The City of Alexandria’s Department of Transportation & Environmental Services (T&ES) encourages the public to stay informed about air quality alerts and find ways to reduce air pollution as part of Air Quality Action Days from May to September. The City promotes this program to further demonstrate its commitment to clean air.

What You Can Do to Help

Individual actions can help reduce the release of harmful emissions. Residents can find many ways to protect their health and improve air quality by using the Clean Air Partners Action Guide. Another important step is signing up to receive Air Quality Action Day alerts at no cost. Small individual choices can go a long way toward improving regional air quality.

Here are a few actions you can take to help improve air quality:

• Walk, bike, or ride DASH and other bus services in the Northern Virginia region
• Avoid mowing your lawn until the evening, or wait for a cooler day
• Carpool to work with a friend

One major way to help is learning to understand the Air Quality Index (AQI) and its categories. This color-coded index is a quick way to learn about current air quality, identify which days may be unhealthy for the general population, and understand what precautions to take, including limiting time spent outdoors.

Visit the City’s Air Quality website to learn more about how you can help improve air quality.