Bloomington Normal's public bus system will let people ride free through the end of May.
The Connect Transit board renewed the fare suspension to ease the impact of the pandemic. And for the first time since the coronavirus became prevalent, Connect Transit has specifically indicated a likely date to resume collecting fares -- June 1. That would include fixed-route buses and Connect Mobility paratransit service.
“We will continue to treat fare suspension as a precautionary measure to eliminate the physical contact required between riders and bus operators,” said Ryan Whitehouse, Connect Transit's board chairman. “We continue to sanitize our entire fleet of vehicles several times a day and hope to see ridership begin to return as our local economy begins to return to normal.”
Trustees said they will continue to examine economic and public health data for McLean County as the date for fare reinstatement approaches.
Masks remain mandatory while riding with Connect Transit.
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