Overview
- SMART launched a five-day program that repurposes air-conditioned buses as mobile cooling centers and estimates the total cost at about $11,700.
- The agency reported 184 people used the buses on the program’s first day as officials said they will keep tracking ridership to judge effectiveness.
- Buses are drawn from SMART’s existing fleet to limit extra expense and to allow a quick, low-cost response using vehicles already in service.
- Officials place the cooling buses at established transit hubs where people already wait and adjust locations daily to reach the most vulnerable riders.
- SMART leaders framed the effort as a public-health intervention intended to reduce heat risk for seniors and people with disabilities and said staff on the ground have welcomed people seeking relief.