If you have stepped aboard one of our transit vehicles for the first time in a while, welcome back — we are happy to see you, and we have missed you. If you are curious, and looking for assurance regarding our safety measures, feel confident we are going the extra mile to ensure your trip is as safe as possible.

Most of what our team does to keep you safe happens behind the scenes. We believe safety is a collaborative effort, akin to protecting your “family.” Our family is comprised of our customers, the community and businesses who rely on us amidst the pandemic, as well as our Team COTA members who show up 24/7, knowing their job is vital for our region’s recovery.

Today, 185 transit vehicles will roll out of our facilities to complete more than 21,000 customer trips. If you board one of them, you will see our ‘Street Team’ sanitizing commonly-touched areas before or after your ride. What you do not see is the cleaning and sanitization procedures which take place while you sleep – every single night. Additionally, the entire fleet has been treated with a residual anti-microbial solution using an electro-static sprayer, putting us on par with the most technologically-advanced sanitization processes used across all industries such as airlines, trucking, and food processing.

We have been here throughout the pandemic, balancing both the service needs of our ridership, responding to community needs, and focusing on the safety of our frontline Team COTA members. And, we will continue to be here as we all navigate an ever-changing future. We know our community is suffering in new and incredible ways, and we also see the resilience and hope in our community as we build back better. COTA is committed to being part of building back for you. We are working tirelessly to restore service safely later this summer, as needs for community and social services, businesses, and schools evolve.

You will see our vehicle signage reminding you to #MaskUpCBUS!, supporting mask wearing policies aboard our vehicles and within our community. We also will display a message of unity, reminding us we are all #StrongerTogether amidst this difficult period of time. I encourage you to seek out these purposeful points of support on our vehicles, take a picture and share on social media.

We care about our customers, our community, and the role we play in moving lives. We are going the extra mile, and are glad you are along for the ride. If we haven’t seen you in a while, we will look forward to welcoming you back to our safe environment, when you are ready.