Happy Holidays from Clean Air NY

The holiday season is here, bringing parties and shopping trips in abundance. It’s no secret that the holiday season also brings traffic. This year, the New York City Department of Transportation declared seven Gridlock Alert Days in December alone. The 2009 holiday traffic plan can be found here.

But remember – more traffic = more air pollution. Roughly one-third of greenhouse gas emissions are caused by cars and trucks, but the extra travel required in December does not mean air quality has to suffer. We’ve put together some special holiday tips to help you keep the air clean, even during a high-traffic season:

-Take Mass Transit. Traffic congestion in New York is an issue during winter. Beat the holiday rush and take mass transit. Taking mass transit reduces carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to global warming by more than seven million tons a year.
-Share a Ride. When traveling to holiday parties, share a ride by carpooling or vanpooling to your destination. To find a carpool partner or vanpool, visit 511ny.org or nycommute.org .
-Combine Trips. Vehicles are more fuel efficient when they are warmed up. You could end up saving twice as much on gas consumption by taking one multipurpose trip instead of many short trips. Combine your errands into one trip and you’ll make your holidays less hectic, while helping keep New York’s air clean.
-Cut Back On Idling. Whenever possible, don’t let your car idle. For example, go into a fast-food restaurant to pick up food rather than waiting in the drive-through lane.
-Work from Home. Avoid weather hazards and spend more time with your family while working from home. If just one in 10 commuters in the New York metro area worked from home just once a week, emissions of ozone precursors would be reduced by about 5,100 tons each week – that’s the weight equivalent of 720 elephants.

You can click here to download our print-ready holiday tip poster to display around your workplace, school, community center, etc. to help educate others on the simple steps we can all take to improve New York's air quality.

Our Facebook page also has some great pre-made badges and Facebook profile pictures to help you spread the Clean Air NY holiday cheer! Check them out here.

Happy Holidays from Clean Air NY!

106.7 Lite FM and Clean Air NY's Skating in Central Park

This past weekend, Clean Air NY and 106.7LiteFM, together with its radio personalities, Delilah and Christine Nagy, helped educate the public on smart everyday travel choices to make our air cleaner and healthier in New York.

Remember to make the following smart travel choices this holiday season:

• Combine shopping trips to save time and gas
• Carpool to holiday parties and events
• Take mass transit to beat the traffic
• Avoid weather hazards and work from home
• Encourage loved ones to join Clear Air NY

Add your fan photos on Clean Air NY's Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/cleanairnewyork if you were at the event!

For more info on Clean Air NY, become a fan on FB: http://www.facebook.com/cleanairnewyork or visit http://www.cleanairny.org/

Choosing Travel Options Friendly to Air Quality All the Time

Choosing travel options that are friendly to air quality is about more than our commute to and from work. It includes trips to concerts, Broadway shows, dinners, nightclubs, Yankees or Mets games and other special events.

Speaking of baseball, we recently went to a game at the new Yankee Stadium. A friend asked me where I parked and wasn't it a nightmare? In fact, we took a relaxing train ride and connected with an express subway to the Bronx. It dropped us off right outside the ball park.

All in all, we reduced our driving travel for the evening by more than 70 miles, eliminated the stress of Friday-night-game traffic, avoided the parking hassle and helped improve air quality, all with one simple travel choice.

Frank T. Mongioi is Marketing and Outreach Manager of Clean Air NY.

Make the Most of Your Commute During Time Management Month

Did you know that February is Time Management Month? Did you also know that, on average, New Yorkers spend 312 hours each year commuting to work? With all those hours spent commuting, February is a great time to find ways to better manage your time and to get more done on your commute. Here are a few ways you can ease your commute and accomplish other tasks along the way:

• Take public transportation to work. You can get some work done on the train before arriving at the office. By avoiding traffic, you’ll be less stressed and ready to get your day started.
• Telecommute whenever possible. Working from home can increase productivity by eliminating your commute and your normal office distractions.
• Carpool with co-workers. By riding to work with colleagues, you can “talk shop” in the car and perhaps avoid having another meeting in the office.

