On June 30, 2021 Washington state reopened under the Washington Ready Plan. This allows Island Transit to return to full capacity. Passengers may now board from the front of the bus. 

Paratransit service is provided to people with a medical condition that prevents them from using the regular bus service. Federal laws under the American with Disabilities Act requires transit systems to provide paratransit service within ¾ of a mile of a regular bus route. 

We have returned to full capacity on all paratransit services; however, route 58 will not be returned at this time due to low ridership; this will impact about ten active paratransit customers who’ve used the service since January 2020. Additionally, approximately nine paratransit customers along Route 3 will experience less frequent service hours due to the schedule modifications on that route. 

Island Transit is working to find alternative transportation for those customers impacted by these service modifications. Paratransit service is based on where a customer lives and is available to those living outside the ¾ mile boundary of a regular bus route if they come in-bounds to a designated transfer site.  If you have any questions, please contact Island Transit Paratransit staff at 360-678-7771. 

Yes. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) mask mandate requiring all passengers, operators, and visitors to wear a mask while getting on and off rides remains in effect. 

This mandate applies to all persons who use public transportation, including those who are vaccinated. 

Since March 2020 we've been asking passengers to voluntarily use face coverings. Most are respectfully doing so. We anticipate our passengers will continue to follow the federal mask mandate. Most people now understand how the virus is spread and the best available defense is the use of a face covering. Passengers who fail to comply with the mask mandate may be denied travel. Signage on the bus will remind everyone to wear a face covering, and face masks are supplied on the bus for those who need one.  Operators will help remind passengers of the law although attention to driving is their safety priority. We are all in this together and relying on each other to follow the law for protection.

In collaboration with public health advisors, Island Transit has taken additional health and safety measures to protect people from the spread of COVID-19.  

We have implemented temperature and health check procedures when entering our buildings, provide our operators with protective gear, including protective barriers on the buses, perform daily hydrostatic disinfecting of buses and employee common areas, and began retrofitting our buses with an Air Filtration System.

We request customers follow these measures for their protection and for the protection of others to slow the spread of the virus:  

• Use a face covering when riding the bus and paratransit.  Masks will be provided to customers without them.  We peovide hand sanitizer on all vehicles. 

• Cough and/or sneeze into your arm or a tissue and discard waste in trash cans.

• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth. 

• Maintain good hygiene.

• Stay home and do not ride the bus when sick.  Contact your health care provider for medical attention. 

Island Transit is following the latest guidance from local, state, and federal public health authorities.  Currently, the safety and health measures we have in place for our operators and staff include: 

• We’ve installed Plexiglass to support social distancing to separate operators at work. 

• Hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes have been provided to our coach operators.

• Hand sanitizer is installed in all our big buses.

• Each day Island Transit disinfects the coach operator’s seating area.

• Operators are wearing gloves and masks. 

• All staff perform a health screening before they come to work. 

We’re committed to continuously improve and adopt our procedures and protocols to protect our staff and passengers.  These measures will be updated as the guidance changes.

We are following the National Public Transit Association Health & Safety Standards. 

We’re dedicated to continuously improving and constantly working to adopt our procedures and protocols as more is learned about the virus. Currently, we are doing the following: 

• Buses are being wiped down with disinfectant at the end of each shift when possible. 

• Vehicles are sanitized and cleaned deeply and daily using electrostatic sprayers with  Clorox Healthcare Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant,  a medical-grade anti-viral disinfectant approved for combatting COVID-19 by the Center for Biocide Chemistries. The disinfectant is generously and thoroughly sprayed throughout the inside of the bus using new the electrostatic sprayers which are considered a best practice in fighting the spread of COVID-19.  The electrostatic sprayers work by charging the disinfectant droplets as they pass through the sprayer nozzle. These charged droplets actively seek out and wrap around the virus, killing it. The sprayer allows for 360-degree coverage of even tough-to-reach areas.  This includes grab bars, pull cords, poles and other hard surfaces. 

• Grab bars, pull cords, poles and other hard surfaces on our buses are disinfected daily. 

• Our facilities also are being cleaned and sanitized daily.

Yes, we will notify the public if there is a risk of infection by working closely with Island County Public Health officials who oversee these cases.  According to Island County Public Health, COVID-19 now is widely spread across our island community.  Everywhere we go, there is a risk of possible exposure.  At Island Transit, we are operating as if any surface or person could be a possible carrier of the virus and we are acting accordingly by doing our best to protect people while maintaining critical transportation services.    

Yes.  We urge all riders to prepare alternative means of transportation in the event that Island Transit’s service is impacted by COVID-19.  Please check the Island Transit website for the latest information on Routes and Schedules.  These could change if our workforce is reduced due to illness.  Island Transit operates with a limited number of coach operators available to fill in when others are sick.  We may need to adjust and reduce our service even further if operators are not available to drive the buses.  We rely on guidance from Island County Public Health to determine if service needs to be reduced because of public health concerns. 

The following locations on the Island Transit website will have the latest information about routes, schedules, COVID-19 and other news related to the pandemic: 

• Island Transit's Website

• Routes and Schedules webpage

• News and Information webpage

• Island Transit's Facebook account

• Island Transit's Twitter account

• Or, call Island Transit at 360-678-7771 to get assistance.  We also suggest customers sign up for our automated Rider Alerts to receive information on service changes and other important news and updates.  

We recommend the following resources for the latest information on COVID-19: 

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/COVID19

• Island County Public Health at www.islandcountywa.gov/Health/Pages/Home.aspx

• Washington State Department of Health Coronavirus Hotline at 1-800-525-0127