Lextran COVID-19 Updates

June 29, 2021 – Masks Required in Waiting Areas and Onboard Lextran Buses
Masks remain required when inside the waiting areas at the Downtown Transit Center and while onboard Lextran buses until September 13, 2021. This aligns with the federal policy Lextran must follow which is set by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Thank you for your cooperation!

June 9, 2021 – Masks Remain Required Until September 13
In regard to restrictions and masks mandates being lifted, all passengers and Lextran employees are required to continuing wearing masks while onboard Lextran buses and while utilizing the platform at the Downtown Transit Center. Lextran is subject to the federal policy relating to public transportation set by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) which remains in effect until September 13, 2021.

Thank you all for your patience and continued cooperation during these changing times!

January 15, 2021 – Fare Collection Reminders
Update: Front-door boarding will resume on Sunday, January 24, 2021. Driver barriers have been installed on all vehicles to ensure passengers and operators are safe during the fare collection process.
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Lextran will resume collecting fare on Sunday, January 31, 2021. Pass sales will resume online and at the Transit Center on Thursday, January 21, 2021.

It has been several months since we have sold passes or collected fare. Therefore, it is likely many people will be attempting to purchase passes at the Transit Center Customer Service Windows between January 21 and January 31 (and beyond) so here are a few reminders and new recommendations:

• Please be patient with our customer service reps. To allow for proper social distancing there may be less customer service reps at the windows than you’d typically see. In addition to less staff, cleaning processes will take place between each transaction to keep our staff and community safe – this will cause each transaction to take a little longer than you may be used to.
• We will not be selling 30-Day tap passes until February 1. This is due to the fact that once the pass is sold the 30-Day period begins, which would essentially waste days worth of fare.
• We are encouraging passengers to purchase their passes online if possible or purchase a 30-Day Adult pass at any Lexington Kroger store to alleviate congestion at the customer service window at the Transit Center.
• Finally, please purchase your fare with small bills. This will increase the speed at which our customer service reps can process transactions.

As always, please wear your mask, wash your hands, and avoid riding if you may be ill. Thank you!

December 10, 2020 – Lextran Postpones Fare Collection with Modified Healthy on Board Phase IV Plan
On Thursday, Dec. 10, Lextran announced a modification to the Healthy on Board Phase IV plan, postponing fare collection to Sunday, January 31, 2021. This change applies to Lextran’s fixed-route service and on Wheels, Lextran’s paratransit service operated by the American Red Cross.

Lextran had previously announced that fare collection would resume on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021.

“Out of an abundance of caution to protect our staff and community we have postponed pass sales and fare collection. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 cases in the area and adjust our Healthy on Board plan with the needs of our community in mind,” said Fred Combs, Lextran’s Director of Planning, Technology, and Community Relations.

In preparation for reinstated fare collection, Lextran will resume pass sales on Thursday, Jan. 21, 2021, available online and at the downtown Transit Center. In addition, Lextran will resume issuing identification cards and Yellow Cards.

Rear door boarding remains in effect and facial coverings continue to be a requirement onboard Lextran buses and at Lextran facilities.

Passengers and employees are encouraged to practice social distancing whenever possible. Vehicles and facilities continue to be cleaned and disinfected frequently to protect the community.

Passengers are encouraged to limit their travel to essential trips only.

Lextran reserves the right to extend, amend, or modify plans as needed to protect public health.

November 20, 2020 – Lextran Reduces Capacity Limits Onboard Buses
On Friday, Nov. 20, in response to Governor Andy Beshear’s executive order dated Nov. 18, 2020, Lextran officials announced that capacity onboard fixed-route buses would be reduced from 50 percent to 33 percent beginning on Sunday, Nov. 22.

If a bus is at capacity, passengers will be asked to wait for the next available bus or a relief vehicle. Passengers are encouraged to utilize the MyStop Mobile application to track onboard passenger counts in real-time to help plan their trip.

Rear-door boarding will remain in effect on all Lextran buses. Facial coverings continue to be a requirement onboard buses and at Lextran facilities. Passengers and employees are encouraged to practice social distancing whenever possible. Vehicles and facilities continue to be cleaned and disinfected frequently to protect the community.

Passengers are also encouraged to sign Lextran’s Trust in Transit Safety Pledge to indicate their commitment to healthy transit service. Lextran will provide a free and reusable facemask to all participants of the Trust in Transit Safety Pledge.

Lextran reserves the right to extend, amend, or modify plans as needed to protect public health.

November 10, 2020 – Lextran Releases Plan to Resume Fare Collection
Update: We will not be resuming front-door boarding on November 15 as previously stated. Rear door boarding will remain in effect until further notice. We apologize for any confusion.
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On Tuesday, Nov. 10, officials at Lextran released the next phase of their “Healthy on Board” recovery plan. Fare collection will resume on Lextran’s fixed-route service and on Wheels, Lextran’s paratransit service operated by the American Red Cross beginning on Monday, Jan. 4, 2021.

