It’s not an illusion. BART really does look different this summer. For the first time ever, BART cars are sporting something other than the traditional silver brushed-aluminum with blue trim. Seven cars, deployed primarily on the Pittsburg/Bay Point and Dublin/Pleasanton lines, are venturing out in a playful wrap that makes a bold statement: “Spare the Air.”
Published: August, 2004
The new look calls attention to a groundbreaking deal—forged through a landmark partnership between BART, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC), and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District—that allows travelers to ride BART free during the mornings of the first five weekdays declared Spare the Air days by the Air District. BART will open its fare gates to all passengers who arrive before 9 a.m., and then collect fares as usual for rides begun after 9 a.m. The estimated $2 million cost of the free ride program will be paid by MTC, using federal transportation dollars allocated to the Bay Area.
Though the promotion went into effect June 21, air pollution levels so far this summer have remained well below the Spare the Air threshold. “Air quality in the Bay Area has improved tremendously over the past 40 years,” said Air District Board Chair, MTC Commissioner and Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty. “MTC, BART and the Air District are committed to keeping it healthy.”
The three agencies are keen to test whether free rides are an effective inducement for Bay Area commuters to choose transit over solo driving. They aim not only to reduce Bay Area smog but also to protect billions of federal dollars slated for highway and transit investments during the years ahead. The federal government could, for air quality reasons, withhold or even cancel funding for Bay Area transportation projects. That’s money MTC and other regional transportation agencies are counting on to fund a wide range of transit and highway projects that will improve travelers’ mobility.
“The Air District declares a Spare the Air day when it expects air pollution to reach unhealthy concentrations, which typically occur on hot, windless days,” explained Haggerty. Spare the Air advisories are issued the afternoon before a Spare the Air day and usually receive wide notice on television and radio, and in the newspapers on the morning of a Spare the Air day. The public can get advance notification of Spare the Air days by registering for Air Alerts at www.sparetheair.org. The Spare the Air season—and the free rides on BART promotion—end October 15.
