MISSION — Kayak Public Transit has been sidelined since March 23 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but some extra precautions and federal funds from the coronavirus relief bill have the vital regional resource preparing to offer free rides again soon.

“Our primary concern was the health of our passengers and staff,” said J.D. Tovey, who is the planning director for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation and oversees the transit program. “We understand that our passengers and communities rely on us as an economic lifeline in the region, and we’re doing everything we can to be able to provide those services again.”

Tovey said Kayak, which regularly provides free rides on three fixed routes and four commuter bus services that connect 16 different communities between Umatilla, Morrow, Union and Walla Walla counties, is coordinating an eventual return to service with the CTUIR’s Incident Command Team and its reopening committee.

After initially increasing sanitation protocols in the first weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Tovey said the CTUIR didn’t want the service to be the source of the virus spreading throughout Eastern Oregon.

While Tovey said Kayak won’t return until it’s considered safe to do so, more than $306,000 earmarked for the tribes’ transit services have them preparing measures to make that happen sooner rather than later.

For starters, Tovey said they recently placed large orders for personal protective equipment, such as masks and gloves, that will be worn by every driver and available to every rider. The transit service also plans to continue its initial rigorous sanitation methods, which Tovey said included staff going from completely wiping down the bus the regular two or three times a week during flu season to every single day.

According to Tovey, Kayak is also looking into installing plexiglass shields that would, in theory, protect bus drivers from interacting with members of the public.

“We want to be prepared for whatever the long-term effects of this all will be, and begin serving the region again as soon as we can do so safely,” he said.

The federal funding has also helped Kayak keep all of its drivers and employees on the payroll during its extended closure.

“Fortunately, one of the allowable uses for that funding was to help keep staff employed,” Tovey said.

Pendleton’s Let’er Bus Transit

Along with the CTUIR’s allotment, the coronavirus relief bill also set aside approximately $137,444 for the city of Pendleton’s Let’er Bus Transit, which provides deviated and fixed bus routes, a taxi service for seniors and people with disabilities, a general taxi service, senior meal transportation and daily van rides.

According to Linda Carter, who is the city’s finance director and oversees its transit program, the federal funding won’t be sent directly for local government use but will be available for reimbursement, and the city will likely use its allocation for the program’s operational costs during the pandemic.

Unlike Kayak, Let’er Bus only serves the city of Pendleton and didn’t pose the same risks of spreading the virus throughout the region. Carter said the senior meal service was discontinued because the senior center has closed during the pandemic, but otherwise all of the program’s services are running with some minor changes.

“Every option that we have usually provided is still up and running,” Carter said.

Drivers will be wearing face masks and offering one to riders, and the funds will help pay staff during daily downtimes to constantly sanitize their vehicles.

“We know that’s especially important because many of our riders are elderly or disabled, and many are more vulnerable to this virus,” Carter said.

Transit tickets are usually available at city hall, but due to the building closures from COVID-19, tickets can be purchased at the Elite Taxi Transit office on Southeast Dorion Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Overall, Carter said ridership numbers declined “slightly” in March and expected another drop in April, though she had yet to see official figures.