Free Public Transit for the Bay Area (Spare the Air Day)

612bv3 · July 26th, 2005, 04:15 AM

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../BAspare25.DTL
2005's first Spare the Air Day on Tuesday
Most area transit agencies to offer free rides
Suzanne Herel, Chronicle Staff Writer

Monday, July 25, 2005

Bay Area commuters who leave their cars at home Tuesday will get a free ride on their pick of public transit, from cable cars to ferries.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District today announced the first Spare the Air Day of the year — and the first ever to include nearly all the region’s transit agencies, including some of the largest operators, such as BART and Muni. Last year, the pilot program was confined to two days on BART, which reportedly drew 40,000 additional riders.

“This is unprecedented,” said district spokesman Darrell Waller. “This has never been done in any municipality anywhere.”

The free ride is courtesy of a $3.9 million federal grant and the unhealthy air quality predicted for the East Bay, which is expected to violate federal standards, Waller said. The program is coordinated by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Air quality works on a grading system similar to national security, Waller said. Most of the time, it’s in the green or yellow zones.

“Tomorrow we’re going to be in the orange, meaning it’s going to be really, really bad for people with breathing problems and the young and elderly,” he said.

That means hot temperatures, high pressure and little wind, an atmosphere ripe for creating ground-level ozone. “Sometimes people think we call these days just to be calling them, but there’s a lot of science that goes into them,” Waller said.

According to Luna Salaver, a spokeswoman for the air quality group, the 21 participating agencies would see about 1.4 million riders on a typical summer morning.

The agency hopes to boost that number.

There are 5.1 million cars registered in the Bay Area, she said, and each one contributes a little less than a pound of pollution per day.

The free rides will be offered between 4 and 9 a.m., Salaver said. Later return trips are at the riders’ expense for two reasons: emissions cause worse pollution in the morning because of the sun’s heat, and to offer free rides both ways would cut down on the number of Spare the Air Days that could be funded.

Right now, the agency is prepared to offer five such days between now and Oct. 14, the period of the year when smog is at its worst.

Ozone is formed from the combination of volatile organic compounds with nitrogen oxides in the presence of heat and sunlight. These gases are emitted from tailpipes, evaporating gasoline, paints and household products including hairspray.

612bv3 · July 26th, 2005, 04:16 AM

Come on people, get out of your cars and take public transit tomorrow.

sequoias · July 26th, 2005, 05:11 AM

uh oh! Sounds like a bad one there, hope lots of people will take the transit tomorrow.

VansTripp · July 26th, 2005, 05:13 AM

for one day or everyday?

GetOnDaTrain · July 26th, 2005, 05:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 612bv3

Come on people, get out of your cars and take public transit tomorrow.

Tell that to the road hoggers out there! Less traffic, more rides, peds breathe much easier, everybody's happy.

Good for the Bay Area!

612bv3 · July 26th, 2005, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LA Lover

for one day or everyday?

Just for Spare the Air Days.

VansTripp · July 26th, 2005, 05:40 AM

I wish that LA need have same.

sequoias · July 26th, 2005, 05:52 AM

LA should have spare the air days, it's only on days when it's really hot and pollution gets worse. Seattle does have spare the air days, but it's rare.

612bv3 · July 26th, 2005, 05:58 AM

^Wait a minute, LA doesn't have Spare the Air days? They need more that SF or Seattle.

VansTripp · July 26th, 2005, 06:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 612bv3

^Wait a minute, LA doesn't have Spare the Air days? They need more that SF or Seattle.

LA don't have it

Whose Homepage · July 26th, 2005, 08:33 AM

Well, that's a sad state of affairs, LA Lover!

bv3 is right: LA seems to need Spare the Air days much more than SF or SEA. They should have an entire SEASON!

GetOnDaTrain · July 26th, 2005, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Whose Homepage

bv3 is right: LA seems to need Spare the Air days much more than SF or SEA. They should have an entire SEASON!

Well, with LA whopping out the list for motionless traffic in the world, I say LA should have two seasons worth of Spare the Air Days (otherwise, Ozone Action Days).

VansTripp · July 26th, 2005, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GetOnDaTrain

Well, with LA whopping out the list for motionless traffic in the world, I say LA should have two seasons worth of Spare the Air Days (otherwise, Ozone Action Days).

I agree...

612bv3 · July 27th, 2005, 04:24 AM

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...26/BAair26.DTL
Bay Area riders cash in on Spare the Air Day
Steve Rubenstein and Kelly Hill, Chronicle Staff Writers

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

(07-26) 10:20 PDT San Francisco (SF Chronicle) -- Free rides on public transit this morning went over with a splash for ferry riders and others who cashed in on the first Spare the Air Day of the year, called because of still, hot weather predicted for the East Bay that is destined to lower air quality below federal standards.

