Metro will be collecting bus fares soon after halting fees on March 29 to implement safety precautions in response to the corona virus pandemic.  With many transit agencies resuming the collection of bus fares at the front door, protective clear plastic barriers are being installed in operator compartments.  These barriers are placed between operators and passengers, so that fare collection can occur with minimal contact.  

Until recently, one-third of Metro buses had barriers that were factory installed.  However, due to an extraordinary initiative on behalf of the maintenance team at Cold Spring Shops, the rest of our Metro fleet will now contain barriers that are being constructed totally in-house. 

These barriers are made of high-quality materials and designed according to safety standards.  This initiative will assist in minimizing overall exposure and risk for front-line fare collection while keeping production costs down and meeting Metro's intended deadline to reopen the bus front doors. Most of the work to fabricate a barrier takes place in the Cold Spring Shop and can be installed in a bus in less than 30 minutes.  The barriers can be easily cleaned during Metro's vehicle disinfecting process.    

We hope that you will join in congratulating our amazing team on all their hard work, dedication, and continued commitment to protecting our drivers and riders during this emergency health crisis. 

Key contributors to this project include the following:  Gary Agnello (Fabrication Assembly), Thomas Carney (Parts Preparation/Installation), Michael Catalano (Assembly), Allen Cordier (Welding), Todd Davis (Parts Prep/Assembly), Anthony Farr (Parts Prep/Assembly), Michael Follendorf (Welding/Assembly), Daniel Garvin (Parts Prep), Michael Haniszewski (Design, Fab, Welding), Jeffrey Jusiak (Fabrication), Matthew Kapsiak (Assembly/Installation), John Kovacs (Assembly), Thomas E. Lloyd (Installation), Leonard Oleksy (Parts Prep/Assembly), Matthew Schoephlin (Assembly/Installation), Paul Slingledecker (Installation), and Benjamin Wiltsey (Design/Fabrication), Charles Dewey, Jeffrey Sweet, and David Rugg.  Please note, not everyone is pictured.