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Spare the Air is a program established by the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in 1991 to combat air pollution during the summer in the San Francisco Bay Area, the season when clear skies, hot temperatures, lighter winds, and a strong temperature inversion combine and trap air pollutants near the ground.〔(Spare the Air - Frequently Asked Questions )〕 Spare the Air days are declared for days in which levels of ground-level ozone (a constituent of smog) are predicted to exceed the EPA's federal health-based standard of 84 ppb, or an air quality index over 100.〔(Spare the Air | The Communication Initiative Network )〕 On a Spare the Air day, Bay Area residents are asked through radio and television announcements to reduce their driving, refrain from using gas-powered gardening equipment and curb other air polluting activities such as painting and aerosol spray can usage. People especially sensitive to smog are advised to limit their time outdoors. Spare the Air nights are also issued during the winter when particulate emissions often coming from wood burning and other activities become trapped in stagnant air masses. During winter Spare the Air nights, wood burning is banned and violators may have to attend a class or pay a fine of up to $500. Exceptions are allowed if a household has a power outage. Barbecues are permitted on a Spare the Air Day, but are discouraged to reduce air pollution.〔(Spare the Air Winter - Frequently Asked Questions )〕 ==Free transportation days== Non-compliance with federal air pollution standards can mean losing federal money for transportation projects like wider roads, new bridges, and mass transit. To avoid these penalties, each year for a certain number of Spare the Air days that occur on non-holiday weekdays, many Bay Area transit agencies offer free rides to encourage public transportation use over cars. The number of allocated fare-free days varies from year to year, depending on available funding. This program's subsidy drew increased media attention in 2006 when the traditional three annual free days jumped to six in response to the number of annual Spare the Air days declared being the highest in seven years.〔(BAY AREA / 4th Spare Air day this year - gasp / Extra state funds for transit assistance arrived last week )〕〔()〕 In past years there have been multiple free transit Spare the Air days. However, in 2008, the number was reduced to only one free transit day, June 19.〔 〕 There has been no free transit program since 2009. Historically, the following transit providers have participated in the free ride program: * Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) * AC Transit * AirBART * Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry * Alameda-Oakland Ferry * BART * Benicia Breeze * Caltrain * Cloverdale Transit * County Connection * Dumbarton Express * Emery Go Round (always free) * Fairfield-Suisun Transit * Golden Gate Ferry * Golden Gate Transit * Napa VINE * San Francisco Muni * Petaluma Transit * Rio Vista Breeze * SamTrans * Santa Rosa CityBus * Sonoma County Transit * Tri-Delta Transit * Union City Transit * Vacaville City Coach * Vallejo Transit * VTA * Napa VINE * WestCAT * Wheels 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Spare the Air program」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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