Riders between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. had the opportunity to take virtually any kind of mass transit for free, from cable cars to buses to trains.

Ken Eichstaedt of Olema, arriving in San Francisco on Golden Gate Transit’s Del Norte ferry from Larkspur with his bike, said there appeared to be more people on his boat than usual.

“You can tell the newbies,” he said. “They don’t sit. They wander around and take pictures of everything.” Eichstaedt is a regular ferry rider, but he said he was glad that air quality officials and transit agencies were trying to drum up business.

“This is a way to change people’s mind sets,” he said. “This is great if it encourages people to try it once and come back.”

His plan for his $6.45 windfall: coffee and scone on the way in to work, or maybe a beer on the way home. Paul Poppe of San Geronimo, who arrived on the same ferry as Eichstaedt, said he preferred that mode of transportation even when there’s no incentive.

“It’s like going on a cruise,” he said. “And it’s quicker than driving or taking the bus.” Mike Osgood was boarding a ferry for Sausalito. “It’s important that people learn to commute in ways other than motor vehicles,” he said. “There are certainly a lot more improper things my tax money could be going to than free rides on the ferry.”

A federal grant of $3.9 million is paying for free rides on 21 local transit systems this summer on as many as five Spare the Air days.

All the big agencies are participating, including BART and San Francisco’s Municipal Railway. At the Powell Street station, Muni turnstiles turned freely, their coin slots covered with blue “Thanks for Sparing the Air — No Fare” stickers, and the BART fare gates were propped open.

Signs on BART ticket machines announced: “Free Morning Commute — Tell Your Friends and Co-Workers.’’

BART passenger Frances Dinsmore, who was on her way to Oakland, said she would put her $2.55 savings toward her wedding, scheduled for November.

“It may not pay for much, but it’s something,’’ said Dinsmore, who was knitting a black and white scarf while she pondered her windfall.

“I like BART. It saves money over driving,” she said. “And you can’t knit while you’re driving. Well, you can, but it’s not a good idea.’’

BART passenger Jenna Allen said she was already sold on BART and that the lure of one free fare probably was not going to change many minds, but that it was nice anyway.

“Things balance out,’’ she said. “A free fare makes up for the days when the train was late.’’ At the Caltrain station at Fourth and King streets, the fare and ticket validation machines had been turned off. Riders pulled out their wallets and tickets only to be pleasantly surprised when they didn't have to pay.

"Always happy about a free trip down," said Scott Chalfant, 35, who was waiting in the Caltrain station to board a train from San Francisco to Stanford. "It's a great thing. You do something to help the environment, and it also encourages people to come here more often."

People whose commute included several types of public transportation were particularly happy.

"I just got a free ride on the ferry, too," marveled Chuck McLaughlin, 61, whose three-part commute included riding his bicycle, taking the ferry from Marin and hopping the Caltrain to the Peninsula.

For three California Department of Rehabilitation employees, sparing the air also meant sparing the state some travel fees. Diane Wagner, Bruce Tingwall and Ann Jennings were on their way to a training session in Belmont and were able to take advantage of the free commute. Wagner had used Bart, Muni and Caltrain by 9 a.m. to travel from Orinda to Belmont.

Wagner said when she boarded a BART train in Orinda at 6:30 a.m., the train was crowded. "I barely got a seat," she said. "There were a lot of people."

Jennings came from Albany and saved money on travelling by AC Transit, Muni and Caltrain.

At the Transbay Terminal, several AC Transit drivers said that the ridership and traffic seemed about normal.

"I was expecting a big jump," said bus driver Jimmy Cook. Instead, his morning Transbay route from Richmond had its usual 45 to 50 riders Ñ though those riders were particularly happy to have a free ride. "They enjoyed that," he said.

Ray Fisher, an inspector at the Transbay Terminal who was making sure that Muni buses ran on time, said he had noticed a definite upswing in the number of riders.

"I notice that (the drivers) are picking up more people. I think people are really taking advantage of it," Fisher said.

VansTripp · July 27th, 2005, 05:18 AM

612bv3, How are day? less car on highway today????

Whose Homepage · July 27th, 2005, 07:24 AM

So far, as you can see, bv3 has mainly passenger reactions to deliver -- mainly positive, of course.

For more solid results (increase in # of passengers on the different transit systems, decrease (one hopes) of numbers of cars crossing the bridges into SF & coming up the freeways from the peninsula, I guess we'll have to await official word from the various agencies involved.