• Combine car trips. Get more done after work by running all your errands on the way home.
• Bike or walk to work. You’ll save time by getting your workout in while you commute. You won’t have to go to the gym before or after work.

Intrigued? Why don’t you try one or all of these ideas just a few times this month and see how much time you can save? You’ll feel less stressed and want to continue these great practices throughout the year.

Want to learn more ways to ease your commute? Visit CleanAirNY.org or go to http://www.511ny.org/ to plan your transit or carpool route.

Still Time to Make Green NY’s Resolutions

If you’re anything like me, then by now you may have already broken some of your New Year’s resolutions. That’s OK; it happens to the best of us. Just remind yourself that nearly an entire year still lies ahead of you, so there’s plenty of time to renew your resolutions or think of new ones that are easier to follow. If you do this, it’s the perfect time to combine your traditional resolutions with ways to be a little greener in 2009.

That’s what I’m doing. I first found some helpful tips on various Web sites, including U.S. News and World Report’s “Fresh Greens” blog—Green New Year's Resolutions: Transportation. I then used these tips to put a green spin on my original resolutions. Here are my redefined resolutions, which are hopefully going to make me a better person in 2009 and make New York a cleaner, greener place!

• Lose weight. I will walk and/or bike around town more. Using these modes of transportation will not only burn calories during my commute but also help the environment by taking a car off the road.

• Save money. I will purchase a monthly MetroCard and promise to take the bus or subway whenever possible rather than spending money on a taxi cab.
• Spend more time with family. I will see my family more this year. To get more quality time with my sister (who lives across town), I’ve decided that when we venture across the river to see our parents in the ‘burbs, we should carpool. We can spend time together and improve New York's air quality.

• Use my time wisely. I’ll start planning ahead to get things done more efficiently. This means that when I use a Zipcar, I’ll combine all of my errands into one trip. I can save on car-sharing fees and reduce pollution.

• Meet new people. If all else fails and I can’t ride my bike, walk or take the subway, bus or carpool, I will try to use rideamigos.com. I can share a taxi with fellow New Yorkers and meet new people.

As you can see, my 2009 New Year’s Resolutions will help me and the environment. And, if you need any more incentive to follow through on your resolutions, take a look at this recent article in The Washington Post, which says that cleaner air can lead to a longer life.

So what can you do to spruce up or renew your New Year’s resolutions to make them easier to follow and a bit greener?

Jessica Horne, a Clean Air NY marketing associate, lives and breathes in New York.

Clean Air NY: Everyday Choices Make a Difference

Here are some simple steps to achieve cleaner air:

Combine Trips. This is one of the easiest choices and can save time while you are improving the air. Instead of going home after work and then back out to the gym or to the grocery store, plan ahead and combine your errands into one sensible trip, even on the weekends.

Bike, Walk or Use Public Transit. Forgoing your car just one day a week for a year could save about 1,000 miles on the vehicle and more than $500 in total driving costs. Just think of what you could do with that extra money, not to mention the health benefits of walking or biking.

Share a Ride. Whenever possible, share a ride by carpooling or vanpooling to your destination. To find a carpool partner or vanpool, visit nycommute.org.

Maintain Your Car. Take care of your car by following the suggested maintenance schedule, keeping the tires properly inflated. A well-maintained vehicle not only preserves your investment, it also produces 20 percent less ozone-related emissions, saves money on gas, and means less traffic congestion due to breakdowns.

Avoid Topping Off Your Tank. When filling your car with gas, avoid topping off the tank.

Cut Back On Idling. Whenever possible, avoid idling your car. For example, go into a fast-food restaurant to pick up food rather than waiting in the drive-through lane

Don't Be So Cool. At home, set your air conditioner at 78 degrees when it's warm outside to conserve energy.

Use Safe Products. Read product labels and be sure to purchase and use environmentally safe paints and cleaning products whenever possible. This limits the amount of unhealthy vapor in the air.

Spread the Word. The more people who know about Clean Air NY, the more steps will be taken to improve air quality and the health of all New Yorkers.

To receive FREE real-time Air Quality Action Day updates, text AIR to 42269 or sign up at http://www.CleanAirNY.org today.