DES MOINES, Iowa — As of Sunday, the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority, or DART, now requires all riders to wear a mask or other face covering at all times while riding.
DART says disposable masks will be available at the front of each bus for those who don't have one, but they encourage everyone to bring their own, reusable mask to use instead.
DART officials say the choice to require masks was an obvious one.
"Scientific evidence is clear that wearing a mask or face covering is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19, especially in indoor or enclosed spaces, like DART buses," DART said in a press release.
DART says they have been strongly encouraging riders to wear masks since the start of the pandemic, and have been requiring drivers to wear masks or face shields since June.
For a full list of other safety measures DART is taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19, click/tap here.
Along with the mask requirement, DART has also restored most of their routes back to the schedules and frequencies they had pre-pandemic.
The routes undergoing changes are:
- Local Routes: 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 52 and 60
- Express Routes: 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 98 and 99
- Shuttle Routes: D-Line and Link
For more information on the specific changes to those routes, click/tap here.