Metro Board Votes To Pursue Options To Increase Face Covering Compliance Aboard Trains, Buses

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors voted Thursday to pursue options, including issuing fines, to ensure riders and staff comply with face covering mandates on the transit system.

The motion, which was unanimously passed, directs Metro CEO Phillip A. Washington to reiterate to the public and to Metro employees that face coverings are mandatory and to report back to the board in two weeks with:

• recommendations to strengthen face covering compliance, including, but not limited to, fines for violators; and
• recommendations for alternative transportation options for people who do not wear a face covering because of guidance from a medical provider.

MTA board member and Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian had strong words for people who resist mask mandates.

“We are going to adjourn this meeting in memory of three (MTA) operators who died, and they died because they were exposed to this COVID virus … This has got to stop, this idiocy has got to stop, put on your damn mask,” he said.

Krekorian said it’s the duty of the board to protect transit operators and passengers from COVID-19.

“If a person is so antisocial and so disconnected from reality and so caught up in some stupid political conspiracy that they’re willing to roll over an operator’s instructions, ignore our rules and get on one of our buses just because, then that person is a danger to every passenger on that bus, as well as the operator, and like hell they should be allowed on that bus,” Krekorian said.