Photo by Steve Klamkin WPRO News

WPRO Newsroom

The Department of Environmental Management announced an air quality alert has been set for Wednesday as a hot and humid air mass is expected to lead to unhealthy air conditions.

DEM Meteorologist Darren Austin said this is the first alert issued this year.

“It’s been a very cool summer, anomalously cool summer, typically we average five to ten of these for ozone during the summer months,” said Austin.

Due to the low air qulaity, RIPTA Director of Planning and Marketing Amy Pettine says all public transportation, including all RIPTA buses and trolleys, will be free to ride.

“The whole idea behind the program is that by encouraging people to leave their cars at home, which do contribute to poor air quality, and hop on a RIPTA bus that we improve air quality and we get more people to try public transit,” said Pettine.

The program to allow riders on public transit for free during air quality alert days has been going on for nearly 20 years.