ATLANTA - With various public sector employers facing financial challenges, government employers are implementing new strategies to save money. In Georgia, cities and counties are seeing benefits from alternative work arrangements, idling reduction, and a commute options program, according to the Atlanta-based Clean Air Campaign.

• The City of Dunwoody educated City employees about commute alternatives and implemented their "No Idling" policy for all City vehicles, which helps reduce unnecessary diesel idling that puts harmful emissions into the air. All 44 City vehicles are used in the Police Department. Because of careful planning, the Police Department has not had to decrease the fleet budget, nor has it had to reduce the number of cars currently in use, according to Brian Carr, director of communications at the Clean Air Campaign.

• Nearly 500 Gwinnett County government employees use a compressed work week schedule to save money while improving their commute to work. In addition to financial savings, the county reports increased productivity, decreased fuel consumption for the county and employees, and fewer trips to the office, which resulted in improved employee morale.

• Providing alternative work schedules has allowed Roswell City government to better serve Roswell citizens, respond to employee demand for alternative commute modes and increase job satisfaction among employees.

The Clean Air Campaign, a nonprofit organization, helps employers save on their day-to-day operating expenses — a byproduct of actions that also improve air quality and reduce traffic. Alternative work arrangements, idling reduction, and commute options, such as carpooling, transit, and telework, enable public sector employers to stretch taxpayer dollars even further while budgets are shrinking.

The Clean Air Campaign is embarking on a yearlong campaign to encourage public sector employers to take action to improve air quality and reduce traffic, while leveraging the financial benefits of commute options.