“We want riders to know there is an extra layer of protection on board trains, even crowded trains,” BART spokesperson Alicia Trost said in an email.
An Amtrak spokesperson said the national rail system is preparing a variety of customer and employee communications in the event that TSA lifts the mandate. Amtrak will determine its own response once specific U.S. guidance is known, and a Los Angeles World Airports spokesperson said officials are reserving comment until they have confirmation of any change in the mandate.
Fewer people wearing masks likely increases the risk of riders being exposed to the virus. While omicron and its new BA.2 variant are proving highly contagious, Covid cases are below the peaks seen in December and early January.
David Young, 81, a New York City resident at the 59th Street - Lexington Avenue subway station on Tuesday, said he wants masks to stay. “I’d rather wear a mask than take a chance on getting Covid,” he said.
But for many travelers, an end to wearing a mask during their commute or flight is welcomed.
“If there’s an indoor mask mandate for public space, there should be one for transit; but if there’s not, then we have to think really hard about the consequences of treating transit differently” Danny Pearlstein, a spokesperson for Riders Alliance, a transportation advocacy group, said in a phone interview. “Continuing the mandate long after there is no indoor mask mandate generally makes people afraid of transit and makes enforcement especially complicated.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.