Commute with Care

Connecting you to safe and sustainable transportation options

Quick Tips

  • Masks Optional

    Masks are now optional on public transit including Metrobus & Rail, DC Circulator, and DC Streetcar. 

  • Stay Safe

    Review these safety tips so you know how to commute with care when traveling by bike, scooter, public transit, or carpool.

  • Protect Yourself

    Don’t wait, vaccinate! Every DC resident age 12 and older is eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. No appointment needed. Find a vaccination site near you.

Travel Safely

Everyone needs to do their part to keep our community healthy and safe as we make our way toward pandemic recovery. Review the District’s commitments to help you commute with care and ride public transportation with confidence.

  • All buses and trains are deep-cleaned and disinfected every night, especially high-traffic, high-touch surface areas.
  • All buses are equipped with bus operator safety shields to provide a physical barrier separating the bus driver’s compartment from riders.
  • Highly visible social distancing and optional face mask/covering signage has been placed in stations and on buses and trains.
  • Agencies are sharing information and data to keep the public and each other informed about safe travel practices and behavior.
  • Public transit services continue to meet demand to accommodate travel to work and school.
  • Although optional on public transit, the CDC continues to recommend properly wearing a face mask or covering that covers your nose and mouth for the duration of your trip(s) and while in stations. 
  • Practice safe social distancing. Try to maintain at least six feet of distance between others. Consider leaving a seat between you and other riders.
  • Avoid touching high-contact surfaces. DC Circulator has been giving away FREE reusable bus handles, so you can have your own on the go for any bus or Metro ride. Follow @dccirculator on Twitter for the latest updates on their next giveaway.
  • Handle your own belongings and use contactless payment options when possible. You can add funds directly from your phone with the SmarTrip® app. This reduces the need to use fare machines.
  • Avoid overcrowding. If a vehicle is too crowded, consider moving to another railcar or waiting for the next bus or train.

Agency Commitments

DC Circulator’s mission is to deliver affordable, comfortable, and efficient bus service that connects people to business, culture, and entertainment throughout the District. To support this mission, the DC Circulator has implemented transit safety policies to keep riders safe during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and beyond.

  • As of October 1, regular $1 fares have been reinstated on all routes. Discounts are available for people with disabilities and seniors.
  • DDOT and RATP Dev, the contractor that operates the DC Circulator, have enhanced cleaning protocols to ensure that all 72 buses are properly deep cleaned and disinfected.

Operations (vary by route):

  • Sunday to Thursday 6am – 12am
  • Friday and Saturday 7am – 3am

DC Streetcar is taking critical steps to ensure a safe and healthy passenger experience. 

  • DC Streetcar vehicles are disinfected each day.  
  • Doors open automatically at all stops, so there’s no need to press the door buttons. 
  • DC Streetcar will modify the schedule as needed to maintain a safe and clean environment. Check Service Alerts for updates.   

Metro has pledged to follow all public health guidelines and protecting riders with regular cleaning and disinfecting and continues to actively respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, taking all appropriate measures to protect the health and safety of its frontline colleagues, customers, and the community. In doing so, they’ve earned the Health & Safety Commitment seal from the American Public Transportation Association.

Metro has worked to be as transparent as possible in providing specific details on their COVID-19 cases. Public reporting has been streamlined to provide a continually updated snapshot of case numbers.

Hours

  • Metrorail:
    • Monday through Thursday – 5am to 12am
    • Friday – 5am to 1am
    • Saturday – 7am to 1am
    • Sunday – 7am to 12am
    • Average wait time for a train to arrive – 2 to 7 minutes
  • Metrobus:
    • 4am to midnight daily; schedules vary by route
    • Buses on 36 of Metro’s busiest routes will operate until 2am, seven days a week with more frequent service from 7 am to 9pm.

Metrobus riders can see how full a bus is before it arrives.

  • Hand sanitizing stations have been placed throughout the system.
  • Metro is using advanced hospital-grade cleaner to deep clean and disinfect their buses, trains, and stations every day, in addition to mopping and wiping down high-touch surfaces or using electrostatic foggers.
  • Metro has made a concerted effort to improve airflow and ventilation to reduce the potential for aerosol transmission of COVID-19, following ventilation guidance closely and working to increase filtration levels and airflow further.

  • Metro will immediately disinfect a train, bus, or station upon receiving a report of bodily fluids or an ill customer on the system.

DID YOU KNOW?

Transit Safety Tips

Guidance for Public Transit

 

As of April 18, 2022 the federal mask mandate on public transportation is no longer in effect. Metrorail & Bus, DC Circulator, DC Streetcar, Amtrak, MDOT MTA Buses & Trains including MARC rail, and VRE have all announced that mask are now optional when riding.

The CDC recommends that people continue to wear masks in indoor public transportation settings.

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