What can I do?
Doing your part to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion is easy. Incorporating even a few of the simple steps offered here can help clean the air and reduce traffic congestion.
Ten Simple Steps to Improving Air Quality
- Trip chain more often. It’s easy! Just combine your errands into one trip. It helps you get things done efficiently while reducing traffic congestion and air pollution. Starting a car after it has been sitting for more than an hour causes up to five times more pollution than starting up when the engine is warm.
- Take mass transit, share a ride, or carpool. Even if you do it just once or twice a week, you’ll reduce traffic congestion and pollution and save money. The average driver spends more than 50 cents per mile, including the cost of car ownership and maintenance.
- Have fun! Ride your bike. It’s a great way to travel and it can help you and the air get into better condition. Vehicles on the road create more than 25% of all air pollution nationwide.
- Use your feet. Walk or in-line skate instead of driving. Using your feet is a great way to get exercise and it’s easy on the air.
- Care for your car. Regular maintenance and tune-ups, changing the oil, and keeping tires properly inflated can improve gas mileage, extend your car’s life, and increase its resale value. It can also reduce traffic congestion due to preventable breakdowns and reduce your car’s emissions by more than half.
- Get fuel when it’s cool. Refueling on cool days or during cooler periods of the day, such as mornings and evenings, can prevent gas fumes from heating up and creating ozone. And that can help reduce ozone alert days.
- Don’t top off the tank. Topping off releases gas fumes into the air, which cancels the benefits of the pump’s anti-pollution devices. So, stop at the click and prevent gas spillage—it’s safer and reduces pollution.
- Telecommute. Work at home when you can. You’ll save time and money and reduce emissions and traffic congestion.
- Know before you go. If your area has a travel and transit information network, access it by calling, visiting the website, or tuning in to the cable station. Get travel and transit updates before you leave home so you’re less likely to get stuck in a jam.
- Spread the word. If everyone took just a few of these simple steps, it could make a big difference in air quality and traffic congestion.
For more information, contact your state’s air quality representatives.