July 26th, 2005, 04:15 AM	#1
612bv3 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alameda Posts: 1,560 Likes (Received): 3	Free Public Transit for the Bay Area (Spare the Air Day) http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl.../BAspare25.DTL 2005's first Spare the Air Day on Tuesday Most area transit agencies to offer free rides Suzanne Herel, Chronicle Staff Writer Monday, July 25, 2005 Bay Area commuters who leave their cars at home Tuesday will get a free ride on their pick of public transit, from cable cars to ferries. The Bay Area Air Quality Management District today announced the first Spare the Air Day of the year — and the first ever to include nearly all the region’s transit agencies, including some of the largest operators, such as BART and Muni. Last year, the pilot program was confined to two days on BART, which reportedly drew 40,000 additional riders. “This is unprecedented,” said district spokesman Darrell Waller. “This has never been done in any municipality anywhere.” The free ride is courtesy of a $3.9 million federal grant and the unhealthy air quality predicted for the East Bay, which is expected to violate federal standards, Waller said. The program is coordinated by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Air quality works on a grading system similar to national security, Waller said. Most of the time, it’s in the green or yellow zones. “Tomorrow we’re going to be in the orange, meaning it’s going to be really, really bad for people with breathing problems and the young and elderly,” he said. That means hot temperatures, high pressure and little wind, an atmosphere ripe for creating ground-level ozone. “Sometimes people think we call these days just to be calling them, but there’s a lot of science that goes into them,” Waller said. According to Luna Salaver, a spokeswoman for the air quality group, the 21 participating agencies would see about 1.4 million riders on a typical summer morning. The agency hopes to boost that number. There are 5.1 million cars registered in the Bay Area, she said, and each one contributes a little less than a pound of pollution per day. The free rides will be offered between 4 and 9 a.m., Salaver said. Later return trips are at the riders’ expense for two reasons: emissions cause worse pollution in the morning because of the sun’s heat, and to offer free rides both ways would cut down on the number of Spare the Air Days that could be funded. Right now, the agency is prepared to offer five such days between now and Oct. 14, the period of the year when smog is at its worst. Ozone is formed from the combination of volatile organic compounds with nitrogen oxides in the presence of heat and sunlight. These gases are emitted from tailpipes, evaporating gasoline, paints and household products including hairspray. __________________ My BART Fantasy Maps: 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 4.1 \| Circle \| Other Maps Last edited by 612bv3; July 26th, 2005 at 04:23 AM.

July 26th, 2005, 04:16 AM	#2
612bv3 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alameda Posts: 1,560 Likes (Received): 3	Come on people, get out of your cars and take public transit tomorrow. __________________ My BART Fantasy Maps: 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 4.1 \| Circle \| Other Maps

July 26th, 2005, 05:58 AM	#9
612bv3 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alameda Posts: 1,560 Likes (Received): 3	^Wait a minute, LA doesn't have Spare the Air days? They need more that SF or Seattle. __________________ My BART Fantasy Maps: 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 4.1 \| Circle \| Other Maps

