GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Starting Tuesday, May 26, 2020, The Rapid will make 500 reusable cloth masks available to riders at Rapid Central Station, free of charge. 

Masks will be available at the Information Center in Rapid Central Station from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, while supplies last. Masks will be limited to one per customer. 

As of April 27, 2020, The Rapid is requiring all passengers who are medically able to wear a mask while riding the bus. All Rapid Bus Operators are provided with masks for use while driving in an effort to provide the safest service possible. 

“The safety of our Bus Operators and customers is our number one priority,” said Dina Reed, Deputy CEO at The Rapid. “Providing these masks is an important part of keeping everyone as safe as possible.” 

The masks were manufactured by Public Thread, a Grand Rapids-based upcycling company. “We at Public Thread are so thankful to be able to serve our community by making quality reusable masks for residents and organizations like The Rapid,” said Janay Brower, Founder, and CEO of Public Thread. “Our company exists to creatively address social and environmental issues through the art of textiles. Through this pandemic, we are honored to create a critical product that helps to keep essential workers and those most vulnerable in our community safe.” 

In addition to the mask requirement, The Rapid continues the following health and safety measures on all buses: 

● Maximum passenger capacity of 15 persons on all buses 

● Nightly cleaning and disinfecting of all vehicles 

● Spot cleaning and disinfection of high-contact surfaces on buses during service 

A new summer service schedule will go into effect on Tuesday, May 26, 2020 (details here). 

For additional updates and information, please visit ridetherapid.org/coronavirus.