Are Masks Still Required For Bay Area BART Riders?

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A federal judge nixed the federal travel mask mandate Monday, allowing transit agencies and airports to drop mandates for planes, trains and, in most cases, subways and buses.

In the Bay Area, BART police ceased enforcement of a mask mandate on board, officials told ABC7 and the San Francisco Chronicle. But according to a spokesperson, the agency has not made a formal decision on whether it will continue requiring passengers to wear masks on stations and in stations.

In the mean time, BART police will not enforce masking rules.

San Francisco International Airport — the second largest airport in California — decided to drop its mask mandate this week. The airport urged travelers to "respect each individual's decision regarding mask usage."

The city's Muni system said a mask order remains in effect until further notice from the Federal Transit Administration.

On Monday, Florida federal Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle said in the 59-page decision striking down the travel mask mandate that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention both exceeded its legal authority and failed to go through proper channels to put the rule in place.

As a result, the CDC said its order requiring masks on public transportation "is no longer in effect" and the agency will not enforce it. However, the CDC said it "continues to recommend that people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time."

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."

READ MORE: SFO Mask Rules: Latest Policies For Travelers