Free Ride Day underway for trolleys, buses, COASTER, and more

SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — San Diego’s Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) is celebrating Free Ride Day Wednesday as part of California Clean Air Day, inviting residents to experience public transportation without cost. It includes MTS Trolleys and buses, including the North County Transit District COASTER train and SPRINTER hybrid rail.

Over 250,000 trips are expected to be taken on this day, highlighting the community’s engagement with the initiative. MTS is hosting pop-up events across the region, offering giveaways, refreshments and information to help riders maximize their use of the transit network.

Free Ride Day is an annual event that encourages residents to reduce their carbon footprint by using public transportation. As part of California Clean Air Day, the initiative aims to promote cleaner air and environmental awareness.

“Today is really important because this exemplifies what’s important to San Diegans. What we really want to get out there is that this is an affordable, sustainable way to give back to the environment,” said MTS CEO Sharon Cooney. “Come out, try something new.”

With the expected high turnout, Free Ride Day serves as a reminder of the importance of sustainable transportation options in reducing air pollution and fostering a cleaner environment for all.

FOX 5’s Elizabeth Alvarez contributed to this report.

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by KSWB. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by KSWB staff before being published.

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