While this has been the deal on busses for quite a while, MTD recently expanded their smoke and tobacco policy to include bus shelters, outdoor waiting areas at Illinois Terminal, bus benches (owned by MTD) and it even limits smoking at regular bus stops when a bus is present.
Says Marketing Manager Autumn Soliman, “we want transportation to be accessible to everyone and secondhand smoke can make that difficult for some, especially our most vulnerable passengers like children, the elderly, and those with COPD, asthma, and other respiratory illnesses.” They’ve gotten some positive feedback about the change, and most passengers have been very understanding when asked to put out their cigarettes.
They partnered with Brain Garden, an organization focused on reducing smoke and tobacco waste, to procure reusable pocket ashtrays that can be handed out to customers. The ashtrays :are made from recycled materials with air-tight seal and a flame-resistant foil lining, so it puts the cigarette out while keeping the smell locked away and the butt off the ground.”
You can read more about the new policy here.
Top photo provided by MTD.