Kingston, CA- Anti Idling (You can click her to see the original article)
Anti Idling
April 10, 2008

Kingston city councillors are ready to get tough on air pollution. And they're zeroing in on cars and boats. A tough new anti-idling bylaw will be presented to a municipal committee tonight. It would cover the entire city under a three minute rule. The story from newswatch's Chris Harvey.

Warmer weather makes vehicle exhaust gases much harder to see. Not so in the winter. But summer or winter, the city is cracking down on motorists who let their vehicles idle for more than 3 minutes.

Rob Matheson:
"Whatever we can do to help reduce our emissions is a good thing to do."

Councillor Rob Matheson says the upgraded idling bylaw will encompass the entire city--- east and west--- not just the former city of kingston. And it means idling more than 3 minutes will be illegal no matter how cold or hot it is. The only exception will be when the temperature hits 5 celsius or lower

Greg Mclean:
"We would increase the idling time permitted to five minutes. And that's to address concerns about windshield clearing during the winter. The highway traffic act requires that windshields are clear before motorists operate their vehicles."

Chris Harvey:
"One question a lot of people are asking...What about drive through take-out windows...Like those at country style or Tim Horton's? When inching along in lineups like those, the anti idling bylaw will treat motorists the same as those stuck in heavy traffic or traffic jams. The bylaw won't apply because motorists have no control over how long they have to sit."

Also included----city buses, tour buses, and buses that may be parked near the sports and entertainment centre for concerts or hockey games.

Greg Mclean:
"Buses create a lot of air pollutants and it's not necessary to idle in our opinion, more than five minutes, when passengers are boarding or disembarking a bus."

Councillor Matheson says some people will be opposed, but most people realize an idling bylaw is needed to cut down on smog and pollution.

Rob Matheson:
"There's always opposition to anything, any new regulation that comes into play. I think anything, over time, that it'll get more widely accepted as it becomes the norm."

Bylaw enforcement officers will respond to complaints about lengthy idling and if needed, will issue tickets. But at first there will be a public awareness campaign with warnings handed out to offenders. If the transportation committee approves the anti-idling bylaw -- it will then go to council for a final vote.

Chris Harvey, CKWS Newswatch, Kingston.