Press Releases

MTC Commissioner Amy Worth's Speech
Spare The Air/Free Transit Program Kickoff
Justin Herman Plaza, San Francisco
Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Good afternoon. I’m Amy Worth, and in addition to my job as a City Council member in Orinda, I represent the cities of Contra Costa County on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

I am proud that MTC and the Air District are sponsoring this year’s Spare the Air/Free Transitpromotion.  And I’m extremely pleased by the way that we have been able to not just expand the program over the past several years, but also to continually refine the program to better meet the needs of the traveling public.

The Spare the Air/Free Transit program was extremely popular last summer, when — as we all remember — we had two extended heat waves. Bay Area transit ridership jumped an average of 15 percent on Spare the Air/Free Transit days last summer, and some transit agencies — most notably the region’s ferries and rail systems — recorded much higher numbers. This led to overcrowding, scheduling delays and security problems on some lines.

So this year, we’ve fine-tuned the Spare the Air/Free Transit program to meet these challenges. Most of the Bay Area’s transit agencies will offer free rides all day on the first four non-holiday weekdays for which the Air District issues a Spare the Air declaration. But for BART, Caltrain, ACE and the ferries, the free rides will be available only to passengers who board before 1 p.m.  This change is expected to cut down on the overcrowding and unruly behavior that occurred during some of the afternoon peak periods last year, particularly on trips from downtown San Francisco back to the East Bay, Marin and the Peninsula.

This adjustment is part of the ongoing evolution of the Spare the Air/Free Transit program. Back in 2003, the first agency to offer free rides on Spare the Air days was WHEELS, the service operated by the Livermore-Amador Valley Transit Authority in eastern Alameda County. Then in 2004, MTC and the Air District jumped on board, and added BART as a participating transit agency. A year later, the program grew to include 21 different operators and then 24 agencies in 2006. Now even more agencies are taking part. A total of 29 transit operators will be opening their faregates or covering their fareboxes on as many as four weekdays during the Spare the Air season that begins on Friday. To each of these agencies, I say, “Welcome aboard.”

Of course we all know there’s really no such thing as a free ride. The money to operate the trains, staff the stations, and keep the lights and signs turned on has to come from somewhere. In this case, most of the money is coming from MTC.

Based on the success of the past few years — which showed that free rides really are an effective inducement for commuters to ride transit instead of driving — MTC committed up to $7.5 million in federal transportation funds to expand the free morning commute promotion throughout the Bay Area. The Air District has pledged another $1 million to bring the total regional commitment to $8.5 million.

The Spare the Air/Free Transit program focuses on making transit a more attractive option for commuters when it is especially important to do so. Typically, there are just a few days each year when pollution levels in the Bay Area even approach federal and state limits. These are the days the Air District calls Spare the Air Days. And these are the days when it makes the most sense to dig a little deeper and spend more money to lure people out of their cars — because motor vehicles are the single largest source of pollution in the Bay Area.

Besides taking advantage of free transit rides, there are other things we want people to do to help maintain air quality on those hot, windless days when conditions are ripe for smog accumulation. When multiplied thousands of times over, seemingly small steps like waiting until after 6 p.m. to fill your gas tank, taking a holiday from painting your house or mowing your lawn, or not using starter fluid to light your backyard barbecue can make a huge difference.

Easing traffic congestion and maintaining the Bay Area’s air quality are big jobs that require MTC, the Air District, dozens of different transit operators, and other agencies to work together and innovate together. The Spare the Air/Free Transitpromotion is testimony to the great spirit of cooperation between MTC, the Air District, and Bay Area transit agencies.

Back to Press Release: Free Rides for Commuters on First Four Spare the Air Days