Telegraph photo by ADAM URQUHART The Nashua Transit System rolled out four bus routes this week after suspending fixed route service at the end of March.

NASHUA – This week the Nashua Transit System resumed some of its bus routes while the Division of Public Works began easing back restrictions on recreational spaces in the city.

During Wednesday’s city press conference officials from both departments provided an overview of their plans.

Nashua Transportation Manager Camille Pattison said four bus routes rolled out on Monday that should provide a significant amount of coverage in the city. The fixed route service was suspended at the end of March while city-wide on-demand van service was offered.

Those four routes include the North Route, covering French Hill, Amherst St. and Dartmouth Hitchcock; Central Route, covering Crown Hill, Nashua Mall and Broad St.; South Route, covering South Nashua, D.W. Highway and Northeastern Blvd.; and West Route, covering Lake St., West Hollis St., Harris Rd., and Ledge St.

The School Lunch Delivery program has also been operating over the past couple months, and Pattison said this service will continue through the summer.

As the city gradually reopens from the pandemic shutdowns, safety precautions will remain in place.

“Our number one priority is maintaining the safety of our employees and our passengers,” Pattison said.

Safety steps include sanitizing all facilities and vehicles on a daily basis, exercising reduced passenger capacity with signage on bus seats and installing hand sanitizer dispensers on all vehicles, both fixed route buses and the van fleet.

There is increased signage at the Nashua Transit Center alerting passengers that they need to wear a face covering to board a city bus.

Pattison said the city does not want that to be a barrier for folks looking to ride the bus so, while supplies last, buses will have individually packaged disposable masks that passengers can put on when riding. NTS is temporarily asking passengers to enter through the rear door of buses.

“This is just until we have a more permanent barrier installed at the front of the bus,” Pattison said. “The barrier provides an extra level of protection between the driver and the passengers boarding.”

Riders needing wheelchair assistance need to indicate that to the driver and they will let them board from the front of the vehicle.

People are also asked to be cognizant of how they are feeling. If ill or experiencing any symptoms that may be related to COVID-19, people are asked to refrain from taking the bus.

The Nashua Transit Center will remain closed until city hall reopens.

Director of Public Works Lisa Fauteux said city parks have begun to reopen as well. Basketball courts can now have four people at a time. Skate parks can now have 10 people utilizing them at a time for a maximum of an hour per person to allow others to utilize the space. Every other pit at the horseshoe facility is also open. Pickle ball and tennis courts are also now open.

“We expect to open playgrounds, which is probably our biggest request, with some restrictions on June 15, again following the governor’s guidelines,” Fauteux said.

However, officials are still considering the opening of city swimming pools. Fauteux said there are many challenges to this, including what other neighboring communities are doing and then also with limits on capacity and distancing concerns.

Camps such as archery, field hockey and baseball, to name a few, will be offered if there is enough interest.

“Camps will have a ratio of nine campers to one councilor, so space is limited,” Fauteux said. “We will be following strict guidelines provided by the state and these camps can be registered online at the park and rec website.”

City fields are also opening this week with restrictions – a maximum of 10 people with that nine-to-one ratio of students to one councilor. Fauteux said the fields will be for practice only, with no games allowed at this time. Reservations will be required to utilize these spaces which can be made through the parks and recreation website. Fauteux also said that these are rules being provided by the governor, the state of New Hampshire and the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“We will be modifying and hopefully expanding these programs as we receive additional guidance from the state,” Fauteux said.

Mayor Jim Donchess said people should continue exercising caution. He said there is some good news on the COVID-19 front as progress is being made in preventing the spread of the virus. Although there are still new cases, Donchess said the biggest positive indicator is that of all of the tests that are being run, the number of people who actually test positive is falling. He said that is the case across the state.

“When the testing began, over 10 percent of the people being tested came back positive,” Donchess said. “Now, that percentage has gradually been going down for 37 days now, down to around 6 percent.”

At the time of Wednesday’s press conference, 86 percent of Nashua’s COVID-19 cases had recovered.

Adam Urquhart may be contacted at 594-1206, or at aurquhart@nashuatelegraph.com.