Robins Air Force Base officials hope they have filed a winning entry for this year’s PACE Award.

The PACE effort, sponsored by the Clean Air Campaign and the Georgia Department of Transportation, recognizes employers, property managers, schools and individuals that have advanced the cause of clean air and less traffic.

Robins finished runner up last year to the Centers for Disease Control in the federal government category. This year’s winners will be announced Nov. 7 at Georgia-Pacific Auditorium in Atlanta.

Base officials believe they have a strong case, particularly due to its mass transit and car/van pooling campaigns. Ridership on buses running to and from the base from a Macon pickup point have increased to more than 1,000 per month. Car and van poolers have increased to 898.

According to a Robins press release, base commuters saved more than $800,000 during the fiscal year through mass transit that ended Sept. 30 while reducing 800 tons of pollutants and cutting on-base vehicle miles by one million.

The Clean Air Campaign, according to the Robins statement, is a non-profit organization that “works with more than 1,600 employers, partners, commuters and schools to encourage ways to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality.”