ALBANY - New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Astrid Glynn has highlighted a summer clean air initiative upstate, an educational program that notifies travelers and residents when air quality is poor so that they can make small changes in their everyday transportation choices to reduce vehicle miles travelled and improve air quality.

"Summer's warm weather often brings smog and haze to upstate metropolitan areas, signaling unhealthy air quality that we all can do something about," Glynn said. "By taking public transit, carpooling and combining trips, New Yorkers can save money on gas, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the air they breathe."

In cooperation with the State Department of Environmental Conservation, NYSDOT for years has alerted the public of potential risks to health caused by exposure to ground-level ozone, fine particulate matter or both. When air quality is expected to be unhealthy for sensitive populations, NYSDOT issues an Air Quality Action Day notification and encourages New Yorkers to make special efforts to drive less and reduce activities that contribute to air pollution.

On Air Quality Action Days, NYSDOT also posts messages on electronic variable message signs along state highways to encourage travelers to car pool, take public transit, drive less and reduce the number of trips they take. NYSDOT maintenance crews also reduce, to the extent possible, use of mowers and small engines on those days in order to lessen emissions.

Several days each year, air quality in upstate regions may exceed federal guidelines for protecting human health. Summertime ozone levels exceed federal standards most frequently in the New York metropolitan area, but upstate the Rochester/Buffalo, Syracuse and Upper Hudson Valley regions also experience elevated ozone when weather conditions are ripe. Weather conditions also factor into particulate matter levels, which can also be elevated upstate occasionally during cool weather months.

Ozone, a major seasonal component of smog, is created by sunlight reacting with chemicals found in gasoline vapors and emissions from vehicles and industrial smoke stacks. Too much ozone in the air can make breathing difficult and painful, sometimes causing shortness of breath, coughing and wheezing, chest pain and throat and eye irritation.