Service Alerts
Coronavirus: Additional Bus Service Adjustments in Effect Monday, April 13th
April 5, 2020
UPDATE
5/11/20 – The County of San Bernardino no longer mandates face coverings when leaving your house, therefore our operators will no longer enforce face coverings for customers to board, or while riding, Omnitrans buses. Face coverings are strongly encouraged during the pandemic.
UPDATE
04/28/20 – Fare suspension has been extended through May 31, 2020.
UPDATE
04/08/20 – Starting Tuesday, April 8, 2020. All Omnitrans customers traveling for essential needs are now required to wear a face covering upon entering and while riding any Omnitrans bus, effective immediately. > READ MORE
As we continue to navigate through this challenging time, the safety of our employees and customers remains our top priority. In order to maintain lifeline transportation services while supporting public health efforts, Omnitrans will be implementing further service reductions effective Monday, April 13, 2020 (listed below) as people continue to stay at home to combat the spread of COVID-19.
OTHER ADJUSTMENTS IN PLACE: Effective today, April 6, 2020, no more than 20 customers can be onboard large buses at one time in order to allow sufficient social distancing. All customers must EXIT the bus when the route has made one complete loop to prevent non-essential travel without a destination. Rear boarding and exiting only (except for those with mobility devices) and fare suspension on all Omnitrans services is extended through Thursday, April 30, 2020. (Update: Fare suspension extended through May 31, 2020.)
The first service reduction, implemented last month, remains in effect. The following additional service changes will be implemented beginning Monday, April 13th:
| Route | Areas Served | Change |
| 5 | San Bernardino, Colton | Will operate every 45 minutes, seven days a week. Routing remains unchanged. |
| 7 | San Bernardino | Eliminated permanently (was previously planned for elimination in September 2020). |
| 12 | San Bernardino, Rialto, Fontana, Muscoy | Will utilize OmniGo minibuses (pictured below). Schedule remains unchanged. |
| 20 | Fontana, Unincorporated County | Eliminated permanently (was previously planned for elimination in September 2020). |
| 29 | Fontana, Bloomington | Will utilize OmniGo minibuses (pictured below). Schedule remains unchanged. |
| 67 | Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga | Temporarily eliminated due to low ridership. |
| 80 | Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario | Temporarily eliminated due to low ridership. |
| 81 | Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Chino | Half-hour trips to Chaffey College from Rancho Cucamonga Civic Center eliminated (including routing on Foothill, Aspen, and Red Oak) due to low ridership. |
| 290 | San Bernardino, Colton, Ontario, Montclair | Temporarily eliminated due to low ridership. |
| 308 | Yucaipa | Eliminated permanently (was previously planned for elimination in September 2020). |
| 309/310 | Yucaipa | Route 309 and 310 will operate every 60 minutes on weekdays. Route 309 will operate every 30 minutes on both Saturdays and Sundays. |
| 365 | Chino Hills | Will temporarily operate on a Saturday schedule Monday through Saturday. Sunday schedule will continue unchanged. |
If you are personally left without any transportation service for essential needs as a result of the service reduction, please contact us at 1-800-966-6428.
We remind customers to do their part to reduce the potential spread of COVID-19 by limiting travel on Omnitrans to essential trips only. If your trip is not essential, please stay home as to not put yourself and others at risk.
All of us at Omnitrans appreciate your patience and understanding as we work through this global health emergency together.
- August Service Changes
What’s New For Summer – Fall 2024 We’re happy to - Meet the Planner!
Meet the Planner! Omnitrans is committed to providing safe, reliable, - January Service Changes
Below is a list of what’s new in 2024 January
People live on the bus 20 route..why eliminate it, but I guess you all think no one in the unincorporated are works and rides the buses!…and put them back ( all the buses) on regular schedule please..if only a certain number are allowed then those buses need to come more then an hour at a time.
Data shows that ridership has been low on Route 20, even more so during the pandemic. Parts of Route 20 will be folded into Route 82 in September (final schedule and route TBD). As people stay home under order, ridership has decreased and we have adjusted service accordingly. For routes that are heavily impacted at certain times of day, additional buses are being deployed as necessary.
Okay say route 82 is taking over route 20s stops but that doesn’t start till September. What are we suppose to do until then ?
Yeah the 82 is going to go down Merrill Avenue when it gets to Citrus avenue and it’s going to make a left turn on Citrus Avenue go straight down Citrus Avenue over the 10 freeway now How that going to help us out
Route 7 seem to have been used by many including myself, why was it permanently eliminated?