On Monday, Dec. 14, pass sales will resume online and at the downtown Transit Center, and Lextran will resume issuing identification cards and Yellow Cards. Bulk pass sales will be available by appointment only at the Loudon Avenue administrative office. 

Masks will continue to be a requirement onboard Lextran buses and at Lextran facilities. Passengers and employees are encouraged to practice social distancing whenever possible. Vehicles and facilities continue to be cleaned and disinfected frequently to protect the community.

“Over the last several months we have initiated phases of our Healthy on Board plan to protect our passengers and staff,” said Fred Combs, Lextran’s Director of Planning, Technology, and Community Relations. “The next steps will ensure the public has ample time to secure their fare prior to collection resuming while continuing our focus on safely moving our city.”

Lextran reserves the right to extend, amend, or modify plans as needed to protect public health.

August 20, 2020 – Update on Lextran’s Health on Board – Phased Recovery Plan
On Wednesday August 19, Lextran and its contracted paratransit provider, WHEELS, received notification that an employee had tested positive for COVID-19. WHEELS is working in coordination with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department to perform contact tracing and proper notification to all other employees who were known to be in close contact with the operator. Due to the individualized nature of paratransit service, they will also perform notification to members of the public who were in close contact with the operator.

Since the beginning of this pandemic, there have been four employees from Lextran’s fixed-route (mainline) service who have tested positive for COVID-19, in addition to the employee identified yesterday. In each case, Lextran has worked in conjunction with the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department to contact and notify all potentially exposed individuals and provide quarantine directives if necessary. None of the positive cases have been the result of a known workplace exposure.

“Anytime there is a positive case amongst our workforce it is a cause of concern, and our first and most important thought is for the health of our employees and passengers as well as their families,” Carrie Butler, Lextran’s General Manager, said on Thursday. “However, I am extremely proud of our efforts to keep our employees and riders safe, that we’ve kept people employed at a time when we’ve seen record numbers of unemployment, and that we’ve been able to continue providing essential transit service to our community throughout this pandemic.”

In addition to requiring facial coverings for all passengers and employees, Lextran is also performing daily health screenings when employees report for duty. Onboard capacity has been reduced, rear-door boarding is in effect, and passenger fares have been waived to allow for social distancing. Information about the number of riders can be found on the MyStop app and on Lextran’s website. Lextran continues to follow guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and federal Department of Transportation for the daily cleaning and disinfecting of their vehicles using EPA-approved products and accepted industry practices.

Lextran continues to ask passengers to use service for essential trips, assess their own health prior to riding, and avoid transit if they are ill or possibly exposed to COVID-19.

July 8, 2020 – Lextran Releases Phased “Healthy on Board” Plan to Resume Normal Service
Update: Lextran will be following the executive order signed by Governor Andy Beshear. Masks or face coverings that cover the nose and mouth will be required on board and at Lextran facilities beginning at 5:00 pm on July 10.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Lextran has implemented changes to service and policies to protect our employees and customers. All Lextran employees undergo daily health screenings prior to reporting to work, and buses and facilities are cleaned and disinfected regularly. Lextran will resume service in the following phases, to safely serve our community.

Beginning Monday, July 13, passengers and employees will be required to wear facial coverings that cover the nose and mouth while onboard and at Lextran facilities. In addition, the following routes will resume normal weekday service:

• Route 2 – Georgetown Road
• Route 4 – Newtown Pike
• Route 6 – North Broadway
• Route 7 – North Limestone
• Route 9 – Eastland

Rear-door boarding and unloading remain in effect. Onboard vehicle capacity will increase to 50% of the maximum load, however social distancing is encouraged when possible.

“We are seeing an uptick in our passenger loads as the community reopens and shifts towards a new normal. With this phased approach, we have attempted to balance the health and safety of our employees and customers while also meeting more of the travel needs of our community,” said Carrie Butler, Lextran’s General Manager.   

The next phase is scheduled to begin on Monday, July 27, when Route 14 – UK Blue/White resumes service on a limited schedule. On Saturday August 1, customer service will resume normal Saturday operations from 8:00 am – 4:00 pm.

The third phase begins on Sunday, August 9 at which time the following routes resume regular service:

• Route 1 – Woodhill Drive
• Route 11 – Richmond Road
• Route 12 – Leestown Road
• Route 13 – South Broadway
• Route 16 – Southland Drive (will resume service Monday, August 10)

In all phases, rear-door boarding and unloading remain in effect. There is no fare collection at this time. Passengers and employees are encouraged to continue social distancing when possible.

