The Woodlands Township launches #SitSafe Transit Initiative

THE WOODLANDS, TX – The Woodlands Township prioritizes rider safety on The Woodlands Express buses and the Woodlands Waterway Trolleys with the launch of the #SitSafe campaign. The initiative focuses on the use of sanitization, personal protection equipment and social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of Township Transit riders.

“Safety is our number one priority. Our transportation team continues to work relentlessly at providing safe and reliable service options. Whether you’re riding on the Woodlands Waterway Trolleys or The Woodlands Express, you are riding in a seat that is treated with an extra level of care,” said Ruthanne Haut, Deputy Director of Community Services for The Woodlands Township.

To learn more about the program and to view the latest #SitSafe videos, please visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/sitsafe.

The #SitSafe program includes a number of steps for passenger safety:

• Sanitization: All Woodlands Express buses are being sprayed daily using Vital Oxide, which is a medical grade disinfectant. We have taken special consideration to areas that are touched more frequently such as handrails, seats, and armrests. We will continue to maintain thorough and frequent cleaning schedules on our buses for the safety of our passengers.

Trolleys will be wiped with disinfectants in the middle of the service day and will undergo a thorough cleaning process at the end of each day. We will continue to maintain thorough and frequent cleaning schedules on our trolleys for the safety of our passengers.

• Personal Protective Equipment: When riding The Woodlands Express or Trolleys, you will notice our drivers are wearing face coverings, and we ask that you wear a face covering as well.

• Social Distancing: The capacity of each Woodlands Express bus is limited to create the proper spacing amongst our riders. Additional buses will be on standby during normal hours of operation to ensure seating capacity is available for all runs.

Each trolley passenger capacity is limited to provide spacing amongst our riders. If the trolley is at capacity, download the Ride Systems App and select “The Woodlands Township” to track the next arriving trolley in real time. The app is available for download from both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

To limit contact between drivers and passengers, we ask that passengers download The Woodlands Express mobile ticketing app. The Woodlands Express app is available on the App Store and Google Play. Once the app has downloaded, open it up and create your account.

• Select ‘Buy Tickets’ to purchase a ticket or ‘Ticket Wallet’ if you have already bought a ticket and want to use it.
• Select the type of ticket you wish to purchase and accept the Terms & Conditions.
• Choose the payment method you prefer either by entering credit or debit card information, which you can store on the app to make re-purchase faster, or via a digital wallet such as Apple Pay or Masterpass.
• Once purchase is complete, tickets can be found in the ‘Ticket Wallet’. Activate the ticket just prior to boarding. When boarding the bus, show your activated ticket to your driver for validation.
• Trip tools can also be accessed via the ‘Trip Tools’ button which provides schedules, maps, and more.

Please note, modified service is available from the Research Forest Park and Ride, 3900 Marsico Place, and Sawdust Park and Ride, 701 Westridge Road. Sterling Ridge remains temporarily closed. Service is available to Downtown, The Medical Center and Greenway Plaza. The midday runs back to Research Forest and Sawdust remain in place. Passengers who typically catch the bus from the Sterling Ridge location are encouraged to ride from the Research Forest or Sawdust Park and Ride locations.

To learn more about the program, please visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/sitsafe.