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California Clean Air Day – October 6

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October 6 is California Clean Air Day – an annual day of action to improve air quality across California. Small actions on your part can help make a big difference.

The Pledge

One of the key elements of the event is the Clean Air Pledge. By taking it, individuals and organizations commit to doing their part to help clean the air on October 6, through actions both big and small.

If you take the Clean Air Pledge as an individual or household, you select actions to take from three main categories: Switching Things Out, Planting Something, and Reducing Vehicle Use. For example, you might choose to change your home air filter, plant a tree, or take public transit to work instead of driving. How many action items you choose is completely up to you.

Here’s a sample of actions you can choose from:

There’s also a Clean Air Pledge for Kids (with more actions to choose from on the website):

Organizations and businesses can take the pledge, choosing which business practices to modify and educational efforts to undertake for Clean Air Day. Not only will participating organizations be listed on the Clean Air Day website, but employers can get a count of how many employees have decided to take the Clean Air Pledge as individuals.

Take the Clean Air Pledge

Local Events

The California Clean Air Day website has a list of events, some leading up to October 6 and some on Clean Air Day. Here are some events happening locally:

Other Ways to Get Involved

If you’re looking for other ways to get involved in California Clean Air Day, here are some ideas:

Every Little Bit Helps

No matter how small you might think an action is, like not idling your engine or adding a plant to your office, it all adds up. Contributing to better air quality is easier than you might think. So consider taking the Clean Air Pledge an committing to at least one action on October 6 and be an active part of California Clean Air Day.

Learn More About Clean Air Day

I-580 Express Lanes Now Open (2016)

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580 express lanes
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The I-580 Express Lanes through Dublin, Pleasanton and Livermore are now open! Here’s what you need to know to use them:

  • All drivers will need a FasTrak® or FasTrak® Flex toll tag and valid FasTrak account to use the lanes.
  • The Express Lanes will be toll-free for carpools, vanpools, eligible clean-air vehicles, buses and motorcycles with a FasTrak Flex toll tag.
  • Solo drivers will have the option of paying to access the Express Lanes using a standard FasTrak or FasTrak Flex toll tag set to ‘1’.
  • The Express Lanes will look and feel like carpool lanes, allowing motorists to enter and exit almost anywhere along the corridor.
  • The Express Lanes will operate Monday through Friday, from 5-8pm. Outside of these hours, the Express Lanes will be open to all vehicles at no charge and with no toll-tag requirements.

For more information, visit Alameda CTC’s I-580 information page.

California DMV: No More Green 'Clean Air Vehicle' Decals to Issue (Jan. 2016)

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cleanairsticker_greenThe California Department of Motor Vehicles has announced that Green Clean Air Vehicle decals – which allow single-occupant plug-in hybrids to use the HOV lane – are no longer being issued. In late 2015, the DMV hit their limit of 85,000 stickers.
Although the limit has been raised in the past, there is no guarantee that additional decals will be authorized in the coming months. The DMV will continue to accept applications without payment for people who want to go on a waitlist should additional decals be authorized.
White Clean Air Vehicle decals (for natural gas or 100% electric vehicles) are still available and an unlimited number can be issued. Both the Green and White decals are valid until 2019.
For more information, visit the California DMV’s decal information page or call 800-242-4450.

Great Race For Clean Air (2014)

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Join us in the Great Race for Clean Air! March 1 – April 30, 2014

The Great Race for Clean Air is a friendly competition between Bay Area companies to improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion by encouraging employees to change how they commute to work.
Register to receive a Great Race toolkit including posters and outreach materials. Participating employees use the 511 Trip Diary to track their clean commutes.
Clean commutes include:

  • Walking
  • Biking
  • Transit
  • Carpooling
  • Anything but driving alone to work! Companies and individuals can win recognition and prizes.

Registration for the Great Race for Clean Air commuter challenge opens on January 6, 2014 at www.sparetheair.org. Contact Stephanie Anderson sanderson@communityfocus.org for details.

Student Bag Artwork Contest (2014)

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Calling all student artists!

We need your creative talent to design a cool graphic to be featured on the 511 Contra Costa reusable bag that is distributed across Central and East Contra Costa County.  The winning artist will receive a $50 gift card to the movies and his/her artwork featured in the latest edition of our reusable bag!

What is the theme?beachtote

“Explore New Ways to Get Around”: carpool, transit, bike, skateboard and walk.  Your artwork should show how these ways environmentally-friendly ways of getting around help reduce pollution and promote cleaner air.

What are the requirements?

  1. Use the 17×11 cardstock paper supplied by 511 Contra Costa.
  2. Use of up to three (3) colors is allowed.  (Note: Black is considered one color. You can use the white background of the paper as another source of color.)
  3. Include three (3) logos in the artwork:

–  511 Contra Costa (should be featured prominently)
–  Contra Costa Transportation Authority
–  BAAQMD Transportation Fund for Clean Air

     4. Sign your work!

What are the contest rules?

  • Artwork contest ends  Friday, February 28, 2014.  Entries due by 5 pm Thursday, February  27, 2014 at  City of Antioch City Hall; or Friday, 12:00 noon,February 28, 2014 at 511 Contra Costa in Pleasant Hill.
  • Artwork submitted must be from a student enrolled in a middle school within the cities of Antioch, Brentwood, Clayton, Concord, Martinez, Oakley, Pittsburg, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek and the surrounding unincorporated areas.
  • He/she must have permission of parent/guardian to enter in the contest by acknowledging and signing the Parent Guardian Release Form.

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