Indoor waiting area closed at Bloomington downtown transit center due to COVID-19, some buses running on reduced schedule
In a press release issued Sunday evening, the city of Bloomington announced that the indoor waiting room of Bloomington Transit’s downtown center would be closed starting Monday, March 23, until further notice.
As the reason for the closure, the press release cites concerns about transmission of the COVID-19 virus.
In an earlier press release, issued last week, Bloomington’s public transit agency announced that some buses would be running on a reduced schedule, even after the conclusion of Indiana’s spring break.
That’s because Indiana University has closed its dormitories due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and cancelled in-person instruction for the rest of the semester. Students are to be taught using remote platforms.
Sunday’s press release confirmed information from the earlier release. Bloomington Transit buses will continue to run this coming week on their normal schedule. But the suspension of Indiana University classes means that BT will offer no service on Routes 7, 6-Limited and 9-Limited through March 29.
Routes 6 and 9 will continue operating on the university’s semester break schedules through March 29. BT Access, the agency’s para-transit service, will operate normally.
Passengers will have to wait outside the transit center in an area that has canopies for shelter. According to the National Weather Service forecast for Bloomington daily high temperatures through Wednesday are supposed to be in the mid-50s to low 60s, with chances of showers. In addition to warmth, indoor waiting area usually offers a customer service windows where bus tokens can be purchased.
According to the press release, passengers can purchase BT passes online using the Token Transit app which can be downloaded at tokentransit.com. Passengers can also buy tickets in person at the Bloomington Transit office at 130 West Grimes Lane, according to Sunday’s press release. Passengers can also pay the $1 fare in cash when they board the bus.
