SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. –- June 17, 2004 — Demonstrating the advantages of using public transportation over driving in the Bay Area, a team of transit commuters using Caltrain, BART and the Blue & Gold Ferry won free airline tickets to any U.S. destination of their choice by beating a team of drivers in this morning’s “Race to SFO.” The race featured a driver competing against a public transit rider on three popular Bay Area commute routes – starting in Walnut Creek, Alameda and San Jose and ending at San Francisco International Airport. The cumulative time of the three participants on the public transportation team was three hours and 45 minutes.

Sponsored by the Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance, SFO, BART, the Blue & Gold Fleet and Caltrain, the race featured a public transit team of commuters selected through an on-air promotion on STAR 101.3 FM. The driving team featured some of the Bay Area’s best-known traffic reporters, including Jon Wailin, aka the “SuperCommuter,” from KGO Radio, Tom Berlin from KNEW and STAR, and Michaelynn Meyers from KGO Radio.

The “Race to SFO” was designed to demonstrate the many benefits of using public transportation over solo auto commuting to get around the Bay Area, whether it is for work or pleasure. In addition to the competitive time comparisons between public transportation and driving, transit can provide a productive and stress-free environment. With the recent spike in gasoline prices, transit can also be less expensive than driving.

Highlighting the productivity benefits of using public transportation, all competitors were required to complete a series of tasks in order to officially finish the race. These tasks which included a word search puzzle, answering questions from newspaper articles and answering several questions about Bay Area transit agencies and SFO from provided literature, simulated how commuters can check email, read, do work, meet new friends or just relax while on board a train, ferry or bus. While the transit riders could complete the tasks while in transit, the drivers could only complete the tasks once parked.

From a starting point at the Walnut Creek BART station, public transportation team member Lawrence Sanders took BART directly to SFO in a time of one hour and 13 minutes, while Tom Berlin from the driving team drove the freeways of the East Bay and over the Oakland Bay Bridge to arrive at the finish line in a time of one hour and 24 minutes. For the Alameda race leg, public transportation team member Karen Sumner took the Blue & Gold Ferry to the San Francisco Ferry Terminal and transferred to BART for the final leg to SFO for a total time of one hour and 13 minutes, while Michaelynn Meyers drove across the Oakland Bay Bridge to arrive at the finish line in one hour and 16 minutes. From the starting point at the San Jose Caltrain station, Justine Small and Karen Doom, competing on the public transportation team, took the new “Baby Bullet” Caltrain to the Millbrae station and transferred to BART for the final leg to SFO for a finishing time of one hour and 19 minutes, while Jon Wailin drove up the 101 freeway but did not finish the race. Drivers were required to park their cars in short term parking before heading to the finish line.

“The extension of BART along the Peninsula has opened a new and convenient means for commuters throughout the Bay Area to get to SFO through BART and the other transit agencies that feed into BART, whether it’s for business or pleasure,” said Christine Maley-Grubl, executive director of the Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance. “Today’s race demonstrated that while public transit is a competitive alternative to driving based on time, it also offers productivity benefits and cost benefits, especially with the impending as Bay Area bridge toll increases on July 1st."

Race competitors were off and running beginning at 6:45 this morning, in the heat of the Bay Area commute. Shortly after the winning team had all three members cross the finish line at the International Terminal at SFO, a brief ceremony was held with officials from SFO, United Airlines and the Peninsula Traffic Congestion Relief Alliance. In addition to receiving two round-trip tickets to any destination in the continental U.S. compliments of United Airlines, the three members of the winning team also received free BART, Caltrain and Blue & Gold Fleet vouchers as well as other prizes. The losing team also received a concession package with free transit tickets and other gifts.