Masks will no longer be required on the Valley Metro or Metro McAllen after a federal judge in Florida ended the federal mask mandate on public transit.

But not too many are celebrating the change just yet.

After more than a year since the February 2021 order, masks are no longer something needed for a bus ride, but practically every rider seen Tuesday kept their mask handy.

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“I don’t plan on taking it off,” Maria Alcantar, a McAllen resident, said in Spanish.

Another resident said her bus driver gave her the news Tuesday morning, but she said she isn’t changing her masking habits anytime soon.

“I’m good. I mean, for me, I’m used to wearing it now, mainly to take care of myself, because I’m an older age, but not all people will think the same,” said McAllen resident Tomasa De Leon.

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Robert De León, the city of McAllen’s assistant transit director, isn’t too far behind. He believes social distancing is still hard to do while in a bus.

“We feel that the public wanted to wear masks to keep themselves safe,” De León said. “I think for a lot of us — myself personally — that’s what I’ve been doing.”

While the city will continue to offer their employees and riders masks, it’s one less thing that employees need to enforce. As the routes continue, some riders are choosing to keep their face coverings on for some time.

“I think I will wear it until there is nothing left,” Tomasa De Leon said.

The update also applies to the city of McAllen’s paratransit service and Micro McAllen, which is the city’s equivalent of an Uber service.