Farmers Market Foot Traffic Doubles for Sept. 13th "No Drive Day" CelebrationBoulder's first County-wide No Drive Day got residents and employees out riding their bikes and taking the bus. Over 1,000 people pledged to use alternative transportation on Wednesday, Sept. 13th. Foot traffic at the Farmers Market more than doubled for the big No Drive Day event. The event included a free salad bar, cake, a band and prizes. Over 700 free salads were served. Alan Calder, a Boulder resident and avid biker won one of two electric scooters worth $500.00. The goal was to get people to try alternative transportation for a day and see the benefit in using it. Ann, a Boulder County resident, rode the bus on "No Drive Day" for the first time and now rides it on a weekly basis. This is what the Boulder County Clean Air Consortium was striving for. The purpose of this event was to build awareness and get people interested in alternative transportation. The BCCAC wanted to get the word out that vehicles are responsible for more than 60% of our air pollution and alternatives to driving alone do exist. Reducing the number of cars on the road will improve our air quality, something Boulder County residents rank as a high priority.
POLLUTION REDUCTIONS:
On September 13th, vehicle miles traveled were
reduced by 15,458.16 miles. This resulted in a reduction of
670.72
lbs of pollution being emitted.
Specifically:
507.82 lbs: Carbon Monoxide
67.48 lbs: Nitrogen Oxide
61.0 lbs: VOCs
(Volatile Organic Compounds)
34.42 lbs: PM10
(Particulate Matter less than 10 microns)
670.72 lbs Total Pollutants
The goal of the September 13th No Drive Day was to get commuters to use an alternative form of transportation to their personal gasoline fueled vehicle. The No Drive Day effort was strictly voluntary and targeted people living and working in Boulder County. Surrounding Cities Metro Wide were encouraged to participate.
Driving a car is probably a person's single most polluting daily activity. Efforts by government and industry since 1970 have greatly reduced typical vehicle emissions. However, the increase in travel and the number of vehicles on the road has offset much of the emission control progress. In Boulder County alone, nearly 1,800 million vehicle miles are traveled each year. In urban areas, the motor vehicle contribution to carbon monoxide pollution can exceed 90%.
Motor vehicles also emit several pollutants that
EPA classifies as known or probable human carcinogens (cancer causing).
These include Benzene, a known human carcinogen, as well as Formaldehyde
and diesel particulate matter. The EPA estimates that mobile (car, truck,
bus) sources of air toxics account for as much as half of all cancers attributed
to outdoor sources of air toxics (based on predictive models).
The only way to really ensure healthier air
is to markedly reduce our use of cars or to switch to fuels that are inherently
cleaner than conventional gasoline.