Transfort lifts mask mandate for Fort Collins public transit

Jacy Marmaduke, Fort Collins Coloradoan
·2 min read

Masks are no longer required for passengers on Fort Collins public transit.

Transfort announced Tuesday morning that it's lifting its mask mandate, effective immediately, in light of a court ruling that struck down the federal mask requirement for public transportation facilities.

Leaders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are still recommending masking for public transit passengers, but they said the ruling means the federal government's 14-month-old mandate is no longer in effect.

The change applies to all Transfort routes, including MAX and FLEX, along with all city bus stops and transit centers. Transfort retains the right to reintroduce a mask mandate in the future if conditions change.

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In this file photo, Transfort buses wait to depart at the Downtown Transit Center in Fort Collins on July 13, 2020.
In this file photo, Transfort buses wait to depart at the Downtown Transit Center in Fort Collins on July 13, 2020.

Transfort had been requiring masks since March 2020. The city waived fares for Transfort at the same time and hasn't changed the fare-free policy.

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The federal court ruling came from a judge in Florida, who declared the mask mandate unlawful soon after the federal government extended the policy to May 3. The federal government could appeal the decision.

Major airlines, Amtrak, Uber, Lyft and the Denver International Airport have all rescinded their own mask requirements since the court ruling was announced.

Larimer County's COVID-19 seven-day case rate has seen an uptick over the last month, sitting at 129.3 cases per 100,000 people as of Monday. However, the county's COVID-19 community level remains low under the CDC's most recent guidelines, and its case rate is significantly lower than January's peak seven-day case rate of 1,684.6 cases per 100,000 during the omicron surge.

Jacy Marmaduke covers government accountability for the Coloradoan. Follow her on Twitter @jacymarmaduke. Support her work and that of other Coloradoan journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today.

This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Fort Collins Transfort lifts mask mandates on public transit