facebook-pixel

With bad air looming in northern Utah, here’s when you can ride the bus or train for free

UTA hopes to encourage individuals to use public transit and reduce ozone pollution this week.

(Rachel Rydalch | The Salt Lake Tribune) Air pollution continues to settle upon Salt Lake Valley in the morning on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. The Utah Transit Authority will offer free service on Aug. 17-18 to combat bad air quality.

  | Aug. 15, 2023, 9:05 p.m.

The Utah Transit Authority will offer free services this week to combat bad air in the forecast.

Zero fare will be available Thursday and Friday for all UTA bus and rail services, including UTA On Demand, the agency’s flexible carpool service.

Counties across the Wasatch Front are projected to experience air quality that’s unhealthy for sensitive groups through at least Thursday, according to the Utah Department of Environmental Quality.

DEQ recommends that people with asthma or heart disease should reduce heavy exertion outdoors during this level of air quality. Individuals with these conditions should contact their health providers if they experience symptoms like palpitations, shortness of breath or unusual fatigue after prolonged activity outdoors.

“Riding transit is one of the best ways we can all improve air quality in Utah,” UTA board chair Carlton Christensen said in a news release. “We encourage the community to take advantage of this zero fare promotional opportunity and take transit to your destination. Every personal vehicle we leave at home or at a UTA parking garage makes a difference for everyone, not just those who ride UTA.”

UTA’s zero fare days are part of a program to improve air quality across the Wasatch Front through public transportation, according to the release. The agency’s funding for the approach came from 2019′s HB353, sponsored by Rep. Joel Briscoe, D-Salt Lake City, to help reduce pollution on bad air days.

“Summertime ozone pollution is not something we can see like our winter inversions, but over the past few years, some of our worst air quality days have been in the summer months,” DEQ Executive Director Kim Shelley warned. “Vehicles are the largest contributor to Utah’s air quality challenges along the Wasatch Front. We’ve seen that when we remove barriers to using public transit, people will make the choice that reduces pollution and improves quality of life all around.”

To help reduce pollution on bad air days, individuals should also avoid activities like wood burning and operating gasoline-powered yard equipment. More information on routes and schedules can be found on the Transit app or UTA’s website.