July 27th, 2005, 04:24 AM	#14
612bv3 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Alameda Posts: 1,560 Likes (Received): 3	http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cg...26/BAair26.DTL Bay Area riders cash in on Spare the Air Day Steve Rubenstein and Kelly Hill, Chronicle Staff Writers Tuesday, July 26, 2005 (07-26) 10:20 PDT San Francisco (SF Chronicle) -- Free rides on public transit this morning went over with a splash for ferry riders and others who cashed in on the first Spare the Air Day of the year, called because of still, hot weather predicted for the East Bay that is destined to lower air quality below federal standards. Riders between 4 a.m. and 9 a.m. had the opportunity to take virtually any kind of mass transit for free, from cable cars to buses to trains. Ken Eichstaedt of Olema, arriving in San Francisco on Golden Gate Transit’s Del Norte ferry from Larkspur with his bike, said there appeared to be more people on his boat than usual. “You can tell the newbies,” he said. “They don’t sit. They wander around and take pictures of everything.” Eichstaedt is a regular ferry rider, but he said he was glad that air quality officials and transit agencies were trying to drum up business. “This is a way to change people’s mind sets,” he said. “This is great if it encourages people to try it once and come back.” His plan for his $6.45 windfall: coffee and scone on the way in to work, or maybe a beer on the way home. Paul Poppe of San Geronimo, who arrived on the same ferry as Eichstaedt, said he preferred that mode of transportation even when there’s no incentive. “It’s like going on a cruise,” he said. “And it’s quicker than driving or taking the bus.” Mike Osgood was boarding a ferry for Sausalito. “It’s important that people learn to commute in ways other than motor vehicles,” he said. “There are certainly a lot more improper things my tax money could be going to than free rides on the ferry.” A federal grant of $3.9 million is paying for free rides on 21 local transit systems this summer on as many as five Spare the Air days. All the big agencies are participating, including BART and San Francisco’s Municipal Railway. At the Powell Street station, Muni turnstiles turned freely, their coin slots covered with blue “Thanks for Sparing the Air — No Fare” stickers, and the BART fare gates were propped open. Signs on BART ticket machines announced: “Free Morning Commute — Tell Your Friends and Co-Workers.’’ BART passenger Frances Dinsmore, who was on her way to Oakland, said she would put her $2.55 savings toward her wedding, scheduled for November. “It may not pay for much, but it’s something,’’ said Dinsmore, who was knitting a black and white scarf while she pondered her windfall. “I like BART. It saves money over driving,” she said. “And you can’t knit while you’re driving. Well, you can, but it’s not a good idea.’’ BART passenger Jenna Allen said she was already sold on BART and that the lure of one free fare probably was not going to change many minds, but that it was nice anyway. “Things balance out,’’ she said. “A free fare makes up for the days when the train was late.’’ At the Caltrain station at Fourth and King streets, the fare and ticket validation machines had been turned off. Riders pulled out their wallets and tickets only to be pleasantly surprised when they didn't have to pay. "Always happy about a free trip down," said Scott Chalfant, 35, who was waiting in the Caltrain station to board a train from San Francisco to Stanford. "It's a great thing. You do something to help the environment, and it also encourages people to come here more often." People whose commute included several types of public transportation were particularly happy. "I just got a free ride on the ferry, too," marveled Chuck McLaughlin, 61, whose three-part commute included riding his bicycle, taking the ferry from Marin and hopping the Caltrain to the Peninsula. For three California Department of Rehabilitation employees, sparing the air also meant sparing the state some travel fees. Diane Wagner, Bruce Tingwall and Ann Jennings were on their way to a training session in Belmont and were able to take advantage of the free commute. Wagner had used Bart, Muni and Caltrain by 9 a.m. to travel from Orinda to Belmont. Wagner said when she boarded a BART train in Orinda at 6:30 a.m., the train was crowded. "I barely got a seat," she said. "There were a lot of people." Jennings came from Albany and saved money on travelling by AC Transit, Muni and Caltrain. At the Transbay Terminal, several AC Transit drivers said that the ridership and traffic seemed about normal. "I was expecting a big jump," said bus driver Jimmy Cook. Instead, his morning Transbay route from Richmond had its usual 45 to 50 riders Ñ though those riders were particularly happy to have a free ride. "They enjoyed that," he said. Ray Fisher, an inspector at the Transbay Terminal who was making sure that Muni buses ran on time, said he had noticed a definite upswing in the number of riders. "I notice that (the drivers) are picking up more people. I think people are really taking advantage of it," Fisher said. __________________ My BART Fantasy Maps: 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 4.1 \| Circle \| Other Maps

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

July 26th, 2005, 05:11 AM	#3
sequoias Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Midwest US Posts: 1,600 Likes (Received): 0	uh oh! Sounds like a bad one there, hope lots of people will take the transit tomorrow.

July 26th, 2005, 05:13 AM	#4
VansTripp BANNED Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: LA/Trussville Posts: 2,406 Likes (Received): 0	for one day or everyday?

July 26th, 2005, 05:40 AM	#7
VansTripp BANNED Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: LA/Trussville Posts: 2,406 Likes (Received): 0	I wish that LA need have same.

July 26th, 2005, 05:52 AM	#8
sequoias Registered User Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Midwest US Posts: 1,600 Likes (Received): 0	LA should have spare the air days, it's only on days when it's really hot and pollution gets worse. Seattle does have spare the air days, but it's rare.

July 26th, 2005, 08:33 AM	#11
Whose Homepage BANNED Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Berkeley, California USA Posts: 1,163 Likes (Received): 0	Well, that's a sad state of affairs, LA Lover! bv3 is right: LA seems to need Spare the Air days much more than SF or SEA. They should have an entire SEASON!

July 27th, 2005, 05:18 AM	#15
VansTripp BANNED Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: LA/Trussville Posts: 2,406 Likes (Received): 0	612bv3, How are day? less car on highway today????

July 27th, 2005, 07:24 AM	#16
Whose Homepage BANNED Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Berkeley, California USA Posts: 1,163 Likes (Received): 0	So far, as you can see, bv3 has mainly passenger reactions to deliver -- mainly positive, of course. For more solid results (increase in # of passengers on the different transit systems, decrease (one hopes) of numbers of cars crossing the bridges into SF & coming up the freeways from the peninsula, I guess we'll have to await official word from the various agencies involved.