Ride Transit Free on June 19!

News Articles
06/10/2008

Thirty Bay Area transit operators–including AC Transit–will provide free transit on Thursday, June 19, as part of this summer’s Spare the Air campaign. In recent years, transit was free on several actual Spare the Air days–days where the ground-level ozone reaches unhealthy levels. This year, with a pre-determined free-transit day, more Bay Area commuters can plan ahead to try transit and then–it’s hoped–stick with it, on Spare the Air days and every day.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission are sponsoring the promotion to build transit ridership, and reduce air pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases. Every gallon of gas saved by taking transit is 20 pounds of carbon dioxide reduced!

Transit will be free all day on Bay Area bus and light-rail systems, and until 12 noon on BART, Caltrain, the ACE train, Capitol Corridor trains, and on the Golden Gate, Alameda, and Vallejo ferries. The June 19 date coincides with the third annual “Dump the Pump” day, a national promotion sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association.

The Air District and MTC will reimburse transit operators for the free transit day with up to $1.8 million in federal funding remaining from the 2007 Spare the Air campaign. The following Bay Area transit partners are participating:

AC Transit
ACE
Alameda-Harbor Bay Ferry
Alameda-Oakland Ferry
Air BART
BART
Benicia Breeze
Caltrain
Capitol Corridor
Cloverdale Transit
County Connection (CCCTA)
Dumbarton Express
Fairfield/Suisun Transit
Golden Gate Ferry and Bus (GGBHTD)
Healdsburg Transit
Wheels (LAVTA)
Marin County Transit
Muni
Napa VINE
American Canyon Shuttle
St. Helena Shuttle
Yountville Shuttle
Petaluma Transit
Rio Vista Delta Breeze
SamTrans
Santa Rosa CityBus
Sonoma County Transit
Tri Delta Transit
Union City Transit
Vacaville City Coach
Vallejo Transit and Baylink Ferry
VTA
WestCat

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the regional agency chartered with protecting air quality in the Bay Area.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission is the transportation planning, coordinating, and financing agency for the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area.

Learn more about Spare the Air