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