Complaints from multiple sources about maskless passengers on Red Buses finally get some action. Curious, I hopped on a bus at the Tram station and got a surprise.
By David Stone
The Roosevelt Island Daily News
No More Maskless Passengers on Red Buses
Every other passenger wore a face mask, and the officer addressed another longstanding need, making sure seats assigned for needy riders were used as intended.
An unexpected plus, the ridiculously outdated signs offering poor advice for over a year were gone. Somebody finally conceded that guidance from the first week of the pandemic was a misfit in 2021.
But on a cloudy day, with rain in the air, how would the influx of more passengers go? Would the officer enforce the mandate against maskless passengers?
And how would riders respond?
The rest of the ride was as pleasantly surprising as finding PSD onboard in the first place. Most people go along with the rules already, but for others, seeing an officer on board sent masks in place promptly.
Moving on
At least for this ride, maskless passengers were in the past, and one more thing. As we approached the public library stop, another officer waited, checking to make sure our bus had spare face masks available.
Was it mostly for show, a commitment sure to fade? We don’t know, but after seeing PSD Chief Kevin Brown looking in at one stop…
But after riding all the way to the Octagon, I walked up through Lighthouse Park, checking on Nellie Bly construction. Drizzle falling.
Then, a little damper, I got on the next bus heading south.
No PSD officer.
And then, after a stop in the canyon, I jumped on another Red Bus at Good Shepherd Plaza.
No PSD officer there either.
But no maskless passengers either.
Although in the long run having a cop on every bus is far from essential, creating awareness is.
And for now, RIOC’s done that.
Applause and thank you.
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The Line That Didn’t Land
I stood in the back of Good Shepherd Chapel on the evening of April 15, 2026, at the Steam Plant Demolition Town Hall, watching people adjust scarves and jackets before the meeting began. Benjamin Jones, President and CEO of RIOC, thanked us for attending and, without a pause, said he was “pleased to host tonight’s town hall on the city’s demolition of its steam plant.” The demolition, in other words, was not up for discussion.
