Their decisions are mixed, as some transit officials say they will let riders choose whether to mask, while others say they will keep their masking policies in place.
The mandate, enacted in February 2021 by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, required people on public transit and at transportation hubs like airports to wear masks regardless of their vaccination status.
But following the Florida judge’s decision on Monday, the order is no longer in effect while the ruling is being reviewed, a Biden administration official said.
From New York to Atlanta to San Francisco and Seattle, here’s how some city transit systems are handling their mask requirements:
Atlanta
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, or MARTA, will stop enforcing its mask mandate, a spokesperson told CNN.
“If customers and employees want to continue wearing masks while on the transit system, they are free to … but masks are not required at this time,” MARTA spokesperson Stephany Fisher said.
Austin, Texas
Riders of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or CapMetro, are no longer required to wear masks, spokesperson Tawaun Cole told CNN, adding the CDC “is still encouraging customers to mask up to protect themselves while using public transportation.”
Chicago
New Jersey
Statewide New Jersey Transit won’t require masks anymore on its buses and trains, it said Tuesday morning, reversing its initial decision to continue to require them.
“The federal (Transportation Security Administration) announced it will no longer enforce a mask mandate in public transportation settings. Masks will no longer be required on NJ TRANSIT and by South Jersey Transportation Authority,” the agency said.
New Orleans
New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) operators “will no longer enforce its mask mandate on buses, streetcars, ferries, paratransit vehicles, and at RTA facilities,” the RTA said in a statement Tuesday.
It still recommends people wear masks in indoor transportation settings, the statement said.
New York
Orlando and Central Florida
Masks are now optional for riders on Lynx buses in and around Orlando and at its facilities, a spokesman told CNN Tuesday.
Philadelphia
Portland, Oregon
Rhode Island
Seattle
“While a federal judge in Florida ruled against the transit mask mandate, there may be an appeal from the Justice Department that could lead to a delay in implementation, or for the decision to be altered or overruled,” the release said. “In the meantime, Metro’s mask mandate remains in effect.”
Washington, DC
CNN’s Artemis Moshtaghian, Taylor Romine, Amy Simonson, Jamiel Lynch, Jenn Selva and Theresa Waldrop contributed to this report.
