Liu seeks to reduce idling time near schools

Councilmember John Liu has introduced new legislation that would limit the legal engine idling period to one minute in areas close to schools.
Liu, the Chairperson of the City Council’s Transportation Committee, introduced the bill Thursday, October 18 with Bronx Councilmember Maria del Carmen Arroyo and Manhattan Councilmember Robert Jackson.
The bill aims to decrease exhaust exposure by prohibiting cars to idle for more than one minute along any curb adjacent to a school serving grades Pre-K through 12. The current law allows idling for up to three minutes.
The time limit will serve two purposes, said Liu. First, it will decrease exhaust emissions, and second, it will make the law more enforceable.
“There is a big difference between one minute and three minutes,” said Sharon Lee, a spokesperson for Liu. “People aren’t going to sit there and time three minutes, but timing one minute is actually pretty feasible, so it makes the law more enforcement-friendly.”
“The current law…allows for a mindset of waiting for a couple of minutes while letting the engine run,” said Liu in a statement released Thursday, October 18. “For the sake of children’s lungs, just shut it off - immediately. Don’t even wait 59 seconds.”
If passed into law, the bill would not change penalties for violating the law, which begin at $220 and escalate to as much as $2,000 for repeat offenders.
The bill also removes the exemption clause for authorized emergency vehicles, except when those vehicles are operating in an emergency situation. Currently, all emergency vehicles are exempt from the law, whether or not they are engaging in emergency-related activity.
Under Liu’s legislation, the Department of Environmental Protection would provide quarterly reports on how many idling tickets have been issued, and the Taxi and Limousine Commission would be required to include a question about idling on licensing exams.
Lee said the idea for the bill came from various studies showing the increase of asthma in children, as well as the dangers of exhaust exposure.
Mel Peffers, Air Quality Project Manager with Environmental Defense, said the bill targets air pollution “where it is needed most - on the sidewalks and in our neighborhoods where we walk, play and live.”
“New York City needs a well-enforced anti-idling law,” said Peffers.