During carpool hours, the Golden Gate Bridge now allows toll-free passage for vehicles classified by the state DMV as "Clean Air Vehicles". Clean Air Vehicles are powered solely by electricity, propane or compressed natural gas; hybrid vehicles that use gasoline do not qualify. Once the vehicles receive a special Clean Air Vehicle sticker from the DMV, drivers may use carpool lanes and travel free on state-owned bridges as well.
To cross the Golden Gate Bridge free during carpool hours, drivers of Clean Air Vehicles must pass through a lane with a toll collector and advise the collector of their special status. The DMV sticker must be visible. If the vehicle also has a FasTrak tag for electronic toll collection, the driver should store the tag so it does not register or request the toll collector to void the charge. Carpool hours on the Golden Gate Bridge are from 5-9 am and 4-6 pm Monday through Friday, except holidays.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) board recently adopted a Sustainability Policy as part of BART's Strategic Plan. Among the objectives of the Sustainability Policy are enhancement of "resource-efficient and environmentally friendly access modes (bike, walking, etc)", integration of sustainability practices and principles into the planning and design of BART stations and facilities, and incorporating sustainable materials, methods and technologies into BART's Facilities Standard to reduce energy and resource use. In September 2002, BART received a two-year National Grant for Innovation from EPA to support Sustainable Leadership projects identified by staff.
In December, Caltrans District 4 and the Metropolitan Transportation Commisson (MTC) released the 2002 State of the System report on Bay Area transportation. The report includes statistics and graphics which provide information on the ease and safety of travel on roads, freeways, and transit, how well the system is maintained, and the role of airports and seaports. The clear charts and tables are accompanied by concise text summaries of their significance to the region; an appendix guides researchers to the original sources of the data. The report is available from MTC: 510-464-7900; http://www.mtc.ca.gov