Community Corner

"Spare The Air" Tuesday

Forecasts show today's air quality will be unhealthy and people should avoid driving to reduce smog levels.

Bay City News—Air quality officials issued their first "spare the air" alert of the season for Tuesday, which coincidentally is the first day of summer, a spokeswoman said.

Last year, the first alert came two months later, in August.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issues alerts when air quality is unhealthy—often coinciding with high temperatures and high pollution levels, district spokeswoman Kristine Roselius said.

Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Forecasts show Tuesday's air quality will be unhealthy and people should avoid driving to reduce smog levels.

People with respiratory problems, young children and seniors should take extra precaution to avoid excessive exposure to smoggy air. 

Find out what's happening in Concordwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Roselius suggested that people carpool, take public transit, walk or bike to destinations.

Previous years saw free transit available on high-pollution days, but Roselius said the district hopes that Bay Area residents saw the benefit and now use public transit or ride shares out of habit.

In the Bay Area, warmer regions such as Livermore and San Jose see a greater number of unhealthy air days, but other cities also need to watch their smog output, Roselius said.

"What happens in San Francisco and Marin County affects the whole area," she said, explaining that pollutants are regional and do not recognize city or county lines.

To receive Spare the Air alerts, residents can sign up at 511.org.

More than 100,000 people are registered to receive such notifications. An iPhone application also is available for free, to notify users of air quality, forecasts and pollution levels.


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