This change was part of the ConnectForward service plan which we took public input on earlier this year. Elimination of Route 7 was proposed, with service being folded into new Route 6. The ConnectForward plan took into account low ridership levels, duplicated service, and streamlines our system for a sustainable financial future that aligns with ridership demand. You can view that plan here: https://omnitrans.org/connectforward/
Cancelling Route 7 and all other adjustments may violate State and Federal laws, since they are made without public hearings and interfere the activities in low income areas.
The service changes that have been put into and those that will be going into effect are part of Omnitrans Emergency Service Deployment Plan, which is being implemented at our agency, along with many others across the nation, in response to the current health crisis and loss of ridership. Any permanent changes are the implementation of Omnitrans’ ConnectForward service plan, which was vetted with 22 public meetings last winter: https://omnitrans.org/omnitrans-seeks-public-comment-on-significant-service-changes-for-fall-2020/
what do riders do if their route is eliminated. which is odd since I use route 7 which is used be high schoolers and college students and regular people;like myself trying to get to work or around town. what do I do if I have no transportation
For the duration of the health emergency, if you are left without transit, please call us at 1-800-966-6428. In September, part of Route 7 service will be folded into the new Route 6.
Will omnitrans be providing plexiglass for the drivers to keep them safe as the grocery stores have already done?
There was a pilot in the works prior to the coronavirus outbreak, but no plan to retrofit our buses immediately. There has been no front door boarding for a few weeks now, and as of tomorrow, everyone in the county must wear a protective face covering, which adds another layer of protection for our essential coach operators.
Before this coronavirus outbreak, plexiglass should have been put in to give some sort of protection for the drivers.There have been numerous attacks on driver’s and 1 stabbed to death and no kind of safety action taken for that except a little note saying you will be fined if you touch the driver. What about wheelchair passenger’s, don’t wheelchair passenger’s have to board through the front or are you not providing services to wheelchair passenger’s?
I take the 290 to Ontario Mills and I walk to work from there to Inland Empire and Mercedes Lane, now what am I going to do, how am I going to get to work
We’re very sorry for the inconvenience, Myrtle. It was a tough decision we wish we didn’t have to make. Please give us a call at 1 (800) 966-6428 and speak to one of our customer service reps for additional assistance with your transportation.
People take the 81 from the rancho to the industrial areas of Ontario like UPS/FedEx Airport hubs, Amazon . Why cut that bus service to there
Only the half hour trips to Chaffey College north of the Rancho Cucamonga Civic Center on Route 81 are being eliminated due to school closures.
That is going to hert me I ride the 67 to work everyday and know how am I going to get to work why
Is there a new procedure to get drivers to stop when your standing at the bus stop? Route 14 drivers on a few occasions have almost passed me by until I start waving my arms in the air. The drivers have stated they need to be flagged down to stop. This is ridiculous when I’m standing under the sign with a mask on. It happened today on the 14 eastbound around 2pm on Sierra in Fontana accross the street from the post office right before you get to foothill it was a Hispanic female driver. Can this be addressed with the drivers? Or is this a new procedure?
That’s not part of our emergency adjustments. I apologize for the inconvenience and will forward this to our supervisors to investigate and address. Thank you for letting us know.
Eliminating route 20 was my only way to get to work . Way to go Omnitrans . Thank you so much ….
I take the 290 everyday to go to work from Claremont to Ontario Mills/airport area, why can’t you guys just have reduced hours for that bus? I know people who work at Ontario who depend on the bus to go to San Bernardino
Totally understand your frustration and apologize for the inconvenience, Emily. These decisions were not easy to make, and as more people stay home to slow down spread of coronavirus, we had to adjust in alignment with our ridership levels. Please call us at 1 (800) 966-6428 if you are left without transit and we will try to provide other assistance.
RTA is running their 204 from Montclair to Ontario (in roughly the same route) still, though on a limited M-F schedule. It might would work in a pinch.
Riverside transit agency route 204 commuter link
Thank you Omnitrans for your quick executions and adjustments you have made to keep people moving in the inland empire. I know we are all perhaps a little tired, unsure and uneasy & apprehensive, but to deny someone a ride because they may not have a face mask/covering is leaving out what needs to remain, especially during these unprecedented times, and that is compassion. I would think that leaving someone out in the rain would be leaving them SO MUCH MORE likely to get sick than spreading any type of virus.
What you do to the least of these, you do into our Creator… Food for thought. Compassion and Mercy should never be taken out over fear or precaution.
Or perhaps even have masks available for ridership… Even as sanitizer dispenser in every bus. Shouldn’t be too expensive.
Bless you all in wisdom and compassion during these trying times. I really believe you are so doing a great job.
