International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies Day

September 6, 2022

Wednesday, September 7, 2022 is International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies.

On November 26, 2019, the Second Committee of the 74th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly adopted a resolution designating September 7 as the “International Day of Clean Air for blue skies”. 

The resolution stresses the importance of, and urgent need to, raise public awareness at all levels and to promote and facilitate actions to improve air quality.

According to the UN - air pollution is the largest contributor to the burden of disease from the environment, and is one of the main avoidable causes of death and disease globally.

Using transit is one of the most impactful choices someone can make to reduce their carbon footprint. With rising congestion and its associated impacts on the environment, economic productivity, and quality of life, we all need to understand their negative contributions to our transportation crisis, and the easiest way to mitigate them is to ride SEPTA.

Transit is inherently sustainable as a transportation mode by shifting transportation away from private automobiles, providing congestion relief, and supporting dense, compact land uses.

In addition, SEPTA is doing its part in staying as green as can be. We already operate a fully-electrified multi-modal rail system and we have one of the largest "green" bus fleets in the nation. We're committed to transitioning away from diesel-powered buses. In fact, we're planning for a full transition to zero-emission buses (ZEBs) by the year 2040.

Check out our zero-emission bus playbook for more information on this forward-looking strategy to benefit the communities of the Southeastern Pennsylvania region.

By reducing the number of single-occupancy vehicles on the road, SEPTA’s services simultaneously provide congestion relief and reduce idling time in high-traffic conditions.

Additionally, SEPTA’s high-capacity service produces what is known as the “multiplier effect,” which increases density and reduces dependence on private vehicle use.

What else are we doing? We're making it easier for YOU to ride! Thanks to free transfers on transit, new fare options including three day passes and free transfers (stay tuned!) and new projects like Bus Revolution and Reimagining Regional Rail that are evaluating current service and making recommendations for improvement.  

To read more about climate change and how it relates to public transportation, visit our climate change page HERE.

Take action to reduce air pollution and bring a transformative change for #theairweshare.