Individuals

For Individuals

Host an Idle-Free party and share your idling stories. ... [more]

Brainstorm about what you can do and where. Use the downloadable free tools to equip yourself to meet and greet the idling public.

Take public transportation, carpool, walk or ride a bike whenever possible. Join a carpool. Speak to others about idling: health and environmental effects, wasted fuel, added engine wear, and existing anti-idling laws.

Know your local idling laws. Support anti-idling legislation. Join an advocacy campaign and write letters in support of anti-idling legislation.

Call 311 to report idling incidents. City Hall will not direct 311 operators to take idling complaints seriously until there is a significant number of callers who complain about it.

If you are a driver:

Don't idle. Practice the 10 -- 30 rule:
- Turn off your engine when you are parked or stopped (except in traffic) for more than 10 seconds.
- Reduce vehicle warm-up idling to 30 seconds or less, yes, even in subfreezing temperatures.
Don't purchase and avoid using a remote car starter. Remote car starters have become popular because they are so convenient but they are responsible for a lot of unnecessary idling.
Dress for the season. Plan on your car being cold or hot. Layer on the warm clothing in cold weather; wesr comfortable loose clothing in warm weather. Keep a fan in your car.
Avoid "drive-thru windows". By turning off the car's engine and walking into the business you will not only save on fuel and reduce harmful air emissions but also get a bit more exercise in the process.
Cut out short car trips. Plan out your shopping so you can make fewer trips to the store each week.
Remove unnecessary weight from your vehicle; this will cut down fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
Maintain tire pressure. One of the greatest fuel guzzlers is improper tire inflation.
Consider the purchase of a gas/electric hybrid vehicle - 2nd-hand ones are on the market.

In weather extremes, there are alternatives to sitting in a car and idling. Given all the detrimental facts about idling, let's do all we can within reason to avoid it--even if we have to sacrifice some comfort.

If it's too cold to sit in a parked vehicle with the engine off, parkin the sun or, if possible, seek warmth inside a building. Likewise if it's too hot, find a shady parking spot and open the windows, or go inside a building to keep cool.

It is understood that there can be exceptions when there are no reasonable alternatives such as for elderly and infant passengers, or pets.

Click here to tell a friend.

For Schools
Download and share the Teach/Learn Powerpoint with school staff and parents. Hold a teach-in.

The idling PowerPoint presentation includes teaching notes.

Plan a stop-idling day.* Involve school staff, students and parents. Speak with your school crossing guard. Download the school stop-idling kit for helpful tools and information.

Know the local idling laws. Make a school idling policy and enforce it through signage and "soft enforcement."

The school bus fleets covered by the Attorney General's 1-minute School Bus Idling Agreements (2004, 2005) are listed below.*

To report any idling by a school bus by telephone: Call the NYS Attorney General's office (212-416-8474) with time, place and bus company name.
To report any idling by a school bus by fax: Download and file a School Bus Idling report.

Download the idling PowerPoint presentation and teach your school community about idling.

Call your local Council member and 311 to report idling by any vehicle. You may not get immediate help BUT you will add to the chorus of New Yorkers who want better police enforcement of the current idling laws.

Ask for support from your local NYPD precinct.

Provide bike racks for students and staff; the racks are free from the NYC DOT.

Create an informed school community. Provide training opportunities for parents and staff about the environmental-health-school success link. Teach about idling: health and environmental effects, wasted fuel, added engine wear, existing anti-idling laws, and the special vulnerability of children to environmental pollution.

Always keep in mind, children learn well when they feel well.

*Click here to see how The Calhoun School stopped idling in their school zone. (Jan-Mar 2008) Email <amy.landau@calhoun.org> for more information.

Click here to tell another school.

* Bus Companies covered by the Attorney General’s agreement

§ Atlantic Express Transportation, Inc.

Amboy Bus Co.

Atlantic Express Coachways

Atlantic Hudson Inc.

Atlantic ParaTrans of NYC

Courtesy Bus Co.

K. Corr Merit Transportation Corp

Rayburn Bus Co.

Staten Island Bus Co.

TNT Bus Service

§ Consolidated Bus Transit, Inc.

Lonero Transit

Boro Transit

Professional Charter Service

§ Pioneer Transportation Corp.

§ Logan Transportation Corp.

Jo-Lo

Bobby’s Bus

Logan Transportation Systems

Logan Bus Co.

Little Linda Bus Co.

Little Richie Bus Co.

Lorinda Ent., LTD.

Little Linds Bus Co.

§ Jofav Transportation, Inc.

Boro-wide

LaSalle

Cosmopolitan

Third Avenue

Regents

§ Rainbow Transit Inc.

Citywide Transit

All American Bus Corp.

§ United Tomtom Transportation, Inc.

United Fleet

United Transit

United Express

Thomas Bus

Download and file your School Bus Idling report:

Fax to: Office of Attorney General, 212-416-6007

Email to: andrew.gershon@oag.state.ny.us

Community
Identify an idling hot-spot in your community. Speak with Community Board members about holding an event where concerned community members speak (politely!) with hotspot idling drivers. Download idling information and share it with the drivers.

Review the idling regulations that affect your constituency and inform them of the laws that are designed to protect health and environment and are already in place These regulations may be state, city, or institutional.

Advise community members to call 311 to report idling incidents. City Hall will not direct 311 operators to take idling complaints seriously until there is a significant number of callers who complain about it.

Click here to send an email to your constituents.

Why People Idle Their Vehicles When Parked

• Comfort: to stay warm in winter and cool in summer.

• Convenience: such as encouragement of remote vehicle starters and drive-throughs.

• Habit: "I've always done it this way."

• Perceived need to warm up their vehicles for long periods of time in cold weather.

• Perceived right to do whatever they want with their vehicles.

• No awareness of the consequences.

Businesses
Promote public transportation over driving. Encourage carpooling and help co-workers find and join carpools. Provide bike racks; they are free from the NYC DOT.

Know your local idling laws. Advise employees to call 311 to report idling incidents. City Hall will not direct 311 operators to take idling complaints seriously until there is a significant number of callers who complain about it.

Workers who telecommute (work from home) a day a week will reduce tailpipe emissions, save themselves (and the planet) gas and money, and save you, as employer, a bit of electricity at the office. More than 44 million Americans telecommute. Instant messaging, video conferencing, and other innovative workflow tools are making effective telecommuting a reality.

If you use vehicles as part of your business:

Keep vehicles away from air intake systems.
When possible, plan routes that avoid left hand turns. Sometimes three rights are better than one left.
Choose clean fuel, hybrid electric vehicles for company business. Check about tax incentives or time-saving lane privileges.

Click here to tell a business friend.

Policy makers
Review the idling regulations that affect your constituency. These regulations may be state, city, or institutional. Post a notice about existing laws. Create an institutional policy if your situation requires something special.

Advise constituents to call 311 to report idling incidents. City Hall will not direct 311 operators to take idling complaints seriously until there is a significant number of callers who complain about it.

Click here to send a quick email to your constituents.