Press Releases

UPDATE:
August 30, 2007 – Transit Ridership Surges as Passengers "Spare the Air"
August 31, 2007 – Transit Ridership Surges Again on Second Spare the Air Day

For Immediate Release

FREE RIDES FOR COMMUTERS
ON FIRST FOUR SPARE THE AIR DAYS

MTC, Air District and 29 Transit Partners Team Up
To Offer Complimentary Rides This Summer

Contacts:
John Goodwin, MTC, 510.817.5862
Karen Schkolnick, Air District, 415.749.4900

San Francisco, May 30, 2007… The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) announced today at a press conference at Justin Herman Plaza that they will once again offer free rides to Bay Area residents as part of the summertime Spare the Air program. This year’s free fare program includes a record 29 transit systems from all nine Bay Area counties providing free commutes on four Spare the Air days.

Beginning June 1, free rides will be offered on the first four times the Air District issues a Spare the Air advisory on a non-holiday weekday. New this year — free transit will be available on BART, CalTrain, ACE Train and Bay Area ferries until 1:00 p.m., and all day on Bay Area bus systems. The free morning commutes until one p.m. on BART, CalTrain, ACE Train and Bay Area ferries are provided as an incentive to reduce cold engine starts in the morning as well as to alleviate the overcrowding, service delays and security issues experienced in 2006. Vehicle emissions that occur in the morning are especially troublesome for air quality because these gases are more likely to recombine into ground-level ozone. An $8.5 million dollar undertaking, the free transit incentive program is the largest of its kind in the nation.

“One of the most effective ways residents can help protect public health, the climate, and air quality in the Bay Area is to make everyday clean air choices like driving less and riding transit instead,” said Jack Broadbent, Air District Executive Officer. “The Spare the Air Free Transit incentive provides the public an opportunity to try transit and decrease their dependence on cars — the Bay Area’s number one source of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.”

During the 2006 Spare the Air campaign, nearly 10 percent of Bay Area drivers reduced at least one automobile trip on Spare the Air days, up from 7 percent in 2005.

“This is a major accomplishment given that not driving for just one day avoids almost one pound of smog-forming pollution and 30 pounds of greenhouse gasses,” said MTC Executive Director Steve Heminger. “As the largest free transit program in the country, the Spare the Air free transit initiative is leading the way in mobilizing residents to slow the effects of climate change.”

The Air District declares a Spare the Air day when it forecasts ground-level ozone concentrations to reach unhealthy levels. This situation occurs in summer months when temperatures soar and oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds (typically emitted by cars and other mobile sources) recombine through a complex chemical reaction to form ozone. Ozone, a colorless, odorless gas, is very irritating to the respiratory system and can cause lung damage with repeated exposure.

The following Bay Area transit partners are participating in the 2007 Spare the Air/Free Transit incentive:

AC Transit ACE Alameda-Harbor Bay Ferry Alameda-Oakland Ferry Air BART BART Benicia Breeze CalTrain Cloverdale Transit County Connection (CCCTA) Dumbarton Express Fairfield/Suisun Transit Golden Gate Ferry and Bus (GGBHTD) Healdsburg Transit Wheels Marin County Transit

MUNI Napa VINE American Canyon Transit St. Helena Shuttle Yountville Shuttle Petaluma Transit Rio Vista Delta Breeze SamTrans Santa Rosa City Bus Sonoma County Transit Tri Delta Transit Union City Transit Vacaville City Coach Vallejo Transit and Vallejo Baylink Ferry VTA WestCat

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (www.baaqmd.gov) is the regional agency chartered with protecting air quality in the Bay Area.

MTC is the transportation planning, coordinating and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

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