The 5^th Annual Alamo Area Walk & Roll Personal Challenge logged 65,300 “smart” miles, reducing 217 pounds of ground-level ozone producing pollutants that may otherwise have been in our air during September 2009.[1]  “Smart” miles are efficient and healthy modes of transportation that save gas and money, improve air quality, and provide health benefits.  They include such options as carpooling, vanpooling, riding the bus, riding a bicycle, or walking while we commute to work or school; leave home for recreation, exercise, or entertainment; and go shopping, run errands, or conduct other business. In this September’s challenge, over 200 participants competed in four different categories: walking, cycling, busing, and car/vanpooling.

Winners in the 2009 Walk & Roll Personal Challenge were:

• Cycling Category - Richard Olivares logged an impressive 734 cycling miles, and will receive a $100 gift card from Bike World, courtesy of the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Bicycle Mobility Advisory Committee. The runner-up in this category was Christopher Richtberg, who cycled 687 miles.
• Busing Category - Richard Wilde amassed 1,345 smart miles on the bus, and will receive a goody-bag from VIA Metropolitan Transit including three monthly Bus Passes.  Daniel Martinez placed second in this category with 822 miles.
• Walking Category - Robert Branch walked a whopping 575 miles, and received a $100 gift card from Academy Sports and Outdoors, courtesy of the Metropolitan Planning Organization's Pedestrian Mobility Advisory Committee.  Vickie Walton was the runner-up in this category, walking 435 miles.
• Car/Vanpooling Category – Patricia Wiatrek logged 1,900 car/vanpooling miles, and will receive a $100 gift card from Academy Sports and Outdoors, courtesy of CPS Energy.  There was a three-way tie for the runner up position in this category. Kenneth Brooks, Rocky Flores, and Patricia Jensen all logged 1,400 carpooling miles.

The Walk & Roll Challenge is sponsored by the Alamo Area Council of Governments (AACOG) and the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).  AACOG’s Commute Solutions program offers free commuting services for carpooling, cycling, and schools, such as an internet-based rideshare matching service (http://www.rcride.com/).  Commute Solutions staff are also available for presentations and exhibitions educating the public regarding air quality and transportation issues in the Alamo Region.

The San Antonio region typically experiences multiple days each summer when air pollution reaches unhealthy levels. Some of the pollutants in our air originate from other regions of the country or from natural sources, but a significant portion is created locally from activities we engage in each day – such as driving our vehicles.

Poor air quality adversely impacts us in a number of ways. Prolonged exposure can cause such symptoms as headaches, nausea, and breathing difficulties. Periods of high air pollution levels have been associated with increased emergency room visits and school absences in a number of studies. Furthermore, certain groups are particularly sensitive to air pollution: children, the elderly, people who are active outdoors, and people with respiratory illnesses.

The consequences of air pollution don’t end with human health. Air pollution harms our environment and may impact economic growth.  In addition, high air pollution levels jeopardize our ability to meet federal standards for air quality.

In March 2008, the federal government revised the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) for ground-level ozone to make the standard more protective of human health and the environment.  Attainment under the revised standard is met when the three-year average of the annual fourth highest daily maximum eight-hour ozone concentration is no more than 75 parts per billion (ppb).

The EPA intends to make designations under the revised 8-hour standard in 2010. The consequences for violating federal air quality standards could include increased regulations for new and existing businesses, the loss of some highway funding, and possibly emissions inspections for our vehicles.

The major sources of locally-generated air pollution are the vehicles we drive. Since these are sources we control, we have a unique opportunity to take action and fix improve the situation: Drive Less. Our Walk & Roll Challenge’s overall goal encourages citizens to Drive Less–leave the cars at home and find a healthier way to commute to work.

Driving less will help our region drive toward a cleaner future.

Annette Prosterman, AACOG (210) 362-5213

Brenda Williams, AACOG, (210) 362-5246