In the unincorporated county, 45% of greenhouse gas emissions come from cars and trucks. The average American car emits one pound of carbon for each mile driven. Free Ride Day is on October 2nd. Ride Share Week, September 30 – October 4, promotes taking transit, carpooling or vanpooling. 

Free Ride Day Wednesday, October 2

On Wednesday, October 2nd you can commute to school or work for free throughout San Diego County! Free Ride Day coincides with California Clean Air Day. By driving less, you can help fight climate change and improve air quality.  

Free Ride Day will be valid on all San Diego Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and North County Transit District (NCTD) fixed route services including buses, the Trolley, SPRINTER and COASTER (Amtrak Rail 2 Rail, MTS Access and NCTD LIFT paratransit are not included). Passengers won’t need a Compass Card or valid fare for either system. 

“Choosing transit is absolutely critical for this region as we all strive to meet our climate action goals. We need to do everything we can to get people to use alternative modes of transportation, “ Mona Rios, MTS Board Vice Chair and Councilmember for National City said in a written news release. 

To plan a trip on transit, visit the MTS website and enter your start and end points. It will display a series of travel options. For Free Ride Day, just get on board, sit down and relax. 

For more Free Ride Day information, visit sdmts.com or GoNCTD.com.  

Ride Share Week, September 30 – October 4 

In addition to Free Ride Day, MTS, NCTD, and the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) iCommute program have partnered to promote Ride Share week occurring September 30 – October 4. iCommute assists commuters by providing information about carpool services, a subsidized vanpool program, and transit solutions. Ridesharing saves resources, connects people, decreases traffic, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and create new opportunities for friendship and community.  

“SANDAG is proud to be a part of this joint effort with MTS and NCTD. We want to educate San Diegans about alternative transportation choices and provide people with more options as we strive to build a world-class transportation system,” said SANDAG Vice Chair and Encinitas Mayor Katherine Blakespear. “We encourage all single riders to consider giving carpool, vanpool, or transit a try during Rideshare Week. Making the change even one day a week will take cars off the road and increase sustainability and quality of life in the San Diego region. 

To learn more about RideShare Week, visit iCommuteSD.com.