The Clean Air Chronicles

SUMMER 2008 ISSUE

First half of Air Quality Season concludes with three orange days and no red days

We've reached the midpoint of the 2008 Air Quality Forecasting Season with just three orange days and zero red days since the official kickoff of the season on May 20th. This represents a significant improvement over the nine and 11 orange days recorded by mid season in 2007 and 2006 respectively. Your continued efforts to go green and do your share for cleaner air will play a critical role in helping to prevent additional orange days or red days as we head into August when air quality conditions in the region are typically at their worst. For a list of steps you can take to help keep the air quality healthy during the final weeks of the summer season, visit The Partnership's website at www.cleanair-stlouis.com.

2008 Clean Air Festivals draw large crowds

The Partnership thanks everyone who participated in its recent Clean Air Festivals, held May 20th at Kiener Plaza in downtown St. Louis and June 25th at Memorial Park in downtown Clayton. Sunny skies, free Ted Drewes frozen custard and live music brought large crowds to both events, which were designed to provide area residents with access to a wealth of information on how they can go green and do their share for cleaner air in the region. Special thanks go to our exhibitors for making their information available and to our CACs and ETCs who helped to promote the events in advance. We look forward to collaborating with all of you again as we organize our 2009 events.

Our plans for a third event this summer in downtown Belleville, Ill. had to be tabled for 2008 due to scheduling difficulties and budget constraints, but we will be revisiting those plans early next year with the goal of hosting an Illinois event next spring. We will keep you posted.

RideFinders and Metro reach new ridership milestones

Skyrocketing gas prices continue to drive record numbers of individuals to rideshare with RideFinders and use MetroLink and MetroBus. Both organizations recently celebrated new ridership milestones, as increasing numbers of individuals enjoyed more air quality-friendly and cost-effective commutes.

With the June 30th close of its 2008 fiscal year, RideFinders reported that the number of commuters sharing the ride to work in one of its carpools or vanpools soared to more than 9,000, representing four million annual passenger trips and a 32 percent gain over 2007. Meanwhile, at Metro, the number of annual passenger boardings is approaching 60 million.

The Partnership applauds the increasing numbers of commuters who are choosing to rideshare and take transit because they are doing their share for cleaner air by removing cars from our roads, along with the related emissions that lead to poor air quality. To learn how you can get started, visit www.ridefinders.org or www.metrostlouis.org.

Partnership expands relationship with Washington University

As part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen bonds with current partners, The Partnership recently met with representatives from the Washington University School of Medicine and the Danforth campus to discuss ways for the university to further engage in the clean air effort.

As a result, we were pleased to work with both campuses on a co-branded marketing piece highlighting the link between transit use and air quality and offering information on how to pollute less when commuting alone by car. The pieces are being distributed to approximately 25,000 students and staff members who receive transit passes and parking permits from the university. In addition to the marketing pieces, plans for additional outreach initiatives with Washington University are in the works and will be getting underway in the coming weeks.

We're thrilled for this opportunity to get further engaged with the university, and we would welcome the opportunity to work with all of our partners in an expanded capacity. CACs who are interested in expanding their organization's relationship with The Partnership are encouraged to call (314) 645-5505, ext. 1007 or send an e-mail to sfuchs@breathehealthy.org

URS Corporation employee enjoys an air quality-friendly commute

When I-64 closed from Interstate 170 to Spoede Road last January, Ken Hagg, Vice President of Environmental Services for URS Corporation, traded in his car keys for a MetroBus pass, and he's been taking the bus daily from his home in Ballwin to his office near Dogtown ever since.

As one of the founders of the St. Louis Regional Clean Air Partnership and as Chair of the American Lung Association's Leadership Council, Hagg says that the air quality benefits associated with taking mass transit are driving his decision to use the bus.

"Mass transit takes cars off the roads which leads to a significant reduction in the emissions released into our air," said Hagg. "It's great to know that by using the bus, I'm doing my share to help improve the region's air quality."

Hagg also touts the many additional benefits. "I like the consistency of the bus schedule, and it's also nice to be able to accomplish things during my commute. I can read the paper, work or even get caught up on sleep."

In these times of record gas prices, Hagg also enjoys the cost-savings associated with using the bus, and he's even made some new friends along the way. "I commute with the same set of people each day and I've really gotten to know them."

After hearing about Hagg's positive experience with mass transit, many of his co-workers have also begun riding the bus. URS Corporation is even encouraging transit use among its employees by enabling them to purchase monthly Metro passes with pre-tax dollars.

"For anyone who is considering using the bus or MetroLink, I highly recommend it," says Hagg.

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