Clean Commute Annapolis

The Community is Talking!

"As a cyclist I appreciate all that your organization does for us and I am glad to be a part of it. Having bike racks on the buses is particularly helpful, I came from Baltimore city where they have none, and it is a great help to bikers to have those racks. Thank you again for all your efforts and for making a difference in our community."

- Clark Le Compte, Clean Commuter

Clean Commute Annapolis Initiatives

Clean Commute initiatives are programs sponsored by The Annapolis Department of Transportation to help encourage commuters in and around Annapolis to choose an alternative to driving alone.

Bike To Work Day

Bike To Work Day is an annual event is celebrated across the region. The Bike To Work Day Rally, held downtown Annapolis, draws more than one hundred bike commuters! Kick off the clean commute season by registering and attending the rally nearest you.

Your Clean Commuting Options

  1. Annapolis Transit provides public transportation services through regular fixed routes, shuttle, ADA complementary paratransit services and free downtown Circulator.  
  2. Walking - It’s easy, its healthy and the best way to get places on nice days and, you could always take a bus home!

Why Clean Commute?

It improves air quality and decreases nitrogen pollution of the Chesapeake Bay!

Annapolis is part of a region classified as a severe non-attainment area by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In 2002, the region had 17 "Code Red" bad air days. A Code Red day means that the air quality was so poor as to be harmful to most citizens. Lower ratings, Orange and Yellow, can be hazardous to sensitive populations such as the elderly or children.

Automobiles contribute a significant amount of pollution that causes Code Red days. Single occupancy vehicles (commuters driving alone) account for 20% of emissions in the air. Maryland has seen an increase in average daily miles driven by commuters annually, from just under 120 million miles in 1990 to over 140 million in 2003. As vehicle travel miles rise, so do pollutants in the air and traffic congestion.

During the summer of 2003, the Chesapeake Bay experienced one of the largest dead zones ever recorded, stretching more than 150 miles from north of the Bay Bridge to the York River in Virginia. This dead zone, an area of water so polluted and void of oxygen that life ceased to exist, contributed to record low harvests of crabs and oysters. Excess nitrogen, more than any other pollutant, is responsible for the Bay’s continued decline and was the primary cause of the dead zone.

Consider This

  • Exclusive use of an automobile as one’s choice to commute excludes the use of other options that may be beneficial to one’s health like riding a bicycle or walking.
  • Carpooling with others can provide an opportunity to socialize while saving on gas and, money while cutting down on pollution.
  • Taking public transit provides time to de-stress, perhaps read the paper or relax.
  • Using clean commuting options can save money, relieve stress and help clean the air to help everyone breathe better!

Clean Commute Month

At a minimum, try an alternative during Clean Commute Month (May) or commit to clean commute occasionally throughout the summer, when the area is prone to have more Code Red days. If nothing else, clean commuting may serve as a convenient option when you need it.