# Presentation: 797325

## Ride Free – Breathe Freeon Air Quality Actions Days

- Kathleen M. Brockett
- NH Department of Environmental Services
- National Air Quality Conference
- February 2006

- Ride Free Breathe Free

## Ride Free – Breathe FreeProgram Goals

**Raise awareness about air quality and Air Quality Action Days**
**Raise awareness of the benefits of public transportation**
**Increase public transit ridership on Air Quality Action Days**
**Increase public transit ridership on all days**

## Getting Started

**One of New Hampshire’s transit providers started the initiative in 2001 (COAST)**
**Transit companies began offering free fares on Air Quality Action Days **
**Similar to other programs – Lehigh Valley in PA, Chester County in DE, RI Public Transit Authority**
**NH program is statewide, includes all 10 transit providers**

## PartnershipA Key Ingredient

**Cooperative effort between 10 transit providers, DES, and DOT**
**Voluntary for first 2 years – no financial reimbursement to transit providers**
**One provider chose not to participate during 2****nd**** year**

## Finding Some Funding - CMAQ

- Received funds for 2003 (partial) through 2005 ozone seasons
- Total Budget - $252,980
- Farebox reimbursement $155,980 (based on maximum of 13 days per year)
- Outreach $71,000
- Project management $26,000
- Actual expenditures much less – about $100,000
- Only 14 Air Quality Action Days for three years
- We shifted money to spend more on outreach

## Here’s How It Works

- DES air quality forecasters predict unhealthy air quality for next day by 3:00 p.m.
- DES notifies transit providers via fax and email
- Transit providers put up signs in buses
- DES issues press release to all media with special notification to radio stations in transit towns

## Ride Free

**Tomorrow**

**Air Quality Action Day***** ***

- Compliments of
**Bus Company Name**

## Ride Free

**Today**

**Air Quality Action Day***** ***

- Compliments of
**Bus Company Name**

## Outreach Plan ComponentsMaterials

- Brochures
- _[Flyers](file:///Brockett_Poster2.ppt)__[ ](file:///Ride%20Free%20Breathe%20Free/Poster2.ppt)__– For posting and distribution by transit companies _

## Bus Signs for AQA Days
Advertising on the buses

**Advertising on the buses**

**Outreach Plan Components****Bus Advertising**

## Outreach Plan ComponentsMedia Advertising

- Marketing Contract with TV station for 2 years
- Total cost:  $97,500
- DES paid $75,200
- TV provided match of $22,300

## Outreach Plan ComponentsMedia Advertising

- Website presence – click through rate of .08% and .05% (industry average is .05%)
- _[http://www.thewmurchannel.com/sponsor/3377646/detail.html](http://www.thewmurchannel.com/sponsor/3377646/detail.html)_

## Outreach Plan ComponentsMedia Advertising

**WMUR Website page**

## Outreach Plan ComponentsMedia Advertising

- 15 second promotional TV spot to drive people to the website – aired about 65 times each summer
- 30 second TV spot – aired about 250 times each summer

## Slide 15

## Community Access Cable TV stations – a new outreach avenue for us
Have community bulletin boards for posting messages
We started notifying them of Air Quality Action Days

- Have community bulletin boards for posting messages
- We started notifying them of Air Quality Action Days

**Outreach Plan Components****Other Media**

## is an Air Quality Action DayUnhealthy Air Pollution Levels Expected in (insert region)

**All local bus companies are offering free bus rides on this day. Ride the bus when possible as a way to reduce air pollution from cars!**

***For more information, visit ***_**www.airquality.nh.gov**_** *****or call*****1-800-935-SMOG**

***Insert Date***

## What We Have Learned

- Minimize paperwork as much as possible
- Communicate with partners frequently – have procedures in place and clearly understood
- Ridership numbers did not increase significantly – in some cases they went down (largest daily ridership 1,832)
- Many anecdotal reports of program awareness
- Improve evaluation methods/strategies

## What’s Next

- More outreach to focus on message rather than free rides

**Take the bus instead of driving . . . **
**You’ll save money and reduce air pollution!**