TriMet said it is now disinfecting all surfaces passengers are likely to touch on buses and MAX trains every night, a change the transit agency says is an “extra level of precaution” amid ongoing concerns about coronavirus.

Roberta Altstadt, a TriMet spokeswoman, said Thursday the agency is disinfecting all of what she described as “touch points” on buses and light rail trains. Those include doors, poles and other surfaces riders grab on to while in transit.

“There is much uncertainty about coronavirus, but one thing is certain, preventing the spread will take all of us,” she said in a statement.

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TriMet does clean its trains and buses every day, but the routine varies depending on the conditions aboard the buses or trains. Some vehicles are mopped and swept, some are wiped down and some have a more thorough deep cleaning at night.

The policy change means every vehicle in use that day will be wiped down with a disinfectant. That translates, Altstadt said, to at least 114 MAX vehicles and at least 584 buses every weekday. Twenty-six workers are on the cleaning crew, and other employees are being offered overtime to help out, Altstadt said.

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She urged passengers to remember that even with beefed up nightly cleaning, a door or pole is only clean until “someone touches it, sneezes on it or coughs on it.”

Altstadt urged riders to wash their hands frequently and to stay home when sick.

“If you must ride, even if you have a cold or allergies and do not have a fever or trouble breathing, please consider using a mask,” she said in an email. “And, always cover coughs and sneezes and be aware of others.”

-- Andrew Theen; atheen@oregonian.com; 503-294-4026; @andrewtheen

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