Travelers using transportation systems across Vermont can now shed their masks, officials said, after the Federal Transit Administration reversed its prior guidance on Tuesday following a federal court ruling on Monday that voided the nationwide transportation mask mandate.
Burlington International Airport, Amtrak, Green Mountain Transit and the state’s other public transit providers will no longer require masks on their vehicles or inside buildings. The Lake Champlain Transportation Co., which operates two ferry crossings between New York and Vermont, said it also will not require passengers to mask up.
In accordance with updated federal guidance, officials still recommend that passengers wear masks when using transit systems.
“We continue to recommend masks but there will be no enforcement or requirements to wear one,” said Ross MacDonald, the state’s public transit program manager, in an email.
The abrupt reversal of policy was triggered by a Monday decision out of federal district court in Florida. That decision struck down the federal transportation mask mandate first promulgated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2021.
As of Monday, CDC officials were set to maintain the mandate through May 3, but Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, the federal judge in Florida, blocked the health agency, ruling that it did not have the legal authority to mandate face coverings.
Because of the court order, the Federal Transit Administration said Tuesday it would no longer enforce the mask mandate. In revised guidance, the agency pointed to CDC recommendations that “people wear masks in indoor public transportation settings at this time.”
That advice was echoed by Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine at a Tuesday press conference.
“While multiple airlines and Amtrak have already stopped requiring masks, this does not change our current guidance, which is in agreement with the CDC’s guidance,” Levine said. “But this is a recommendation, and not a mandate.”
Levine said the mandate was blocked “on legal and procedural grounds,” and that state officials would wait to see how President Joe Biden’s administration responds to the court’s decision.
In statements on Tuesday, local transit officials called on travelers to respect each other’s masking decisions.
“Remember to show understanding, respect and patience with others who chose to continue wearing masks in airports and on aircraft,” said Shelby Losier, the airport’s director of ground operations, in a statement.
Officials also cautioned that the updated guidance will take some time to implement.
“You may experience inconsistent enforcement during the next 24 hours as this news is more broadly communicated with our staff and passengers,” bus operator Green Mountain Transit said in a statement. “We ask that you remain patient and please respect any driver or passenger that still chooses to wear a face covering.”
“Communications to customers and in-airport signage and announcements will be updated to share that masking is now optional — this may take a short period of time,” Losier, of the airport, said.
