Brothers and Sisters,

Tonight, service updates were announced by the MBTA that will improve your health and safety. Below is a joint press release we put out with the MBTA.

We want you to know that we have been working diligently on your behalf to get this done with management. We know this is an incredibly difficult time for everyone and we hope you know how much your hard work and dedication is appreciated by so many.

Please continue to let your delegate or a member of the executive board know if you have concerns. We hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy.

In Solidarity,

The Executive Board
Boston Carmen’s Union, Local 589

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MBTA Announces Service Update Effective Saturday, March 21

Boarding all MBTA buses and trolleys restricted to rear doors; front-door boarding still available to customers with accessibility needs.

BOSTON – The MBTA has announced additional service revisions in a continuing effort to protect the health and safety of the T’s workforce and customers, and to preserve transit services for those who are essential to slowing the spread of COVID-19.

Effective Saturday, March 21, the MBTA will implement rear-door boarding on all MBTA buses and trolleys at street-level stops on the Green Line and Mattapan Line. Anyone needing to use the front door, including seniors and people with disabilities, may continue to do so.

These new measures further the T’s support for social distancing and are aligned with Governor Baker’s State of Emergency declaration. They are in addition to service revisions implemented earlier this week that resulted in broad reductions in service to protect the health and safety of the MBTA’s workforce and customers.  

“The MBTA is undertaking these measures to protect our frontline employees while maintaining regional mobility for essential trips by healthcare workers and emergency responders,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. 

“Working together, the Carmen’s Union and the MBTA are ensuring that the necessary precautions are put in place to protect our members and riders,” said Boston Carmen’s Union President Jim Evers. “We take our responsibility as essential employees tasked with moving Massachusetts seriously. The men and women taking the MBTA every day are trusting us to get them where they need to go, and to do so safely. I’m proud that our Union and the T were able to work together to ensure the right steps are being taken to protect employees and riders during this time.”

This week, the MBTA has also implemented new protocols to clean and disinfect all high-contact surfaces on buses during mid-day layover periods. In an effort to protect the health and safety of the MBTA workforce and customers, this new protocol is in addition to the daily cleaning and disinfecting of all MBTA fleet vehicles that takes place once every 24 hours. These protocols also extend to all high-contact surfaces at subway stations throughout the MBTA, which are disinfected every four hours.

In addition to encouraging good hygiene practices and social distancing, the MBTA is continuing its enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, which includes: 

• Disinfecting all fleet vehicles – buses, trolleys, subway cars, Commuter Rail coaches, ferries, and RIDE vehicles – every 24 hours;
• Disinfecting all MBTA customer business site locations, including the RIDE Eligibility Center, every 24 hours;
• Cleaning all high-contact surfaces such as handrails, fare gates, and fare vending machines in subway stations once every 4 hours.

The MBTA continues to follow guidance from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, with the MBTA encouraging its riders and the public to: 

• Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds;
• Cover coughs and sneezes;
• Stay home if sick;
• Avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth;
• Clean areas that are frequently touched with sanitizing spray or wipes.

MBTA riders and Massachusetts residents are encouraged to visit mass.gov/COVID19 for information on COVID-19 and mass.gov/KnowPlanPrepare for additional preparedness tips.

For more information, please visit mbta.com/coronavirus, mass.gov/COVID19, and mass.gov/KnowPlanPrepare, or connect with the T on Twitter @MBTA, Facebook /TheMBTA, or Instagram @theMBTA.

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