Spare the Air Retools for Climate Change — June 19 is a Free Transit Day!

Bay Area commuters can circle Thursday, June 19 on their calendars and get ready to plan their free trip on transit. June 19 is the only day this year that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) will provide free rides on the region’s 30 transit systems. Transit will be free all day on Bay Area bus and light-rail systems, and until 12 noon on AirBART, BART, Caltrain, the ACE train, Amtrak Capitol Corridor trains, and on the Golden Gate, Alameda-Oakland, Alameda-Harbor Bay and Vallejo ferries. This marks the first year that Amtrak Capitol Corridor has participated in the Bay Area’s free transit day campaigns. The June 19 date for free Bay Area transit coincides with the third annual “Dump the Pump” day, a national promotion sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association to encourage the use of transit.

Gases that trap heat in the atmosphere and make the Earth warmer are often called greenhouse gases. An average increase in the Earth’s temperature causes changes in the climate such as changes in rainfall patterns, a rise in sea level, and a wide range of impacts on plants, wildlife, and humans. About 50 percent of the greenhouse gas emissions in the Bay Area is attributable to transportation.

Help the Bay Area protect its air quality by sparing the air every day by changing the way you travel to get to work, school, medical appointments, recreation, and other daily activities.

What You Can Do

• Save Gas. Save the gas in your car or truck by taking transit for your daily trips. Every gallon of gas you save is equal to 20 pounds of carbon dioxide reduced.
• Give Your Car a Break. Use public transit, carpool or walk or bike whenever possible to avoid using your car. Leaving your car at home just two days a week will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an average of 1,600 pounds per year.
• Save Money. Public transit saves money. For every dollar earned, the average U.S. household spends 18 cents per dollar on transportation. The 18 cents are spent on buying, maintaining and operating cars or trucks – which is the largest source of household debt after home mortgages.

Spare the Air Every Day and Protect the Climate!

Learn more at: www.sparetheair.org

List Of Participating Transit Operators

• AC Transit
• ACE
• AirBART
• Alameda/Oakland Ferry Service
• Alameda/Harbor Bay Ferry Service
• Amtrak Capitol Corridor
• BART
• Benicia Breeze
• Caltrain
• Cloverdale Transit
• County Connection
• Dumbarton Express
• Fairfield/Suisun Transit
• Golden Gate Transit
• Healdsburg Transit
• Wheels/LAVTA
• Marin County Transit District
• Muni
• Petaluma Transit
• Rio Vista Delta Breeze
• SamTrans
• Santa Rosa CityBus
• Sonoma County Transit
• Tri Delta Transit
• Union City Transit
• Vacaville City Coach
• Vallejo Transit
• VINE
• VTA
• WestCAT