GOVERNOR HUNTSMAN, MAYOR BECKER AND MAYOR CORROON ISSUE CLEAR THE AIR CHALLENGE

Challenge Sets Out to Improve Utah's Air Quality by Reducing Vehicle Emissions

Salt Lake City, May 19, 2009 - Governor Huntsman, Mayor Becker and Mayor Corroon are issuing the Clear the Air Challenge to Utahns.

The six-week Challenge, beginning June 1 and ending July 10, is an effort to educate residents about driving less and driving smarter to help reduce vehicle emissions and improve Utah's air quality.

"We issued the Clear the Air Challenge because we have an air quality problem that needs to be addressed. Our unique geographical features trap harmful emissions in our valleys creating red alert days, which are especially hazardous to our health," stated Governor Huntsman."

Vehicle emissions are one of the leading causes of our poor air quality. Luckily we can do something about that. We are asking the public to think before they drive, there are small changes that we all can make that will have a great impact."

The goal of the Challenge is to encourage 10,000 participants to help eliminate a total of 300,000 single occupant vehicle trips and avert 1,000,000 miles, resulting in a reduction of 1.8 million pounds of emissions in our air. The Challenge will help improve our air quality, lessen traffic congestion and conserve energy.

On the Challenge site, http://www.ClearTheAirChallenge.org , registrants have a trip diary where they record the reduced trips and miles.

Participants can use TravelWise strategies, including mass transit, active transportation (biking, walking, etc.), carpooling, teleworking, flexible and compressed work weeks and trip chaining as alternate modes of transportation.

"This Challenge has been designed so there is something for everyone," said Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker. "There are many people, like me, who already use alternate modes of transportation regularly and there are others who are completely new to it. The important thing is that everyone makes an effort to think about their driving habits and make adjustments to drive less and drive smarter."

Participants can take the Challenge as an individual or as team with family, friends or co-workers.

There are three pledge levels participants can choose from:
- Bronze 4 trips per week eliminated
- Sliver 8 trips per week eliminated
- Gold 12 trips per week eliminated

A trip is from point A to point B, like driving from home to the office. A second trip is from point B back to point A, like driving from the office back home.

Everyone who reaches their weekly pledge level will be entered into a drawing where one person from each level will be randomly selected for a prize each week. At the end of the Challenge grand prize winners will be selected from each pledge level.

There is also a creative element to the Challenge. Participants can submit a video, blog, photograph, story, song or poem about their experience with the Challenge. Grand prizes will be awarded to the best submissions.

"Our hope is that the take-away of the Challenge extends far beyond the six weeks of the contest. It is about raising awareness of the issue and what we as a community can do to solve this problem," stated Salt Lake County Mayor Peter Corroon. "It is our hope that the changes in travel behaviors participants make during the Challenge will continue long after it is over. We can't just expect our neighbor or someone else to do something about our air quality, we all have a responsibility to take action."

This Challenge is coordinated by Salt Lake Solutions, a partnership of more than 20 government, business, community and faith-based organizations.

To register for the challenge or to get more information go to:
http://www.ClearTheAirChallenge.org.

You can also follow the Challenge on:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Clear-the-Air-Challenge-Utah/75572134249?ref=ts

Twitter: http://twitter.com/cleartheairutah

For more information or an interview contact:
Brandie Gillette
Penna Powers Brian Haynes
Phone: 801.209.8804
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