers.

But some local transit agencies waited to enact changes, awaiting further guidance on the federal judge's decision on county-, city- or state- level transportation systems.

The CDC first issued an order mandating masks on public conveyances in January 2021, saying "traveling on public transportation increases a person's risk of getting and spreading COVID-19."

"Air travel often requires spending time in security lines and busy airport terminals," the agency stated. "Travel by bus, train and other conveyances used for international, interstate or intrastate transportation poses similar challenges."

Mizelle ruled that the CDC acted outside the scope of the federal Administrative Procedure Act, and had predicated its transportation mask mandate on "arbitrary" criteria.