Transactions Online

September 2004

New Weapon in Smog Battle: Free BART Rides

The offer of free BART rides on smoggy days apparently is having the intended effect. Thanks to the promotion, BART’s daily ridership jumped by 16,000 on the smog season’s first weekday “Spare the Air” day, and by 24,000 on the second, according to preliminary estimates.

In June, MTC, BART and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District announced a groundbreaking deal to allow travelers to ride BART free during the morning commute (before 9 a.m.) of the 2004 ozone season’s first five Spare the Air days (that fall on weekdays). The three agencies are testing whether free rides are an effective inducement for Bay Area commuters to choose public transit over solo driving. MTC is covering the estimated $2 million cost of the free-ride program with federal dollars.

The Air District declares a Spare the Air day on hot, windless days when it expects unhealthy ozone levels. The ozone season runs from June to October.

— Brenda Kahn & John Goodwin

---

Contents

• Bay Bridge East Span
• Political Deadlock Threatens to Slow Bay Bridge East Span Project
• Facts and Figures: Bay Bridge East Span Costs Up Close
• In Brief
• Feds Recognize Two Progressive MTC Programs
• New Weapon in Smog Battle: Free BART Rides
• Popular 511 Driving Times^SM Expands Coverage