Students who use Pullman Transit will follow a new route schedule starting Aug. 24, but the schedule may be subject to changes because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The plan is to start the semester with three express routes instead of six, said Pullman Transit Manager Wayne Thompson. The three express routes will be the Gray Express, Coug A Express and Crimson Express.

He said there will not be a Coffee Route. The evening service routes, Wheat and Lentil, will end at 10 p.m. instead of midnight. 

Routes like Blue, Silver and Paradise will still be running, according to the Pullman Transit website. 

Passengers are required to wear masks while riding the bus unless they have a medical exemption, he said. Masks and hand sanitizer are available onboard. There are signs on the seats to show which ones are available, indicating 6 feet of social distancing. 

Thompson said Pullman Transit will not be charging fares to encourage riders to enter and exit through the rear door. This will also help riders distance themselves from the driver, he added.

All buses will continue to have a 10-person capacity, he said. However, if ridership is high, there will be five drivers who will double up on some routes. The extra drivers will drive an empty bus behind the bus that is expected to fill up. 

There have always been some buses in the shop for scheduled maintenance, oil changes or occasional breakdowns, he said. However, with the new bus route schedule, the plan is to use all of the buses to account for high ridership. More buses have been ordered from Sound Transit, and the buses will be used indefinitely. 

Since last March, Pullman Transit has been cleaning buses with a hospital-grade disinfectant called Virex, he said. 

The cleaning procedures for the buses involve daily sanitation. The Dial-A-Ride vans are also being cleaned twice daily, he said. 

The list of removed stops can be found online. A list of rules can also be found online.