Santa Cruz METRO limits bus capacity for route to San Jose
SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (KION) In early July, the Santa Cruz METRO increased its capacity to a maximum of 15 riders per bus. However, the Santa Clara County Public Health rules required the METRO to limit its capacity to just eight riders for its route that travels to San Jose.
As KION previously reported, the decision to increase bus rider capacity in July faced lots of backlash from bus drivers. Now the drivers are questioning why only the route over the hill has tighter regulations.
“People are sitting in the front and back of each other and sitting side by side with each other. The complaints haven’t stopped. The concerns haven’t stopped,” SMART Local 0023 chairperson James Sandoval said.
The METRO said it raised its ridership capacity to 25% full because it was turning down too many riders.
“The majority of the reason we increased capacity was to help people get to their essential destinations," Santa Cruz METRO CEO Alex Clifford said. "We were leaving just way to many people behind.”
“It's a dangerous situation. It's life or death. What we’re asking for is not unreasonable, it's what other neighboring transit agencies are doing,” Sandoval said.
The Monterey Salinas Transit allows the same number of riders as the METRO. However, Santa Clara County’s health order has specific guidelines for transit, which means the METRO buses that drive to San Jose, can’t have more than 8 people inside. Clifford says that’s less than state recommendations.
“We have to ensure six feet of social distancing in the bus between passengers so theirs is the most restrictive. The CDC or the State aren't that restrictive," Clifford said.
The drivers union argues if that’s too many people for Santa Clara County, it should be for Santa Cruz too.
Clifford tells KION Santa Cruz ridership capacity won’t change, because the coronavirus numbers aren’t as severe as neighboring Santa Clara. In fact, the METRO plans on returning even closer to pre-pandemic bus levels in September.
The METRO also said they’re making changes like adding contact-less payment methods so people can pay with their smart phones and avoid close contact with drivers. The new payment method will begin in late September.
Last week the METRO had its first employee test positive for COVID-19. The METRO is not releasing if it was a bus driver. Clifford said the last day the employee worked was August 2.
