One of the most dangerous contaminants in the haze is ground-level ozone and, unfortunately, Philadelphia is one of just six U.S. cities that the Environmental Protection Agency says has a serious ozone problem. Ozone forms when sunlight strikes the exhaust fumes of cars and trucks. In Philadelphia, it has plenty to strike: Each year our cars and trucks put 99 tons of volatile organic compounds, 133 tons of nitrogen oxides and 269 tons of carbon monoxide to the local air. Traffic congestion adds to ozone pollution because vehicles that are idling or crawling along don't run efficiently.

This past summer we experienced six ozone alert days where ozone reached unhealthy levels. In fact, our city set a dubious record this year on May 20, the earliest day ever that our air required an ozone alert. And through the middle of August, Philadelphia has already logged five ozone alert days - more than in all of 1997.

So the next time you're stuck in traffic, breathing that dirty air, think about trying a MAP. Or, more specifically, the MAP - Mobility Alternatives Program. A program funded by Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, MAP aims to help both you and your employer with a single source to find ways to abandon one-worker, one-car commuting. Techniques range from transit to telecommuting.

City residents can get MAP information by calling the Mayor's Office of Transportation at 686-4580 and requesting our free brochure, "Love the Change, Leave the Car."

Copies of the brochure can also be obtained at all branches of The Free Library of Philadelphia. With a call to that number you can learn what you and your employer can do. Take SEPTA's COMPASS discount pass program for example. If an employer fully participates in the program, employees get a 10 percent discount and SEPTA will deliver passes directly to the workplace.

Or you can find out about Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission's TransitChek incentives totaling up to $780 yearly in tax-free transit subsidies for each employee (plus a tax deduction for the business). For those commuters who may not know their options, there's Share-A-Ride. In addition to matching individuals with transit, carpools and vanpools, Share-A-Ride suggests biking and walking routes to take the place of commuting by car.

Given the popularity of work-at-home arrangements, MAP also assists in educating employers about telecommuting and referring them to experts in that field. Staff members can also advise organizations on progressive scheduling ideas, such as flextime and compressed work weeks.

The point is simple: When you're ready to leave your car at home, MAP will make it as painless as possible. Fewer cars on the road, cleaner air and less frustration - it's hard to see where you can go wrong.