With as much as there is to see and do in Mammoth Lakes, you need to have a plan for how to get around. Even though there are plenty of outdoors attractions grouped in and around Mammoth Lakes, if you don’t mind taking public transit or the weather allows for bike riding then you can access most of it without getting behind the wheel of a car.
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic complicates getting around Mammoth Lakes just like it complicates everything else. The Mammoth Bound team wants everyone visiting Mammoth Lakes to have a safe and happy trip, so we’ve written a quick guide to how Mammoth Lakes public transit is operating in response to COVID-19 and what it means for your trip. Check it out below before you visit town!
The EST Requires Social Distancing and Masks
Mammoth Mountain’s public transit needs are covered under the Eastern Sierra Transit Authority, which runs several routes through Mammoth Lakes and throughout the region.
Like the rest of Mammoth Lakes, the EST is currently following county and state health orders, which means everyone but children under the age of two must wear masks in order to ride the busses and shuttles. Along with mandatory mask mandates, EST vehicles are also enforcing social distancing by enforcing a passenger capacity limit. Despite the capacity limit, most EST routes have not seen significant delays or really any disruptions of service due to COVID. In fact, the only two routes that riders are recommended to make a reservation for ahead of time are the Reno and Lancaster routes and the Mammoth Night Trolley currently runs up to midnight only.
As the world better understands COVID-19, policies will change. To stay in the know with how EST’s COVID policies change along with the virus, follow EST’s Twitter account. You can also visit their website to get more information about their winter and summer routes. Click here for information about winter routes. To see their summer only routes, click here.
How to Use Public Transit Safely
We’ve already talked about wearing a mask and social distancing on the EST, but the reality is that you should be doing those things on all types of public transit.
Although many people use public transit every day, if you take basic safety precautions like wearing a mask and social distancing then you will drastically increase your chances of staying safe and healthy while riding it. If you have a flexible schedule then you can go even further by avoiding public transit during peak travel times. Doing so will not only take strain off public transit systems that could be dealing with capacity limits on their vehicles, but most importantly it will give you a better chance to social distance when you ride. Of course, you should also keep your mask on at all times when riding public transit and wash your hands thoroughly with hot water and soap as soon as possible once you’re off. Doing so will protect you and your community, and ultimately help places like Mammoth Lakes open up sooner as the virus declines!
Carpooling and COVID-19
We know that many people carpool to Mammoth Lakes, but until the virus is under control you should only carpool with people from your household. If you do carpool with people from outside your house, then wear a mask and do your best to ventilate the car by either opening a window or setting the air conditioning to non-recirculation mode.