Do something positive

Ozone levels are typically highest in the hot summer months. Each month, June through September, Air North Texas will focus on resources to help you know your impact on the air and highlight how to pollute less.

Know your impact

Alternative commutes

Visit www.tryparkingit.com to log your alternative commute and calculate money saved and emissions reduced.

You can also find carpool and vanpool options at www.tryparkingit.com.

According to the US Department of Transportation, the typical worker who switches from driving alone to carpooling saves more than $1,000 a year and avoids driving an average of 5,000 miles per year.

Taking transit is another alternative. Check routes and schedules to get on board.

• Dallas Area Rapid Transit
• Denton County Transportation Authority
• Fort Worth Transportation Authority (The T)
• Trinity Railway Express

Bicycling is an alternative good for the air and health. Just three hours of bicycling per week may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke by 50 percent.

There are miles of on- and off-street bicycle trails and routes in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and more planned.

About 40 percent of all trips made are within two miles of home, but bicycles are allowed on all transit vehicles to go farther.

Finally, the City of Dallas offers safety tips for Happy Trails.

Driving habits

When an alternative commute is not feasible, think about how and what you drive.

There are six clean alternatives to gasoline and diesel, and the US Department of Energy's interactive map makes it easy to find options in your neighborhood.

More and more options are coming to North Texas. Deep Ellum recently openend new Blink electric vehicle charging stations. However, even if you are not yet ready to make the switch to an alternative fuel, there are still things you can do.

Keeping a vehicle engine tuned properly, inflating tires to the correct pressure and using the recommended grade of motor oil can increase gas mileage by up to 9 percent and save up to 30 cents per gallon, according to the US Department of Energy's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy and the EPA.

Driving the speed limit reduces pollution and improves fuel economy too.

The US Department of Transportation estimates that combining multiple errands or making back-to-back stops instead of separate trips saves about 200 miles annually as well as time and money.

Whether in the market for a new vehicle or trying to maximize fuel economy, www.fueleconomy.gov offers tips and resources.

Additionally, the Environmental Protection Agency developed the SmartWaySM Certified Vehicle Program to help consumers evaluate and compare vehicle environmental performance and fuel economy.

Vehicles receive both an Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gas score, each rated on a scale of one to 10, and must earn at least a six in each category with a minimum total of 13 points to receive the SmartWay designation.

Only 14 percent of the model year 2010 vehicles were recognized in the SmartWay program, which highlights the exclusivity of this designation.

Finally, beginning with model year 2013, new fuel economy labels will make it easier to compare cars, save money at the pump and reduce air pollution.

Beyond transportation

Calculate your carbon footprint to better understand how choices made at home and while traveling impact the environment. Everything from what we do and eat to what we buy and throw away has an impact.

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