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Community Corner

Spring Clean Your Commute March 17-21

The Clean Air Campaign encourages Georgia commuters to use the first week of spring to freshen up their trips to work.

After a rough winter, Georgians are finally enjoying their first stretch of warm weather, opening their windows and starting some spring cleaning. This year, The Clean Air Campaign is encouraging Georgia residents to not only tidy up their closets but also spring clean their commute trips.

“When spring cleaning rolls around, we look at our homes and decide what needs to be fixed, cleaned and improved now that the cold weather is ending. It’s also the perfect time to do that for your daily commute,” said Tedra Cheatham, executive director of The Clean Air Campaign. “You can spring clean your commute by choosing an air-friendly way to get to work that could also have the benefit of saving money and getting exercise.”

In metro Atlanta, half of all smog-forming emissions come from the tailpipes of cars and trucks, making it a priority to reduce the number of drive alone commute trips.  With the first day of spring arriving on Thursday, March 20, now is the perfect time to spring clean your commute, and the Georgia Commute Options program offers a variety of resources to help commuters get started. Here are some tips:

  • Put your commute through the spin cycle and join the 25,000 Atlantans who bike to work each day. It’s a great way to stay in shape and keep pollution out of the air. Plus, commuters with long routes can combine biking with transit to expand their range.
  • Sweep up some savings by joining a carpool. Carpoolers can save more than $2,000 a year on commute costs like gas and car repairs. Plus, the new Georgia Commute Options ridematching system can help pair you up with interested carpoolers in your area.
  • Clean off your desk at home and start teleworking. Teleworkers are up to 20 percent more productive than their office counterparts, and skipping the commute entirely frees up time for other activities. Georgia Commute Options offers advice for implementing telework successfully at your office.
  • Dust off your walking shoes and hit the trains and buses. The average transit rider gets a jump on fitness by walking 95 minutes a week. Take advantage of your area’s transit opportunities and give yourself more time and exercise.
  • Reorganize space on the road – join a vanpool. Each van takes up to 10 vehicles off metro Atlanta roads and offers big savings for long-distance commuters. Get connected to a vanpool near you through Georgia Commute Options.

Stay tuned to The Clean Air Campaign and Georgia Commute Options social media channels for more on spring cleaning your commute.

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