Houston Transit Agencies Offer ‘Free Fare Fridays’ for Ozone Action Month

Harris County is one of several Texas counties that failed EPA standards for clean air in recent years.

1 minute read

September 10, 2024, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


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Roy Luck / Flickr

Multiple Houston-area transit agencies will offer free rides on Fridays in September in an effort to boost ridership on transit and improve air quality. As Kyle McClenagan reports for Houston Public Media, “The participating agencies include Harris County Transit, Fort Bend Transit, The Woodlands Township and Conroe Connection, according to Commute Solutions — a service of [the Houston-Galveston Area Council] H-GAC.”

The program is taking place during Ozone Action Month, when local ozone levels are typically highest. “For context, the EPA set an annual primary fine particle standard of 9 micrograms per cubic meter and the WHO considers anything above 5 micrograms per cubic meter to be dangerous. However, the EPA recorded that Harris County had 11.4 micrograms per cubic meter, the worst of any county in Texas.”

Friday, September 6, 2024 in Houston Public Media

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