Best,
Mark Anthony
I have called and was given rude customer service.[spoke to a lady.] I was given one option to get to work. I was told if I cant get to the bus to take a cab to work. and I had to call again[talked to sandra.]. to get more answers and the service was okay.howeever I was told that even if the bus was full with 20 people I would be stuck waiting for the bus even though I’m an essential worker(and I have a letter from my job) This elimination of route 7 is not helpful for the riders who need it in this time. I understand that it may not have been used much in this time of epidemic however
omnitrans will be leaving a lot of riders stranded starting next week.
I am very disappointed in this decision and in the customer service I received today. there was no care or concern given. I wanted to talk to a supervisor and that was not an option and was sent to a voicemail that just kept ringing. so to sum it up I recieved no help or solutions to get me to work.
it will be nice if I could get an email in response
Apologies for the inconvenience, Katrina. This has been forwarded to our customer service manager and they will reach out to you via email. Thank you.
Especially disappointed in regard to the discontinuation of route 20. I rode that route almost everyday for nearly 15 years growing up in Fontana, to and from school, visit friends, out to the mall and even my first job. The frequent 30 minute service and access into Downtown and South Fontana provided myself and other local residents access to local businesses and landmarks, and for all intents and purposes, numerous opportunities, and was absolutely paramount whilst living in an otherwise blighted and underserved area. The symbolism of connectivity, a 40 foot bus rolling daily, and just outside your front door, can not be undermined.
Waxing nostalgic of yesteryear amongst this pandemic.
I am sorry but all info is not readily available on this website. I didnt know til Monday April 13th my express line, the #290 was cancelled until Monday April 13. Even the driver on the line 22 to Arrowhead Hospital did not know. I found out after I waited up to 15 mins after the standard of arrival time of 7:19am. Now as an essential worker I cant make to work with adjusting my bus schedule greatly. Which means I will be at work too early or too late. Too late means you of course docked wages. I know this is possibly venting at best but there has got to be a better way to inform essential workers.
Thank you!
Hi Kimberly. We apologize for the inconvenience. As you can see, this service change information was published April 6th, was posted on our homepage, social media channels, in some local newspapers, and in an email that was sent out last week. If there are any methods that would be helpful to communicate this information to you, please let us know by writing into onlinemktg@omnitrans.org. Again, apologies for the service reduction. Thank you for your patience and understanding during this challenging time.
I know you are trying too do things in favor of all interests. But reducing service for some routes only makes the crowding worse. Example I am 67, disabled, and there is NO help for elderly disabled in san bernardino, so I have to leave my place, maybe three times a week, walk to a bus stop with NO BENCH and NO SHADE, and get on a number 2 that might have us so crowded because of those FALSE conserns for trhe driver that you need to put a sign up, if you want to catch the virus get on this bus. It gets worse to then travel the number 3/4 buses because you have reduced the service. THAT makes no sense at all. You are saying you wouyld think it better that you would make people wait for maybe two hours out in the elements so yuo can have a FALSE BUFFER ZONE for drivers? WHOP thought of these things? NO ONE with any medical knowledge.
We understand your frustration, Raymond. These decisions have not been ideal or easy to make, but given the decline in demand, we have had to adjust our service to align with ridership levels during the pandemic. The buffer is for our driver’s to be able to practice social distancing. If you need additional assistance for your essential travel, please call us at 1-800-966-6428.
How long will the bus fares be waved?
does the omni go mini bus have a bike rack?
Yes, OmniGo has bike racks.
Route 20 was the only way for me to get to the Metro Station so that I could catch my second bus to get to work. Route 20 was most convenient during rainy and hot days. Riding the bus is cheaper than taking a taxi /car service and for that reason I prefer to take the bus to get to my destination(s). How inconsiderate to remove this route, Omnitrans.
We understand and apologize for the inconvenience, Milo. We’re happy to discuss alternative options for you. Please call us at 1-800-966-6428 for assistance with trip planning.
Is the 82 still gonna service the Target in Fontana I work in that shopping center and depend on the bus
As you see on the listed service adjustments, Route 82 is not affected during the COVID-19 emergency.
I took the bus the last couple of days and I am impressed with how clean all the buses look on route 85, 88 and 66. I wish I could pay to support omnitrans during this time but riding for free has given me a sample of how easy I could get to where I want to go without a car. I really appreciate the buses still running and for all the bus drivers doing their job during this difficult time.
Thank you for the compliemnt, Nancy! Happy to be here to serve those who need it.
Will the buses still be free after April 30th or do the riders need to pay for bus passes again
Fare collection is suspended through end of May 2020.