Coronavirus News #4 ● for GBT Riders & the Public ● April 5, 2020

Coronavirus News #4 ● for GBT Riders & the Public ● April 5, 2020

A Few New Rules

The Bus is for Essential Workers & Critical Errands Only

For several weeks, we have been asking that only essential employees and those with critical errands ride the bus. If you are not an essential employee and you are not in need of critical supplies like groceries or medicine, stay off the bus.

If You Have Covid-19 Symptoms, Do Not Travel by Bus

If you are sick or have Covid-19 symptoms, do not travel by bus. Do not go to bus stops or the bus station. Obviously, if you have tested positive for Covid-19, do not travel by bus.

Enter and Exit From the Rear Doors

We are not collecting fares during this time. This is to maintain social distancing for all people on the bus, including the driver and riders. It is also in place so that people do not touch the fare box. This rule will continue until further notice. We will continue to assess this situation week by week and make announcements accordingly.

Wear a Mask if You Have One

If you have a mask, please keep it on while using the bus. Keep it on while waiting at the bus stop, while entering and exiting the bus, and while traveling on the bus.

Stay Away From Others

Do not sit next to others on the bus. Sit as far apart from others as you can while on the bus. This is for everyone’s health, including your own. Keep as much distance between you and others as possible while entering and exiting the bus.

Do not sit or stand together at bus stops or the bus station – stay at least six feet apart from other people. Stand farther away if possible.

Families may stay together on the bus, but do everything you can to limit the number of people traveling in your family – remember, some stores are now limiting the number of people in a group to two people.

We All Need Bus Drivers

Our ability to provide continued service depends on the health and availability of our drivers and other employees. It is critical that we all work together to follow these rules so that our community is strong and resilient.

Our bus drivers are counting on you to do the right thing.

Help us let bus drivers know how much we value the work they are doing ─ send a Thank You to our bus drivers online. We will make sure that our bus drivers get the messages that you send in.

Suggest a Rule

If you have an idea for a new rule, submit it here.

Expect Service Changes & Delays

Expect some temporary service changes, including reduced frequency on some routes, as we work our way through this event. There will be delays so leave extra time for travel.

Service Announcements

Visit gogbt.com, Facebook, and twitter daily to check for service announcements.

Remember These Simple Guidelines

Do not travel if you are sick or suspect you may be sick.
Do not travel if you do not have to
Cover your cough or sneeze.
Wash your hands with soap and water often.
Use hand sanitizer frequently.

Find out more at the Centers for Disease Control>>

Stay Connected

Please check in regularly. You can always get the latest information in these places:

Coronavirus News #3 ● for GBT Riders & the Public ● March 23, 2020

Coronavirus News #3 ● for GBT Riders & the Public ● March 23, 2020

Travel by Bus for Essential Workers & Errands Only

Do not travel on the bus if you do not need to.

Take the bus ONLY if you are an essential worker or need supplies like groceries and medicine.

Please leave the buses for the people who really need them.

Governor Lamont has issued an order that all non-essential businesses will close on Monday, 3/23/2020 at 8 PM. Bus transit remains in operation. It remains in operation so that important workers, like medical staff, can get to their jobs. It also is important for citizens to get supplies like food and medicine. If you do not have to travel, please do not take the bus.

The Governor’s order is here (PDF) >>

Bus Rules During This Crisis

Reducing the Number of Riders Per Bus

If the buses have too many people on them, we will pass by riders waiting at bus stops. Riders will have to wait for the next bus. If this happens, you will see a “Please Take the Next Bus” on the destination sign. On the busiest routes and times of day, we may run “Shadow Buses” – a second bus behind the first bus – to pick up any people who are still waiting. We may not be able to do this on all routes at all times due to the number of buses and drivers we have.

Enter and Exit the Bus Through The Rear Doors

Drivers will not be enforcing fare collections during this crisis. Enter and exit through the rear doors of the bus. This will help maintain social distancing to protect drivers and passengers alike. Riders with mobility devices and those requiring the “kneeling” of the bus, may, of course, use the front door.

Stay Away From the Bus Driver

Don’t interact with the bus driver unless you have a special need. Respect the driver’s space. Always leave at least six feet between you and the bus driver.

Bus drivers are working on the front lines to insure people can get to essential jobs at medical facilities and other places like grocery stores and pharmacies. We need our bus drivers to stay healthy so we can all get through this together. Bus drivers are doing important work and are providing a necessary public service.

