Tag Archives: quality of life

Salt Lake City Receives National Award for City Livability
U.S. Conference of Mayors Recognizes Clear the Air Challenge Initiative

SALT LAKE CITY– Salt Lake City has been honored with the 2010 Outstanding Achievement City Livability Award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors. One of five cities that were recognized by the organization, the award was given to Salt Lake City for the Clear the Air Challenge initiative which is aimed at improving city livability and the quality of urban life.

Established in 2009, the Clear the Air Challenge is a collaborative effort with local and state governments, businesses, faith‐based organizations and non‐profit groups. The program challenges residents to commit to “Drive Less and Drive Smarter” using TravelWise strategies, such as biking, walking, utilizing public transit, teleworking and trip chaining.

During the 2009 Clear the Air Challenge, 4500 drivers eliminated nearly 111,000 single‐occupant vehicle car trips, saved over 1 million vehicle miles, and cut over 1.7 million pounds of motor vehicle emissions.

“We are excited to be recognized for our efforts to improve air quality in Salt Lake City as we continue to look at ways to improve the livability of Utah’s Capital City,” said Mayor Ralph Becker. “Improving our air quality is integral to our elevated quality of life. We are proud to share this award with our residents, who are so willing to do their part to clear the air.”

Following last year’s success, the Clear the Air Challenge is now gearing up for its second campaign, which will run from July 1 to July 31, 2010. This summer’s Challenge has loftier goals, aiming to eliminate 300,000 vehicle trips, 2 million vehicle miles, and cut 3.4 million pounds of emissions.

To register for the Challenge and find more information visit http://www.cleartheairchallenge.org. You can also follow the Challenge on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

About the Clear the Air Challenge
The 2010 Clear the Air Challenge is a Salt Lake Solutions project created by a Partners Team made up of government entities already working on air quality issues; as well as business, faith, education and other community groups interested in motivating behavior changes to improve Utah’s air quality. For questions about the 2010 Clear the Air Challenge, contact Kate Lilja from the Salt Lake City Division of Sustainability at (801) 535‐7755 or kate.lilja@slcgov.com

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