Montgomery County penny pinchers: Stop banking on smog.
County Executive Ike Leggett is recommending the county stop offering free
bus rides during days with the most dangerous air quality.
Montgomery County is the last jurisdiction in the region to provide free bus
service on code red days. The program’s intent was to keep cars parked, thus reducing emissions.
Leggett estimates that for each code red weekday, the county eats $45,000.
The program elimination must be approved by the County Council.
Air throughout the Washington region has improved dramatically during the last decade. In 1998, nearly 50 days were classified as code orange or red — unhealthy for sensitive groups or unhealthy for everybody — compared with four such days last year, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.
