MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The Mountain Line Transit Authority Board of Directors has voted to lift its mask mandate opting to make face coverings optional for riders. Drivers will still be provided with masks to distribute to anyone who wants one.
The policy goes into effect Saturday.
On Monday, a federal judge struck down the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s nationwide mask mandate for public transportation. Following the court’s decision, West Virginia University announced that masks were no longer required on university buses and on the PRT.
Board Chair Jenny Dinsmore believed that continuing with a mask mandate would create confusion, especially for students who were using both university buses and Mountain Line buses.
“They thought because they were WVU students and didn’t have to wear masks on their buses, that it was universal,” Dinsmore said.
Dinsmore noted that along with WVU dropping mask requirements, other public transportation systems, including the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority in Charleston, had also decided to lift its mandate.
Board member Terri Cutright agreed with Dinsmore that competing policies could prove frustrating for riders.
“I think it is going to be confusing. We’re a university town. I think it’s going to be very confusing to the students, faculty, staff and the general community,” said Cutright.
Marly Ynigues was the lone dissenting vote, worried that senior citizens or individuals with health concerns may be discouraged from utilizing the bus system.
“This could potentially limit access for those folks who have immunocompromised conditions,” Ynigues said.
Only two speakers voiced their opinions during the public comment portion.
Morgantown 7th Ward City Councilman Brian Butcher asked the board to maintain the mask mandate, despite city council lifting its own mask requirement for public meetings earlier this week. Butcher insisted the mask requirement was in line with sound public health policy.
“The mask mandate was struck down in a manner that most can reasonably agree that was not in the interest of public health,” Butcher asserted.
WVU student Joseph Wilkins also spoke in favor of the mandate.