[NFBNJ] New NJ Executive Order Ensures Safety of Access Link Customers: Effective Monday April 13

[joe ruffalo]

    Greetings to all!Received from Ellen Sullivan, NFBNJ Secretary.

Please read and share with others.

Joe
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From: ELLEN SULLIVAN
Sent: Saturday, April 11, 2020 9:19 PM
To: joe ruffalo ; lindamelendez220 at gmail.com
Subject: New NJ Executive Order Ensures Safety of Access Link Customers: 
Effective Monday April 13

Governor Murphy Signs Executive Order to Implement Additional Mitigation 
Requirements on NJ TRANSIT, Private Carriers, and Restaurants to Limit the 
Spread of COVID-19
TRENTON -- Governor Phil Murphy today signed Executive Order No. 125, 
imposing additional mitigation requirements on NJ TRANSIT and all private 
carriers to limit the spread of COVID-19. The order also outlines specific 
policies on restaurants that have remained open for takeout orders.

"We must continue our commitment to do everything we can to flatten the 
curve and defeat this virus," said Governor Murphy. "With these additional 
requirements, we are aggressively reducing the spread of the virus to 
protect New Jersey residents."

"We are grateful Governor Murphy is adding extra authority and enforcement 
to the personal protective equipment policies NJ TRANSIT has implemented in 
recent weeks for the protection of our employees and customers," said NJ 
TRANSIT President and CEO Kevin Corbett. "Our bus, train, light rail and 
Access Link paratransit service is vital to ensuring essential personnel can 
continue to get to their jobs and back home again, and Governor Murphy's 
executive order strengthens the tools we have to do this as safely as 
possible during the COVID-19 pandemic."
Governor Murphy's executive order directs the following, effective on 
Monday, April 13that 8:00 p.m.:

  1.. NJ TRANSIT must adopt the following policies:
  a.. NJ TRANSIT workers may limit occupancy by passengers at 50% of the 
stated maximum vehicle capacity on all trains, buses and light rail lines in 
accordance with any guidelines instituted by NJ TRANSIT operational 
divisions;
  b.. Require infection control practices, such as coughing and sneezing 
etiquette, and proper tissue usage and disposal;
  c.. Arrange for contactless pay options across all modes of transportation 
wherever feasible. Such policies shall, wherever possible, consider 
populations that do not have access to internet service;
  d.. Arrange for back door entry on buses wherever feasible, and take seats 
out of service near the bus operator to allow for proper social distancing 
from the bus operator wherever feasible;
  e.. Require frequent sanitization of high-touch areas in stations, like 
restrooms, waiting areas, credit card machines, and keypads;
  f.. Place conspicuous signage at stations and throughout train cars, buses 
and light rail vehicles alerting workers and customers to the required six 
feet of physical distance;
  g.. Require workers and customers to wear cloth face coverings while on 
trains, buses and light rail vehicles except where doing so would inhibit 
that individual's health or where the individual is under two years of age, 
and require workers to wear gloves when in contact with customers. NJ 
TRANSIT must provide, at its expense, such face coverings and gloves for 
their workers, to the extent supplies are available. If a customer refuses 
to wear a cloth face covering for non-medical reasons, then NJ TRANSIT 
workers may decline entry to the individual, and NJ TRANSIT operational 
divisions will institute guidelines to operators on this issue. Nothing in 
the stated policy should prevent workers or customers from wearing a 
surgical-grade mask or other more protective face covering if the individual 
is already in possession of such equipment, or if NJ TRANSIT is otherwise 
required to provide such worker with more protective equipment due to the 
nature of the work involved. Where an individual declines to wear a face 
covering due to a medical condition that inhibits such usage, neither NJ 
TRANSIT nor any of its workers shall require the individual to produce 
medical documentation verifying the stated condition.
  2.. There are three different categories of private carrier companies 
covered by the Order: (i) Private Carriers, who NJ TRANSIT has entered into 
contracts with for the provision of bus and light rail service, (ii) 
Unaffiliated Private Carriers, who run their own lines of bus service, and 
(iii) Paratransit Private Carriers, who NJ TRANSIT has entered into 
contracts with for the provision of Access Link paratransit service. These 
carriers must adopt the following policies, although there are slight 
variations for each category of carrier in the Order and carriers should 
review the text of the Order to ensure they are in compliance:
  a.. Workers may limit occupancy by passengers at 50% of the stated maximum 
vehicle capacity on all bus and light rail lines and Access Link vehicles 
that these carriers operate in accordance with any guidelines instituted by 
the carriers, and where applicable, in consultation with NJ TRANSIT 
operational divisions;
  b.. Require infection control practices, such as coughing and sneezing 
etiquette, and proper tissue usage and disposal;
  c.. Arrange for contactless pay options across all modes of transportation 
that the carriers operate wherever feasible. Such policies shall, wherever 
possible, consider populations that do not have access to internet service;
  d.. Arrange for back door entry on buses wherever feasible, and take seats 
out of service near the bus operator to allow for proper social distancing 
from the bus operator wherever feasible;
  e.. Place conspicuous signage throughout buses, light rail and Access Link 
vehicles, if applicable, alerting workers and customers to the required six 
feet of physical distance;
  f.. Require workers and customers to wear cloth face coverings while on 
buses, light rail and Access Link vehicles except where doing so would 
inhibit that individual's health or where the individual is under two years 
of age, and require workers to wear gloves when in contact with customers. 
These carriers must provide, at their expense, such face coverings and 
gloves for their workers, to the extent supplies are available. If a 
customer refuses to wear a cloth face covering for non-medical reasons, then 
workers for these carriers may decline entry to the individual, and where 
applicable, the carriers will consult with NJ TRANSIT operational divisions 
to institute guidelines to operators on this issue. Nothing in the stated 
policy should prevent workers or customers from wearing a surgical-grade 
mask or other more protective face covering if the individual is already in 
possession of such equipment, or if the carriers are otherwise required to 
provide such worker with more protective equipment due to the nature of the 
work involved. Where an individual declines to wear a face covering due to a 
medical condition that inhibits such usage, neither the carriers nor any of 
their workers shall require the individual to produce medical documentation 
verifying the stated condition
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