Notice: Undefined index: HTTP_REFERER in /home/stparch/public_html/headmid_temp_main.php on line 4394
Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
January 14, 2020     Shelton Mason County Journal
PAGE 14     (14 of 46 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
 
PAGE 14     (14 of 46 available)        PREVIOUS     NEXT      Jumbo Image    Save To Scrapbook    Set Notifiers    PDF    JPG
January 14, 2020
 
Newspaper Archive of Shelton Mason County Journal produced by SmallTownPapers, Inc.
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information
Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader




Page A-.1 4 Shelton-Mason County Journal Thursday, Jan. 14, 2021 MTA already meets new COVID safety standards By Journal staff news@masoncounty. com The state Department of Health recently issued a new set of COV- ID-19 guidelines for transportation agencies, but Mason Transit Author- ity already met most of those safety standards. “We were already living up to all the latest requirements, except for having a physical barrier between passengers and the driver,” MTA General Manager Danette Brannin said. Brannin told the Shelton-Mason County Journal that MTA is install- ing permanent plexiglass barriers, and has installed clear curtains to serve as temporary barriers in the , meantime. Brannin praised the new state guidelines, which she said will “clari— fy industry standards and help us all ride safely,” but at the same time, she emphasized the rigor and quality of the MTA’s existing safety standards. “We have intensely focused on cleaning, physical distancing and wearing face coverings since last spring,” Brannin said. “Personal safe- ty is the priority.” Brannin said that face coverings are required for all employees, riders and others in MTA vehicles and fa- cilities, including the transit commu- nity center in Shelton, and are made available to riders who don’t have their own face masks. Hand sanitizer stations are in- stalled on all MTA vehicles, includ— ing the front and rear doors of bus- es, while new barriers and protocols have been established in an effort to maintain physical distancing on MTA vehicles, and in the transit com- munity center. Riders enter and exit at the rear of the buses whenever possible, with bus rows and seats blocked off to en- sure safe distances for those riders as well, Brannin said. “If a bus is full, another bus or ve- hicle will be dispatched to pick up the riders who are still waiting at a stop,” Brannin said. “We are very careful to ensure no riders are left behind when buses fill up.” Brannin cited preventative mea— sures such as daily employee health screenings and cleanings of “high- touch” surfaces on vehicles as helping keep MTA riders safe. “We have a COVID-19 coordinator who helps monitor employee health and enforce our safety plan,” Brannin said. “Our team is committed to pas- senger safety.” MTA is continuing to limit the number of riders scheduled for each Dial-a-Ride trip, which should make I the shared rides both safer and fast- er, while its fare-free rides within Mason County not only allow riders to save on pocket change, but also help lower the risk of spreading the disease because tickets or cash don’t change hands. Dial—A-Ride offers door-to- destination service Dial-A—Ride uses accessible 14-16 passenger shuttle vans, allowing no more than four passengers to ensure safe social distancing. The service is an on-demand ride- share — users call and schedule rides and shuttles typically pick up several people before delivering them to their destinations. Reservation requests can be made on the same day or up to two weeks in advance. ‘ “Dial-A-Ride is meant for people who need that door-to—destination service, or who are going somewhere not along a regular bus route,” Bran— nin said. “We help people get to appoint- ments, jobinterviews and shopping. You name it, and we’ll take you there, as long as it’s in Mason County and our shuttles can safely get there.” For more information, or to sched- ule a'Dial-A—Ride, call 360-427-5033 or go to www.masontransit.org/ dialarideandlinkservice. . Riders for out-of—county' trips can purchase tickets online or through the Token Transit mobile app, al- though the fare box is still available for out—of-county trips. 77.70172]: szt.’ for van in: N i l . or, domain t— . lies!" .e\*lcch:nnr 6 years in :1 rim-'3 g And thisymr’s .' #l chziii‘ cur RATE AUTOMOTIVE 2033 Olympic Highway North ' Shelton Center :2 WC Infill" Quality NAPA Part- ‘m. AutoCare .@ 426—1467 We’ve Got Your Part AUTO PARTS Goodyear Beam Winer Blades ‘ 39.9.3. Regular/y Curbside Pickup, Deliveries, and’Online Ordering Available! visit www.cutrateautopartscom. Back to Regular Hours — Shelton 8:00am-8:00pm Mon-Sat - Sunday 9:00am-5:30pm Firsi Coio in Shelton 360-426-2800 fullmscruice Automotive care! Hometowne Brake 8. Mufller Mon Frra 00 am -5 ,o .m 125 E. Grove S ' Shelton 0 360-426-102 We have 30+ years of experience! Make Your Rainy Days Sunshine Days with Aquapel Window Treatment! a '3 Like us‘on Facebook A+ = Quality Trust... That’s Hoetowne Service We’re here to help you keep your car dependable at a very reasonable rate. From custom exhaust work & brakes, to tune-ups and oil changes for classic new cars trucks! Aquapel Window Treatment Free Windshield Wiper Installation included Headlight Vision Treatment We Make Dull, Hazy Headlights Look Brand-New! 321 5.. 2nd St. Shelton » (360) 4258208 iii» t’i‘r the”? p/ucrfiir.v'you.’ “fare 8813A Rated for 13 Wars! ’1' 5