NEW YORK — To help reduce vehicle air pollution, Duane Reade is asking to New Yorkers which of its drug stores should be served solely by electric trucks.

The Manhattan-based drug chain, part of Walgreen Co., said Tuesday that New Yorkers can vote on which Duane Reade stores should have 100% electric delivery by accessing an online, interactive map from Mission Electric, a nonprofit, city government social engagement campaign to foster electric vehicle transportation.

Based on the campaign results, the two leading stores will go electric, with five more preselected stores to follow in later months. Participants in the campaign will be entered in a contest to win Duane Reade "green" gift baskets and gift cards.

Combined, more than 30 Duane Reade stores have been identified as electric truck-ready in four New York City borough: Queens, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan.

"Partnering with Mission Electric is an important component of our effort to be green," Michael Fowles, fleet manager of Duane Reade, said in a statement. "This exciting project is an excellent way for us to get our stores and our customers involved in the process of a cleaner future. It fosters true engagement around common urban challenges of air pollution, noise and congestion. Through this program, we can more easily work together to continue to make NYC such a wonderful place to live and visit."

Duane Reade said it has purchased 14 new Smith Electric trucks that will replace almost 25% of its truck fleet and the partnership with Mission Electric is slated to lower the drug chain’s total green house gas impact by about 20% — the equivalent of removing over 1,000 vehicles’ tailpipe emissions from New York’s streets. Another benefit of electric vehicles is that because they don’t require combustion, their operation is near silent, reducing noise levels from overnight deliveries.

"Electric transportation isn’t the future; it’s the present. And we want to ensure that everyone has a say on how this new technology unfolds," stated Christina Ficicchia, executive director of the NYC and Lower Hudson Valley Clean Cities Coalition (NYCLHVCC). "NYCLHVCC is excited to be Mission Electric’s founding partner and we hope that more businesses follow the example set by Duane Reade and the City of New York to get cleaner vehicles on the streets. We encourage New Yorkers to log on, vote and steer the way towards an electric future."

Mission Electric is a partnership between NYCLHVCC and the city governments of New York, Boston and Philadelphia to promote electric vehicle transportation.

"New Yorkers live in the fast lane, and this partnership will help them also take the green lane," commented David Bragdon, director of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability. "The city’s own municipal fleet is the second-largest public sector fleet in the nation, after the federal government’s, but it is important for the private sector to do its part, too. Duane Reade’s investment in electric vehicles will help meet our ambitious PlaNYC goal of reducing NYC’s greenhouse gas emissions. We’re pleased to work with all the partners in the Mission Electric campaign to drive forward to a greener, cleaner city."