Don’t Ride Just Because It’s Free

The temporary cessation of fare collection during this crisis has been implemented to protect drivers and riders by reducing interactions and to stop people from touching the fare box.

Don’t Get on the Bus if You Are Sick

Don’t travel in public if you are sick or suspect you may be sick.

All Riders Must Exit the Bus During Layovers

At the end of each trip, the driver will be instructing all riders to exit the bus during the layover. This is for everyone’s protection. Please follow the direction of your driver.

We All Need Bus Drivers

Our bus drivers are counting on you to do the right thing.

Help us let bus drivers know how much we value the work they are doing ─ send a Thank You to our bus drivers online. We will make sure that our bus drivers get the messages that you send in.

Stay Away From Others

If you must travel, don’t linger at the bus station. Practice social distancing on the platforms and stops. Stay Safe! We’re all in this together.

Remember These Simple Guidelines

Do not travel if you are sick or suspect you may be sick.
Do not travel if you do not have to
Cover your cough or sneeze.
Wash your hands with soap and water often.
Use hand sanitizer frequently.

Find out more at the Centers for Disease Control>>

Stay Connected

Please check in regularly. You can always get the latest information in these places:

Coronavirus News #2 for GBT Riders & the Public | March 19, 2020

Coronavirus News #2 for GBT Riders & the Public | March 19, 2020

GBT Bus Station to Close to the Public on 3/20/2020

Bus Service Remains in Operation.

Effective March 20, 2020, the GBT Bus Station Building at 710 Water Street in Downtown Bridgeport will be closed to the public. There will be no access to the building or bathrooms, and GBT ticketing will be closed until further notice. The terminal platforms will be open for riders.

Board and Exit at the Rear Door of the Bus

Beginning on March 20th, 2020, and effective through April 5th, GBT drivers will not be enforcing fare collections. Riders are advised to board and exit using the rear door of the bus. This will help maintain social distancing to protect drivers and passengers alike. Riders with mobility devices and those requiring the “kneeling” of the bus, may, of course, use the front door.

Everyone Helps Slow the Spread

We will all need to work together, using common sense, to slow the spread.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following:

Wash your hands regularly with soap and water or use hand sanitizer.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Drivers have been instructed about proper precautions recommended by the CDC. More CDC recommendations are available here.

Our Drivers are Counting on You

Please remember that bus drivers and fellow riders rely on members of the public to follow public health direction to not travel when sick, wash hands frequently, cover that cough or sneeze, and use hand sanitizer. We’re all in this together.

Stay Connected

Please check in regularly. You can always get the latest information in these places:

Coronavirus News for GBT Riders & the Public | March 17, 2020

Coronavirus News for GBT Riders & the Public | March 17, 2020

Greetings:

We know that many people have been concerned about coronavirus and are wondering what we, here at GBT, are doing to ensure the safety of our riders, our drivers, and our whole transit system. Since mid-January, we have been monitoring the situation and have been working with local, state, and national agencies and organizations to plan for this.

This is a situation that is quickly evolving and we are monitoring it daily. As it continues, we will be working closely with local public health and emergency departments and responding as the circumstances change in our community.

On March 5, 2020, we launched a website page with information and resources to help you prepare and take preventative actions. It’s important that everyone take steps to reduce the spread of coronavirus. As this situation develops, we will be posting updates to the webpage, adding news items to the website, and posting to Facebook and twitter. We will also be sending out emails periodically. If someone forwarded this email to you, you can signup here to get future emails.

We have included some information, below, that we hope you will find useful.

If you have any questions or comments, please submit them here. Submitted questions are answered as soon as possible and posted to gogbt.com/prevention in the Frequently Asked Questions section.

Doug Holcomb
Chief Executive Officer, GBT

Bus Service Levels

There have been rumors regarding service level changes and riders are asking how long we will be operating. The answer is: We don’t know.

If there are to be any changes to service levels, we will let you know, if possible, prior to making changes. As of the writing of this newsletter, there are no proposed changes to service.

Any decision to alter service would only be made following consultation with government and health care officials. This is why we are in frequent communication with our regional and State partners.

Please check gogbt.com/prevention to find out the latest official news.

Bus Station Hours of Operations

There are no plans to close the bus station at 710 Water Street at this time. The bus station hours are 6 AM to 10 PM. But this may change. If there are any changes, we will let our riders know in advance through the scrolling signs at the terminal, on our website, and through social media.

Additionally, we have stepped-up our facility cleaning and are paying close attention to “high touch” areas.

