by Sarah Thomack/St. Joseph Post staffThe transit system in St. Joseph remains open, with more cleaning measures in place.As of Thursday afternoon, transit hours and the number of <a href="https://www.stjoemo.info/312/Routes-Time-Tables">bus stops</a> remain the same.“Public transit is vital to many in our community that rely on it to get to their medical appointments, get to the grocery store, folks who don’t have other means of transportation, it’s very important," St. Joseph City Manager Bruce Woody says. "So it’s a health concern that we maintain that service as much as it is that we appropriately clean and disinfect it and make it safe for everybody who uses it.”Woody says over a week ago when the coronavirus spreading became more of a concern, the local transit system immediately started following response protocol suggested by the Federal Transit Administration.“Each bus undergoes a deep cleaning every evening and the bus drivers actually take a break at their various bus stops to disinfect and wipe down seats on an hourly basis during the day,” Woody tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. “Transit facilities, such as our transfer stations also undergo a deep cleaning once per day and are cleaned additionally three times per day at various other intervals.”&nbsp;He adds that riders are asked to cover their coughs and wash their hands and use disinfectant throughout the day.

St. Joseph transit continues operating, more cleaning measures in place