October 6, 2021 is Clean Air Day

Published on October 04, 2021

Clear Sky with Eagle by Flo Maderebner.jpg

Culver City Commemorates Clean Air Day on October 6, 2021!

The City Council encourages City staff, all residents, businesses, employees, and community members to participate in Clean Air Day to help clean the air for all Californians.

Did you know?

  • Air pollution contributes to higher rates of cancer and heart and lung diseases, which adversely affect health.
  • California has some of the most polluted regions in the United States.
  • It is vital that we protect the health and well-being of our residents, visitors, and workforce.
  • Emissions from vehicles, industry, and even household sources significantly affect the natural environment, air quality and well-being of residents, employees, and visitors of Culver City.
  • Individual actions such as taking transit, not idling vehicles, walking, or biking to work and school, carpooling, and conserving energy can directly improve air quality in our region.
  • Education about air quality can raise community awareness, encourage our community to develop better habits, and improve our community health.
  • Californians will be joining together across the state to help clean the air on October 6, 2021, the 4th Annual Clean Air Day.
  • The City of Culver City is committed to the health of our residents, workforce, visitors, and community at large.

Everyone can play a role!  Adults can take the Clean Air Pledge, and Children can take the Clean Air Pledge too!

Learn More about what the City is Doing to Improve the Quality of our Air

 

Mobility

Biking and walking are free, healthy, and environmentally friendly modes of transportation, reducing traffic and car use within the City and improving air quality. Culver City is investing significant resources to promote biking and walking in the City, including adoption of its 2020 Bicycle & Pedestrian Action Plan, and the City has begun to implement the projects and measures it contains.

  1. There are multiple City mobility projects currently in planning or underway, including neighborhood projects that improve local access and safety and city-wide projects that increase connections to public transportation and regional bikeways. For example:
    • In 2021, Culver City is completing the neighborhood La Ballona Safe Routes to School Project and implementing bike and pedestrian improvements in the Fox Hills area.
    • Culver City is implementing the Overland-Transit Center Bicycle and Pedestrian Connector Project, which will create a continuous 2.72 route-mile bicycle facility, including new and improved bike lanes that link Culver City's walkable downtown area to a busy intermodal transit hub. The project also narrows vehicle lanes, adds bike parking at the Transit Center, and makes safety and accessibility pedestrian improvements, such as enhanced street lighting, curb ramps, street markings, signals, and wayfinding signage.
  2. The City also has multiple initiatives to improve the Ballona Creek Bike Path and expand access to it. For example:
    • Culver City Council recently voted to open a new residential access point to the path;
    • Culver City supported recent improvements to the Park to Playa Trail to allow bike path users to connect to the Trail from the Crenshaw area;
    • In partnership with the Baldwin Hills Conservancy on a grant-funded project, the City will make improvements along a 1.1 mile stretch of the bike path between National Blvd and Duquesne Ave, that includes wayfinding signage, resurfacing of the bike path with eco-friendly permeable pavement, installation of solar powered lighting, planting of over 100 trees, and other safety and accessibility enhancements.
    • A project to replace the Higuera St bridge just launched that will add a new ramp connecting the dynamic Hayden Tract business area to the bike path, expanding commuters use the path; and
    • Culver City is also a supporter of a proposed regional plan to extend the path.

International Walk to School Day

The Walk & Rollers Program, sponsored by the City of Culver City, will celebrate Clean Air Day by organizing participation in International Walk to School Day. School students in the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD) will join millions of kids around the world in this international event.  Learn more about how to participate in this Walk & Rollers event.

Urban Forest

Among other benefits, trees in urban areas reduce the ambient temperature and improve air quality. For over 100 years, Culver City planners and developers have planted trees across the community, creating an urban canopy of old-growth, creating picturesque tree-lined streets that are some of the most coveted in the region. The City has adopted an Urban Forest Master Plan to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of its trees and has received Tree City recognition from the Arbor Day Foundation.

Clean Power

The Clean Power Alliance's 100% Green Power option is the default electricity tier for the Culver City community, providing 100% renewable, carbon free power at competitive rates. Currently, 95% of the City's businesses and residents now purchase 100% green power. Since the switch in 2019, Collectively, the Culver City community has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 38,600 metric tons, equivalent to taking 8,358 gasoline-powered passenger cars off the road for an entire year!

Energy Efficiency

Since 2013, the City has invested in HVAC and lighting retrofits to many City buildings, including Veterans Memorial, City Hall, the Senior Center, Transportation, and the Police Station. Collectively, these energy efficiency projects have already reduced City electricity use by 33%, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 2,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to taking 432 gasoline-powered cars off the road for an entire year.

Electric Vehicle Charging

The Public Works Department is currently working on a grant-funded project to prepare a City-Wide Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan, with completion expected next year. The project goal is to foster the transition from fossil fuel to electric powered vehicles and features a comprehensive outreach component and strategies for all property types, with the aim to  grow the number of private and publicly available charging stations, developing rebate/incentive programs, and creating how-to reference guides.

Environmental Programs and Operations - Organic Waste Program

Organic materials such as food scraps, yard trimmings and soiled cardboard make up half of the refuse that is currently dumped into landfills, and landfills are the third largest source of methane emissions in California. To reduce landfill methane emissions and improve air quality, the Culver City Public Works Environmental Programs & Operations Division (EPO) has drafted a Mandatory Organic Waste Disposal Regulations Ordinance in compliance with California state law SB1383, whose  final version will be considered at the September 27, 2021 Council meeting. The adoption and implementation of this ordinance will greatly expand mandatory organic waste and edible food collection at a  majority of properties throughout Culver City.

City Fleet

  • City fleet is powered by Renewable Natural Gas and renewable diesel.
  • City has had an anti-idling policy since 2009.
  • We are purchasing zero and near zero wherever possible.

  • City is working to install additional EV charging stations at the Transportation Facility for use with new electric fleet vehicles.

  • Fleet services is replacing light duty vehicles with hybrid or electric models wherever possible.

 

 

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