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May 3, 2021 Update:

In compliance with federal guidelines to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, ShastaConnect will continue to require that all drivers and riders on our vehicles wear a face mask when riding, unless otherwise exempt, until September 13, 2021, or whenever the federal requirement ceases.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for implementing President Biden’s Executive Order regarding face masks on all public transportation (e.g., air, rail, bus).  Initially, face masks were required at all bus stops and on buses from February 2, 2021, to May 11, 2021.  On April 30, 2021, the TSA issued a press release extending that requirement through September 13, 2021.

 

October 26, 2020 Update:

We’re happy to announce that ShastaConnect services have been updated and expanded. Please see the specifics below. We continue to implement best practices per federal/state guidelines to keep everyone safe on our vehicles.

Please note, we’re still limiting rider capacity to 2-3 riders per vehicle in accordance with State guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for all services. We’ll provide updates should this change.

Monday-Friday Service Changes:
Our Monday-Friday service has gone digital! Starting October 26, 2020, riders can now use a mobile app to submit ride requests. Please download the app from the links here:

Additionally, all riders will ride free on the service to help alleviate economic impacts due to COVID-19 and community shutdowns, at least through December 31, 2020. We’ll provide future updates on when fares return to normal.

Lastly, we want to remind our community that anyone in the service area who needs a ride (outside the RABA service area) can schedule a ride. Due to capacity limitations and rider demand, there may be challenges in meeting your ride request. Please feel free to call us at (530) 226-3075 if you have any questions.

Sunday Service Resumes, starting November 1, 2020!
We’re happy to announce our Sunday Transit service is coming back, starting November 1, 2020, and you can request rides starting October 26, 2020. We also have a new, more rider-friendly app, which is available to download here (please note that if you previously rode our Sunday service you will need to create a new account as the prior app was replaced):

Additionally, we’re now serving the cities of Anderson and Shasta Lake, as well as Redding. Check out our webpage to see the new service area map (https://www.shastaconnect.org/sunday-schedule-map/). We look forward to seeing you on ShastaConnect soon!

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please feel free to email us at ride@shastaconnect.org or call us at (530) 226-3075.

 

March 30, 2020 Update:

The Shasta Regional Transportation Agency (SRTA) and Dignity Health Connected Living (DHCL) are committed to the safety and well-being of our community when it comes to public transportation in the rural areas of ShastaCounty and on Sundays through our ShastaConnect services. We continue to monitor guidance from federal and state authorities as we work together to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Following California Governor Newsom’s ‘Stay at Home’ order, the extension of federal ‘stay at home’ guidelines through April 30, 2020, and a review of our services, we’re making a few additional changes to meet community needs.

Monday-Friday Service Changes
We have made a change to our Monday-Friday service for seniors and those 18 years of age or older who have a mobility impairment. Effective immediately, we will be limiting riders to a maximum of two riders for any one trip. This will allow riders to maintain “social distancing” practices for the safety of our riders.

Sunday Service is Temporarily Suspended Starting April 5, 2020
After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily suspend our Sunday Service, starting April 5, 2020. A date for when this service will return has not been set. We anticipate that service will be suspended for at least 6-8 weeks.

We will continue to monitor the situation weekly and provide updates on our website and social media as necessary. If you have a question, please feel free to reach us by email at ride@shastaconnect.org or by phone at (530) 226-3075.

 

March 18, 2020 Update

As the region continues to respond to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) and the recent ‘Stay at Home’ order by California Governor Newsom (https://covid19.ca.gov/), ShastaConnect will continue to operate and provide necessary public transportation services to our community, with temporary service reductions.  Additionally, there is no higher priority than the safety of our employees and riders.  We have put into place enhanced cleaning activities of our vehicles so you can feel confident when riding with ShastaConnect.  We understand the need for our community to have access to essential services and to be able to get to work at these places.

These are unprecedented times and the conditions are ever-changing.  We will continue to monitor the situation daily and make temporary changes to the service as necessary. ShastaConnect will continue to provide updates on our website and social media as the situation changes.

Temporary Service Reductions to Sunday Service:

Starting March 22, 2020, we will be making the following temporary changes to Sunday Service:

  • Operating Hours: 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Seating Capacity: No more than four riders at any one time.
  • Max riders per trip: four (4) passengers
  • Customer Service Hours: No changes. Riders may call 530-226-3075 Thursday, Friday, and Sunday to book a ride by phone; or you can book by mobile app.

 

 

Vehicle Cleaning

ShastaConnect is committed to protecting the health, safety, and well-being of our employees and riders.  In addition to cleaning our vehicles each day before service, we’re taking the following extra steps to ensure our vehicles are as clean as possible to minimize exposure.  We now wipe down our vehicles with disinfecting wipes three times a day.  This includes all seats, handrails, and high-touch surfaces on the vehicles.  We also have hand sanitizer on the vehicles.  This goes beyond standard protocols and any guidelines.

 

Illness Reporting

Our contract operator is diligent in ensuring employees are well when reporting to work.  Additionally, they have taken extra precaution for checking that employees show no signs of sickness before they work.  If any signs are evident, those employees are sent home, consistent with current guidelines.  This helps to proactively limit the spread of any illness, including COVID-19.

 

Our Request To Riders

We need your  help in order to minimize the spread of any illness, including COVID-19.  To help us in this endeavor we ask our riders to help us by following the guidelines provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) at: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html.  Additionally, we ask riders to pre-screen themselves.  If you have any indication of an illness and are needing a ride to a health care provider or hospital, we encourage you to first contact your health care provider or call 2-1-1 (https://211norcal.org/) regarding transportation options, instead of riding our service.  If it’s a medical emergency, call 9-1-1.  Thank you!