BART, the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, is offering free rides on up to five of the days when the air is of especially poor quality. While other transit systems have adopted similar plans, BART and its partners in the plan aim not so much to increase ridership as to, in effect, raise consciousness about the Bay Area's "Spare the Air Days" initiative.
Under "Spare the Air," when air pollution is projected to exceed health standards set by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, citizens are asked to take actions to ease up on pollution factors. In addition to cutting back on driving, the initiative recommends such things as lighting a summer barbeque with a chimney starter instead of lighter fluid and refueling vehicles after sundown.
Portland, Oregon offered free transit on bad air days a few years ago. Its Tri-Met system saw no significant boost in use. The city canceled that program, and it has since focused on making citizens aware of actions they can take to reduce pollution--an approach similar to the Bay Area's "Spare the Air," but without the free-ride incentive.
Bay Area officials are also aware of the link of smog to federal highway transportation grants, which are in jeopardy if an area exceeds air-quality standards. That loss could be a lot more costly than the $2 million the Metropolitan Transit Commission has invested in free BART rides. The plan is, says BART spokesman Linton Johnson, "a small insurance policy to protect billions of dollars."