GBT’s Bus Cleaning Program

Regularly, GBT buses are cleaned every night. On March 6, 2020, we changed our bus cleaning program to include additional procedures to wipe down “high-touch” areas on board – like hand straps, hand holds, seat backs, and stop signal pull cords and strips – with disinfectant.

On Sunday, March 15th, we began an additional procedure where bus interiors are fully disinfected by a certified cleaning contractor on a weekly basis.

These measures are only part of the equation. These areas can become dirty again during service when touched by passengers. We will be assessing the cleaning and disinfecting program regularly but remember, the public health recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are the best guidelines for prevention and apply to public transportation too.

Everyone Helps Slow the Spread

We will all need to work together, using common sense, to slow the spread.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following:

Wash Your Hands

We should all wash our hands regularly with soap and water. We will be making sure that there is plenty of soap and water in the bathrooms throughout our facilities. If you are not able to wash your hands, use hand sanitizer regularly.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands.

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Drivers have been instructed about proper precautions recommended by the CDC. More CDC recommendations are available here.

Our Drivers are Counting on You

Stay Connected

Please check in regularly. You can always get the latest information in these places:

More Bus Shelters. More Safety. Ride Easy with GBT.

Clean, safe, accessible public transportation is an important part of the Greater Bridgeport Community and GBT is committed to investment in passenger amenities – such as benches, lighting, shelters, new technology, passenger information systems, and security. Our goal is to keep our 5M annual riders safe and comfortable as they use the bus to get to work, school, shopping, and other activities in the community.

“A good bus shelter is an essential part of any successful urban mass-transit system.” —Project for Public Spaces

Working with our partners at the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the municipalities of Bridgeport, Fairfield and Stratford, GBT has invested heavily in passenger amenities to improve safety, make travel easy and accessible, and keep buses clean and in good working order.

More Bus Shelters.

GBT bus shelter at East Main St and Crescent Ave by the weekly farmers market in the East Side neighborhood.

Since 2012, GBT has installed twenty-five new, ADA accessible bus shelters. Some new shelter installations replaced existing shelters, many of which were more than fifteen years old, while other installations added shelters to stops which had no shelter previously. Currently, there are 49 bus shelters in total. In 2019, GBT is working with CDOT, as well as Fairfield and Stratford, to install five more shelters and two benches at bus stops in those communities.

Trumbull Mall Hub.

In 2014, GBT completely renovated the Trumbull Mall Bus Hub, with five new bus shelters, a wider more accessible platform and improved lighting. Outside of the GBT Bus Station, the Trumbull Mall Bus Hub is one of the most heavily used locations in GBT’s service area, with GBT buses stopping there 200 times a day.

Super Stops at Trumbull Gardens.

GBT is currently working with the Bridgeport Housing Authority and the Trumbull Avenue neighborhood, to design and install six “super stops”, which will be located along Trumbull Avenue for riders on Route 6. These stops will incorporate improved lighting, next bus arrival boards, wind screens, integrated maps, and real-time message boards.

In 2019, GBT will be making improvements to bus stops, sidewalks, and crosswalks along East Town Road on the side of the Connecticut Post Mall in Milford to increase accessibility and safety for pedestrians along this busy corridor, serviced by the Coastal Link bus route. Bus stops and sidewalks will be made larger and more accessible and new shelters will be installed along this route. This project is the result of a public-private partnership between the Connecticut Post Mall, Milford Transit District, CT Transit-New Haven, and GBT.

Community-Led Design.

GBT’s Amenities Program goes beyond an investment in things. The program is also about being “a good neighbor” by working with local communities to bring bus shelters to their bus stops and to ensure the placement and design of bus stops are appropriate for the needs of the neighborhood and individual property owners. GBT conducts community outreach on a regular basis with riders to get suggestions and feedback.

Public Outreach on a GBT bus at Trumbull Gardens

Once bus shelters are installed, GBT employs a hearty maintenance program, which includes weekly inspections and cleanings of bus shelters.

While not all GBT bus stops have bus shelters, GBT’s Bus Stop Program ensures that GBT’s 1,200 bus stops, located along 350 miles of routes in ten Connecticut communities do have a bus stop sign, where permitted. A bright, easy to see bus stop sign is an important part of transit accessibility.

Reach Out and Let Us Know.

As more resources become available, GBT will continue to invest in passenger amenities, at our larger facilities and at individual bus stops. We encourage riders and people in the community to contact us with requests for bus stops and bus stop amenities.

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