BALTIMORE (April 25, 2003)  - Baltimore area leaders are encouraging commuters to resist the urge to drive to work alone at least once during the month of May, and try an alternative clean commute.  Clean commuting can mean trying transit, sharing the ride to work with a neighbor or co-worker, walking, cycling, or even telecommuting. 

"Most of us are in the habit of getting in the car and driving to work alone," said Harford County Executive James M. Harkins, chair of the Baltimore Regional Transportation Board (BRTB).  "We don’t think about our own vehicle exhaust contributing to the summer ozone pollution that can cause health problems for our family, friends and neighbors."  

The exhaust from cars and trucks contributes significantly to the creation of ground-level ozone, commonly called smog. Smog, which aggravates asthma and other health problems, is worst beginning in May and continues through the summer, when pollutants literally cook in the sun to form ground-level ozone.

Clean Commute Month kicks off on Friday, May 2, with Bike to Work Day activities from 7:30-8:30 a.m. in Baltimore, Annapolis and Bel Air, and the Clean Air Partners Ozone Action Day Festival at Baltimore’s City Hall Plaza from 10:30-2:00 p.m.  Other activities include a telework seminar at the Baltimore Metropolitan Council on May 20, and Alternative Fuel Vehicle Day at the Community College of Baltimore County, Catonsville, on May 28.  In addition, there will be a Clean Commute Month information booth at the Towsontown Spring Festival on May 2-4, and the Baltimore Flower Mart on May 14.  Several Clean Commute seminars for employers are also scheduled.

Learn more at www.cleancommute.com.  The site includes a complete schedule of Clean Commute Month events, plus information about the health effects of ground-level ozone, bicycling, local bus systems, and links to transit schedules and rideshare information.

Clean Commute Month is sponsored by the Clean Commute Partnership. The partnership includes the BRTB, the region’s recognized transportation planning body comprising all the region’s elected executives; the Baltimore Metropolitan Council; the Maryland Transit Administration; the Maryland Department of the Environment; the Baltimore Bicycling Club; Clean Air Partners; MetroNetworks and One Less Car.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 17 December 2008 09:57