Masks no longer required on Tucson public transit

Public transit riders in Tucson will no longer be required to wear masks, according to a statement released by Sun Tran on Tuesday that said its employees no longer have to “enforce mask wearing.”

The policy change applies to the city’s entire transit system — including buses, the downtown streetcar, Sun Van and Sun Shuttle — and comes one day after the national mask mandate for airplanes and public transportation was struck down by a federal judge in Florida.

It marks the end of nearly two years of mask requirements on Tucson buses, one of the few COVID-19 mitigation measures that have persisted as local governments across the country have relaxed pandemic-related restrictions.

“Sun Tran has been notified that the federal mask requirement is no longer in effect for the public transit industry,” Sun Tran wrote in Tuesday’s statement. “As a result, Sun Tran, Sun Van, Sun Link and Sun Shuttle employees are not required to enforce mask wearing.”

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The number of new weekly COVID-19 cases in Pima County has consistently been below 1,000 since late-February and weekly hospitalizations also remained under 500 throughout that same timeframe.

The end of the mandate may help city officials combat a spike in incidents of assault, which tripled between 2019 and 2021 — from 21 to 64 — and were primarily driven by outbursts over mask requirements, according to city staffers.

Tucson’s transit riders can still wear masks if they choose to, which is recommended by the CDC. Sun Tran will also continue to provide face coverings for riders despite the mandate being at an end.

“Please respect those who choose to continue wearing masks,” Sun Tran’s statement read.