California’s Air Resources Board also has no information on whether its ban on idling school buses is being enforced.
Federal regulations, however, are starting to clean up diesel vehicles, including school buses. In 2007, the EPA required better emission controls on new diesel truck and bus engines, such as soot filters and cleaner fuel.
Under the new EPA standards, a school bus made in 2008 will produce 90 percent less soot than a bus made in 2006. The retirement age for buses was also reduced from 19 to 16 years, so as the bus fleet turns over, the buses will become cleaner. Some buses will even be fitted with systems that are capable of monitoring idling times.
Bloomberg launched a “Turn It Off!” campaign with ads on radio, bus stops and billboards, encouraging drivers to stop idling in the city.
Advocacy groups are encouraged by the attention in recent years, and are hopeful that the momentum from new laws will lead to greater awareness. But the problem is far from solved, as seen by the continued idling of buses and cars as schools leave school each day.
Cars are not a significant source of pollution near the schools, probably because gasoline contributes less black carbon and particulate matter than diesel fuel, the New York City study found. However, the Environmental Defense Fund and the Asthma Free School Zone are targeting all vehicles with their anti-idling campaign.
“It all adds up. It’s all unhealthy,” Silverman said. “It’s right at the curbside, at stroller level, and it’s totally unnecessary. Turning it off is a win-win for everybody.”
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6 Comments
Add CommentIt seems school busses can do whatever they want. They block traffic out of school driveways in the town where I live (Marlboro,NJ), hold up traffic on major highways to talk to the parents of kids boarding the bus, go food shopping with the bus. But this is all ok. After all, its "for the children". Barf.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTo help enforce the law, post signs announcing an idle-free zone. Supervised children can help enforce the law by handing out "tickets" to drivers. For more info see http://www.idle-free.info/
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhat a great article. EPA and NYC DEP should also be givent he authority to enforce this regulation, and allow their inspectors to be able to ticket school bus drivers, as well as penalize the private bus companies that repeatedly break the anti-idling law. Nothing curbs behavior like aggressive enforcement and stiff financial penalities, works like a charm. The City of New York and the feds should begin a joint enforcement effort, children's health and the quality of the air we all breathe is at stake.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt's no coincidence that the class of people not allowed to vote get the dirtiest, ugliest, cheapest buses. My students in NYC called these "cheese buses."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLet's get them the best, safest, hybrid-electric buses out there. Some districts have started doing this.
As a substitute school bus driver I noticed the article describes the buses slowly moving forward apparently loading one at a time; how can you shut the engine down every moment you pause in that line? I welcome the chance to turn off the engine but give me a place to park until I leave; you don't shut down while you are waiting in traffic!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI also would like to leave behind those kids who are late to the stop, don't appear to hurry or aren't ready to get on or off at their stop but the complaints would be waiting for me at the bus barn. I would like to drive a bus for an orphanage instead!
These buses are the worst to be stuck behind, not just when they are stopping to deal with kids, but just the simple spew of pollution which comes out of them, must be one bus equals 100's of cars, like a gas chamber. Why can't they have pollution controls on them like other vehicles. DMV and EPA, get to work!
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