# Presentation: 528101

## 2004 Free Morning CommuteSpare the Air/BART Promotion

## · 9 Counties

- Governed by a 22 member Board of Directors
- (Supervisors, Mayors, City Council members)

- S

**Santa **
**Clara**

**San**
**Mateo**

**Alameda**

**San**
**Francisco**

**Contra Costa**

**Solano**

**Napa**

**Sonoma**

**Marin**

**Encompasses**
- ·** 9 Counties**
- ·** 5600 Square Miles**

## San Francisco 

**San Francisco **
**Bay Area**

- 	1955				     2004
- 3 Million People			 7 Million People
- 1.7 Million Cars 			5.1 Million Cars
- 35 Million Vehicle			126 Million Vehicle
- Miles Driven Daily			Miles Driven Daily

## Sources of Bay Area Ozone Air Pollution

**Sources of ****Bay Area ****Ozone Air Pollution**

## Summer Emissions Ozone Precursors(in tons per day)

| Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) | 
528.35 |
| --- | --- |
| Reactive Organic Gases (ROG) | 
556.07 |
| Particulate Matter (PM10) | 
224.88 |

- BAAQMD Summer Emissions Year 2005 (Base Year 2002)

## San Francisco Bay Area Spare the Air Program

- Voluntary curtailment campaign
- Created in 1991
- Hot, stagnant days
- Activated when unhealthy levels of ozone are predicted
- Advance notice to the public
- (1 PM the previous day)

## Partners in Free BART Program

- Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District)
- Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)
- Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART)

## Program Goals

- Promote BART as a commute choice
- Build BART ridership
- Reduce air pollution on smoggiest days
- Provide a positive experience for new BART riders
- Use program to highlight the connection between driving and air pollution
- Protect federal dollars earmarked for local transit and highway projects by attaining federal standards

## Strengths

## Partnership Value

- BART’s media, marketing and research staff
- Air District’s employer network, advertising, public outreach and media capabilities
- MTC’s CMAQ funds ($2 million) and access to 80,000 FASTrak subscribers

## Challenges

## Unpredictability of Spare the Air days

Short preparation time

Communications between agencies

Operational issues for BART trains 
	on hot days

- Short preparation time
- Communications between agencies
- Operational issues for BART trains
- 	on hot days

## Marketing the Program

## Collateral at BART stations

Treasure Island banner

30 second real time radio spots

Local media coverage

- Treasure Island banner
- 30 second real time radio spots
- Local media coverage

## Messages

- Spare the Air - Ride BART
- Ride BART - Save Money
- Register for AirAlerts
- 	(advance notice of
- 	  Spare the Air days at     www.sparetheair.org)

## Measurement and Evaluation

## BART			      Air District

- Actual passenger counts
- Evening ridership counts
- Hourly station ridership estimates

- 28 air quality monitors in the  region recording air  air pollution levels
- Random phone surveys on Spare the Air evenings

## Program Results

## Two free morning weekday commute days 
(September 7 and 8)

16,000 additional riders - September 7

24,000 additional riders - September 8

AirAlerts registrants increased by 50 percent

No federal exceedences in 2004 - 
	our cleanest air quality year on record!

- (September 7 and 8)
- 16,000 additional riders - September 7
- 24,000 additional riders - September 8
- AirAlerts registrants increased by 50 percent
- No federal exceedences in 2004 -
- 	our cleanest air quality year on record!

## Sparing the Air for a Healthier Future