WASHINGTON — More transit agencies have dropped their requirement for riders to wear masks, but the Biden Administration has announced it will appeal the judge’s ruling that struck down the federal mask mandate for public transportation.
Among the latest agencies to end a mask rule are several in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bay Area Rapid Transit said Wednesday afternoon that masks are now optional but “strongly encouraged.” The agency did announce on Twitter that its board would consider a proposal to require masks at its April 28 meeting. Commuter rail operator Caltrain made a similar decision after initially maintaining its mask requirement, while the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, operator of Muni light rail and buses, said it would lift the rule as of 12:01 a.m. today (Thursday, April 21).
Portland, Ore., transit agency TriMet, which initially retained a mask rule, also dropped its requirement on Wednesday, the Oregonian reports. And the Connecticut Department of Transportation dropped mask rules for its CTrail Hartford Line and Shore Line east commuter rail service, as well as buses, the Norwich Bulletin reports. Metro-North operations in the state still require masks because of a New York state mandate.
CBS News reports the U.S. Justice Department has filed an appeal of Monday’s ruling by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, which declared the mask requirement unlawful. The appeal came in response to a statement by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which said the mandate “remains necessary for the public health.” The administration had indicated it would appeal the ruling only if the CDC felt the rule was still needed.
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