Tier 4 Riverside Downtown Morning

LOS ANGELES – To encourage Southern Californians to leave their vehicles at home and opt for a more sustainable alternative, Metrolink offered free rides across its entire system Wednesday for California Clean Air Day. LA Metro and a number of other regional transportation agencies will also waive fares Oct. 4, and Metrolink riders can connect at no cost to a variety of additional local transit options with their free round-trip ticket.

“Taking cars off the road is one of the best and easiest ways to combat air pollution, and we’re proud to offer Southern Californians an alternate method of transportation they can feel good about,” said Metrolink CEO Darren Kettle. “Metrolink trains use renewable, petroleum-free fuel made from recycled natural oils, and we were the first passenger railroad in the nation to make this transition, which reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. Offering free rides on California Clean Air Day is just one of the ways we’re working to create cleaner, healthier communities across the region.”

In addition to providing free rides on Oct. 4, Metrolink has engaged in education and community development activities to help spread the California Clean Air Day message. In partnership with the City of Riverside’s Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs and UC Riverside’s Office of Sustainability, Metrolink team members gathered Tuesday to paint a smog-eating mural at UCR’s R’Garden. Working with UCR students, California Air Resources Board staff and community volunteers, the group brought to life an original work by local artist Ekaterina Orlovie using an air-purifying paint additive from manufacturer Photio that will actively clean the air around the mural. Metrolink also partnered with Los Angeles-based nonprofit Create Now to support a free multi-themed art program focused on teaching youth about air quality and environmentally healthy steps Californians can take to support clean air initiatives and improve public health.

Southern Californians who are ready to answer the call and leave their cars at home on Oct. 4 in honor of California Clean Air Day can redeem their free roundtrip ticket at any Metrolink ticket machine using the promo code “CLEANAIR23.” A complimentary digital ticket was automatically sent to registered Metrolink mobile app user wallets, which must be activated before boarding.

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