Commuters won’t be getting any more free rides on Bay Area transit agencies this year, with three consecutive “Spare the Air” days in the past week draining the federal funds set aside for that purpose.
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District designated this past Thursday, Friday and Monday as Spare the Air days due to unhealthy levels of smog caused by car exhaust and other pollutants. Commuters rode public transportation for free on those days.
Meanwhile, the Valley Transportation Authority is hoping to see some results this weekend from the new “excursion pass” the agency is using to draw new riders to light rail. Unlike the regular day pass, the excursion pass is cheaper ($3.50 compared with $5.25), expires after 8 hours and does not give riders free transfers on buses.
“The purpose is the leisure traveler, not your regular rider or somebody’s who’s using light rail for commuting purposes,” said VTA spokesperson Jayme Kunz.
Kunz said the agency believes the pass is a cheaper solution for people who just want to take light rail to special events, such as concerts or fairs or hockey games. This weekend’s July 4 festivities will present the big test for that concept, she said.
For its part, Caltrain is considering a fare increase of 25 cents, plus 25 cents per zone traveled. The increase would be the second in a little over a year for the agency, which continues to struggle to stay on top of a budget crunch borne by higher fuel and personnel costs.
The Bay Area only had one Spare the Air day all of last year. While commuters got free rides from the deal, people with respiratory problems were warned to stay indoors.
E-mail Jon Wiener at jwiener@mv-voice.com
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