Get free rides on SacRT Oct. 1-7 for California Clean Air Day

Sacramento Regional Transit is providing system-wide free rides during the first week of October in celebration of California Clean Air Day.

Sacramento residents are being encouraged to reduce vehicle emissions — which accounts for roughly 50% of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions, according to the California Air Resources Board — by using SacRT’s light rail system, buses, on-demand shuttles and paratransit services. 

Rides are free system-wide Oct. 1 - 7. Sac RT says transit operators will not be collecting fares. 

“Transportation is the number one source of air pollution in California,” said SacRT General Manager and CEO Henry Li in a prepared statement on Wednesday. “Leaving your car at home helps ensure that every breath you take is a breath of clean air.”

A 2022 report published by the American Lung Association found that of the 25 cities with the worst long-term particulate pollution nationwide, nine were in California. Sacramento and Roseville ranked 11th place. 

SacRT isn’t the only agency in the Sacramento Valley offering free rides to celebrate California Clean Air Day. The following transit agencies are participating in the initiative:

• El Dorado Transit is offering free rides on commuter and local buses along with paratransit and dial-a-ride services on Oct. 5.
• San Joaquin County Regional Transit District is offering free rides on local, express and hopper bus routes on Oct. 5.
• Yolobus is offering free rides on all bus routes, including the Causeway Connector, on Oct. 5.
• Vacaville Valley Coach stopped collecting fares at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and has not resumed since. Rides will be free Oct. 5 and until the transit agency changes its policy.

Other organizations in the region, like the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District and the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, are also participating in the initiative, according to the Coalition for Clean Air. 

Events to encourage participation in California Clean Air Day are being planned statewide, including some in the Sacramento area. The Coalition of Clean Air offers an interactive map with event details.