BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District has announced that the Air Quality Index for Friday, September 2nd is expected to be 151. In response, the Golden Empire Transit District (GET Bus) is providing free rides for all fixed routes and On-Demand Paratransit on Friday. The On-Demand Microtransit service is not included in the GET Bus AQI policy.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the AQI focuses on the health effects a person may experience within a few hours to a few days of breathing in polluted air. The EPA calculates the AQI by measuring five major air pollutants regulated by the Clean Air Act: Ground level ozone, particle pollution, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide. An AQI over 150 is considered potentially hazardous to the general population. It is GET Bus policy to provide free transportation on fixed routes and paratransit on days when the AQI is expected to exceed 150.
Residents who wish to monitor the local AQI are encouraged to download the free San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District mobile app. Search "Valley Air District" on the App Store, or "Valley Air" on Google Play.