All Lextran employees undergo daily health screenings prior to reporting to work, and vehicles and facilities are cleaned and disinfected frequently to protect the community.

Lextran reserves the right to extend, amend, or modify plans as needed to protect public health.

May 7, 2020 – How Can You Protect Yourself and Others While Using Lextran?
We are now several weeks into the COVID-19 pandemic. Many things have changed since March, and Lextran would like to remind passengers and the community on the best ways to keep everyone safe when using the service.

• Only use Lextran for ESSENTIAL trips. All passengers should be avoiding non-essential travel.
• We are strongly encouraging passengers wear masks or facial coverings while on board or at Lextran facilities if they are able. Here is some more information from the CDC on masks and how to easily make them at home.
• Please heed the instructions of the “seat unavailable” signs on board the buses. These seats are to remain unoccupied in order to create more social distance between passengers.
• There are still capacity limits on buses. Some buses can hold more passengers than others. The driver’s are aware of the proper capacity limits based on the type of bus they are operating.
• Follow the directives from the CDC found here on how to protect yourselves and others from the spread of COVID-19.
• If you are exhibiting symptoms listed here please refrain from riding Lextran and contact your health care provider.
• Service reductions/suspensions are still in place and can be found here.
• Fare will continue to be waived until further notice. Once fare is to be collected again the public will be given proper notice in order to secure passes before that date.
• Maintain at least 6 feet of social distance between yourself and others at Lextran facilities and on board when possible.

Our top priority has always been the safety of our passengers, employees, and community. By following these steps and procedures we can help protect one another and keep everyone safe.

April 1, 2020 – Additional COVID-19 Prevention Procedures
Lextran has implemented a series of actions over the past several weeks in order to protect employees and the community from the spread of COVID-19. For the reduced service schedules please see the March 18, 2020 update below.

To continue being vigilant in the fight against the virus the following procedures are being implemented to increase social distancing onboard Lextran vehicles.

Operators will monitor the onboard passenger count and contact dispatch when capacity is reached to request another vehicle. Capacities range from 8-10 passengers in the rear of the bus, and 2-4 passengers in the priority seating area, dependent upon vehicle size.

If the bus is at capacity passengers will be asked to wait for the next bus or a relief vehicle. Please note these relief vehicles are dependent upon vehicle and operator availability and are not guaranteed.

Some seats on the bus will also be marked unavailable with a sign in order to increase the distance between passengers. Please sit in open seats that do not have signs, with space between yourself and other passengers.

Passengers will be permitted to board at an outbound stop in order to ride inbound only IF the same inbound service is unavailable. This is being implemented to reduce the amount of people on the bus at any one time and to reduce the amount of time any individual needs to be onboard.

• For example: If a passenger is on Nicholasville Road at stop #1372 (Nicholasville and Burt Road Outbound) and they want to go to the Transit Center, they will have to cross the street to the corresponding stop #1384 (Nicholasville Road @ Zandale Shopping Center Inbound).
• HOWEVER, if there is no corresponding inbound stop passengers will be permitted to board. For example: if a passenger is at stop 125 (Kroger Beaumont Circle Outbound) and they want to ride to the Transit Center, they will be permitted to board since there is no nearby corresponding inbound stop.

Lextran is strongly encouraging passengers to avoid non-essential travel in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Thank you for your compliance with and understanding of these policies.

March 26, 2020 – Lextran Employee Preliminarily Tests Positive for COVID-19
Officials at Lextran were informed on March 26 that a Lextran employee has preliminarily tested positive for COVID-19. Lextran is awaiting the final confirmation of these results from the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.

Based on work schedules, other employees who may have been in contact with the individual have been notified and are following recommend protocols.

Lextran has been aggressively implementing practices and procedures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and will continue to do so. Below are the steps Lextran has taken to keep employees and the community safe:

• Since January, Lextran has increased sanitation efforts at all facilities and on the buses with attention to high-touch points.
• On March 17, the Loudon Administrative Office and Customer Service were both closed to the public, and employees able to participate in telework were instructed to do so.
• On March 19, Lextran reduced service, temporarily eliminated fares, closed the downtown waiting areas, asked passengers to limit all non-essential travel, and implemented rear-door only entry and exit procedures on the buses.
• Lextran has been encouraging passengers and employees to practice good hygiene and social distancing throughout the pandemic.

Public transportation is considered an essential business according to Governor Andy Beshear’s Executive Orders. While passengers have been encouraged to reduce their travel only for work, the grocery, medical appointments, or to care for someone in need, there are many people who rely on public transportation exclusively for these essential services.

Lextran continues to monitor the COVID-19 situation in our region, following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Governor Andy Beshear, and the local Lexington-Fayette County Health Department.