Metro Riders Will Be Required to Wear Face Masks Beginning May 11

To help protect transit riders and Metro Transit employees from the spread of coronavirus, Metro is taking the important step of requiring all customers to wear face masks.

Beginning Monday, May 11, face coverings are mandatory for all Metro Transit customers and employees when riding MetroBus, MetroLink or Metro Call-A-Ride services.

Face coverings need to fit over both the nose and mouth, and nonmedical masks, scarves, handkerchiefs, bandannas and other types of cloth coverings are permitted. Transit riders must wear their face coverings during their entire trip on a Metro Transit vehicle. This policy does not apply to children ages 2 and under, customers who have trouble breathing, are incapacitated, or are unable to remove the cover without assistance.

Transit users who are not wearing a face covering will not be permitted to board MetroBus, MetroLink or Metro Call-A-Ride vehicles. The requirement to wear face coverings on public transit follows recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a requirement issued by the state of Illinois asking people to wear a face covering over their noses and mouths when in a public environment where social distancing is not always possible.