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TRANSACTIONS NEWSLETTER ONLINE

July/August 2007

Spare the Air/Free Transit: New Twists for Growing Summertime Tradition

MTC Teams up With Air District to Offer Free Rides on Four Smoggy Weekdays

A new incarnation of the Bay Area’s popular Spare the Air/Free Transit program kicked off last month with the official June 1 start of the summer smog season. Thanks to $8.5 million in funding from MTC and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, a record 29 separate transit systems from all nine Bay Area counties will provide free commutes on up to four Spare the Air weekdays through October 12, 2007.

Around the region, nearly two dozen buses and three BART cars serve as rolling advertisements for the campaign. The star of the promotion is a green-tinted, hip-looking guy who sends the message that “it’s cool to be green” and doubly cool to ride public transit.

The green-tinted “cool guy” in the ad campaign in real life is Tim Lee of San Francisco, a stand-up comedian and actor. (Photo: Noah Berger)

The free rides will be offered the first four times the Air District issues a Spare the Air advisory on a nonholiday weekday. Free transit will be available on BART, Caltrain, Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) and Bay Area ferries until 1 p.m., and all day on the region’s bus and light-rail systems, including the Valley Transportation Authority and Muni Metro.

Last summer, transit ridership jumped an average of 15 percent on Spare the Air/Free Transit days and some of the ferry and rail systems recorded much higher numbers.

“The free-ride program was popular far beyond our expectations, and we greatly exceeded our ridership targets. But on the flip side, the unexpected crowds led to delays and security problems on some lines during some periods,” said Air District Spokeswoman Luna Salaver. “This year, we fine-tuned the program to meet these challenges.”

Bay Area Transit Partners in the
2007 Spare the Air/Free Transit Incentive:

  • AC Transit
  • ACE (Altamont Commuter Express)
  • Alameda-Harbor Bay Ferry
  • Alameda-Oakland Ferry
  • Air BART
  • BART
  • Benicia Breeze
  • Caltrain
  • Cloverdale Transit
  • County Connection
  • Dumbarton Express
  • Fairfield/Suisun Transit
  • Golden Gate Transit and Ferry
  • Healdsburg Transit
  • Marin County Transit
  • Napa VINE
    • American Canyon Transit
    • St. Helena Shuttle
    • Yountville Shuttle
  • Petaluma Transit
  • Rio Vista Delta Breeze
  • SamTrans
  • San Francisco Muni
  • Santa Rosa CityBus
  • Sonoma County Transit
  • Tri Delta Transit
  • Union City Transit
  • Vacaville City Coach
  • Vallejo Transit and Baylink Ferry
  • Valley Transportation Authority
  • WestCat
  • Wheels

By limiting free rides on BART, Caltrain, ACE and the ferries to passengers who board before 1 p.m., sponsors expect to cut down on the overcrowding and unruly behavior that occurred last year, particularly on trips from downtown San Francisco back to the East Bay, Marin and the Peninsula. Now in its fifth summertime run, the Spare the Air/Free Transit program has added more participating transit agencies each year and is the largest of its kind in the nation. During the 2006 Spare the Air campaign, nearly 10 percent of Bay Area drivers eliminated at least one automobile trip on Spare the Air days, up from 7 percent in 2005.

“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.”

“One commuter choosing not to drive for just one day avoids almost one pound of smog-forming pollution and about 25 pounds of greenhouse gases,” 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 that ground-level ozone concentrations will 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) react through a complex chemical process to form ozone. Ozone, a colorless, odorless gas, is irritating to the respiratory system and can cause lung damage with repeated exposure.

On Spare the Air days, the Air District not only asks residents to ride transit more and “burn calories, not fuel” by walking and bicycling, it also discourages the use of gas-powered garden equipment and aerosol sprays. — John Goodwin

Subscribe to “AirAlert” e-mail notices at www.sparetheair.org.

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