ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Rockford Mass Transit District announced on Saturday that beginning Monday, all passengers will be required to wear a protective face mask due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, no more than 10 passengers will be allowed on a bus at one time. Transit officials announced significant changes to its routes.

Effective 6:15 a.m. on Monday, April 20, 2020, the existing RMTD route schedule for weekdays, (Monday thru Friday only) will be reduced to the 5 existing Sunday routes, plus 4 additional routes that will help round out its service area. Service will now start at 6:15 a.m. and will end at 6:40 p.m. There will be no weekday service past 6:40 pm. Weekend service (Saturday and Sunday) will consist of the 5 Sunday routes only and will run from 9:15 am until 5:15 pm both days. Service to Belvidere has also been suspended during this time.

The new core weekday routes are the #41, 42, 43, 44, and 45 routes. Service on these routes will start at 6:15 a.m. These routes will run hourly for the first two hours and the last two hours of each day. The remaining schedule, from 8:45 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. will operate every 30 minutes. Service begins and ends at the downtown transfer center for these routes.

In addition to the core weekday routes noted above, RMTD will also be running 3 of its regular routes, the #6 Kilburn, the #20 Alpine Crosstown and the # 22 North Second Street to extend coverage weekdays only. RMTD will also be running a very modified version of the #16 and #17 City Loop routes to cover the far east side of the city weekdays only.

The modifications to the additional weekday service include the #6 Kilburn route starting at 6:15 a.m. and running every 45 minutes until 6:45 p.m. The #20 Alpine Crosstown will start at 9:30 a.m. and run every 60 minutes until 4:05 pm. #22 North Second will start at 9:45 and run every 60 minutes, ending at the downtown Transfer Center at 5:50 p.m.

The City Loops, #16 & #17 have been modified to run weekdays only from Rockford Career College to North Town in a bi-directional manner on a 60 minute headway. In so doing, riders will still have access to Javon Bea Mercy Health Hospital, and other destinations on the far East side.

The changes come to protect drivers and riders alike as six RMTD employees have been diagnosed with the virus.

For more information, visit their website here.

MORE HEADLINES: