Utah Transit Authority is providing free rides Aug. 17-18

UTA is waiving all fares for transit riders tomorrow and Friday, the transit agency announced Thursday.

Details: The zero-fare program, partially funded by the state Legislature, is meant to entice public transit ridership and reduce vehicle emissions, especially on days when poor air quality is forecasted.

• All UTA transit, from bus routes to the FrontRunner commuter rail, will be free.

What they're saying: "Summertime ozone pollution is not something we can see like our winter inversions, but over the past few years, some of our worst air quality days have been in the summer months," Utah Department of Environmental Quality executive director Kim Shelley said in a statement.

Be smart: GREENbike will also provide free day passes with the promo code 8123.