Smart Trips first annual Clean Commute Day is Friday, August 20, 2010. The goal is to encourage at least 10,000 people to use an alternative to driving alone to work that day such as carpooling, bicycling, taking the bus or walking to work. If the goal is reached, more than 200,000 pounds of air pollution can be reduced in one day, a feat which normally takes months to achieve.

Gift cards to Best Buy, Mast General Store, Three Rivers Market and Panera Bread will be awarded to randomly chosen participants. This is the first time Smart Trips will offer prizes for just one day of alternative commuting.

It's easy to join in. Participants can either sign up for Smart Trips at www.knoxsmarttrips.org and log their commute for that one day or complete a really short survey at www.surveymonkey.com/s/CleanCommuteDay as an alternative.

With all the recent air quality alert days, efforts such as these are important to raise consciousness and change habits. Plus, it's exciting to see what a big difference we can all make together.

If this goal is reached more than 200,00 pounds of pollution can be reduced from the region's air in one day!