Spare the Air program

[2] 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.

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.

Barbecues are permitted on a Spare the Air Day, but are discouraged and the use of lower-pollution gas fuels rather than wood or charcoal is recommended.

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.

Calls to BART police spiked by over 100%, compared to a 10% increase in the number of passengers on the same day the previous year.