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Idling Awareness Initiatives

Please contact Environment staff by phone at 905-335-7600 or email to request your sign(s) at $28 per sign including taxes. The outdoor metal sign is approximately 12 x 18" in size and is illustrated below. Bookmarks and posters are also available free of charge, while supplies last. Please note that we request you pick up the signs from City Hall. If not, shipping charges will apply.

idle free zone signWhat is idling?

Did you know that you are idling if you keep your engine on while your vehicle is stationary? Many idle unnecessarily each day without thinking twice about the impacts. The City of Burlington recognizes that motor vehicle emissions have a significant impact on air quality and that reduced idling of vehicles result in fewer emissions.

On February 28, 2000, Burlington City Council endorsed the development of a public education strategy on the benefits of reduced vehicle usage and not idling vehicles. Please click here for a list of reports to council related to idling. (Top)

The City's activities - 2003

Idling Awareness Campaign
On June 4, 2003 Mayor Rob MacIsaac, Ruth Lee (TD Friends of the Environment), members from the city's Anti-Idling Steering Committee, Air Quality Initiatives Team, Environmental Management Team, Sustainable Development Committee, Halton Partners for Clean Air, as well as four grade seven students and their teacher from St. John Elementary School, helped launch the City's idling awareness campaign. After the launch, the City's first "idle free zone" sign was placed at the Locust Street entrance of City Hall.

Posters and bookmarks communicating idling messages were distributed well in advance of the launch to all Burlington public and separate schools as well as participating bookstores and municipal facilities, including libraries. Due to the generous funding received from Friends of the Environment, 32 "Idle Free Zone" signs were posted at key municipal sites that were identified as "hot spots" and 10 signs were posted at Burlington's three GO stations.

In September 2003, reminder notices were sent to Burlington schools advising them of the idling campaign. In addition, packages were also sent to businesses where idling is prevalent or where the message could be dispersed including car dealerships, auto repair shops, taxi and limo services, and dry cleaning stores.

In November 2003, more signs were printed using funding from the original TD Friends of the Environment grant. Since both the Halton Catholic and Halton District school boards are members of Halton Partners for Clean Air, it was decided that each school would be awarded one sign, in addition to adult education centres, three pools which are on school property, and board offices. Over 50 signs were distributed to all Burlington schools belonging to one of the boards. (Top)

2003 Repair Our Air - Fleet Challenge
The City of Burlington was one of nine municipalities participating in the 2003 Repair Our Air - Fleet Challenge that kicked off on February 10 and wrapped up at the Toronto Smog Summit on June 20. The objective of this GTA-wide competition was to have the lowest incidence of idling within the “municipalities” category.

Ten City of Burlington vehicles were fitted with a device that monitored idling. Weekly reports were provided to each participant highlighting the incidence of idling in each vehicle. When baseline data was gathered, Burlington ranked fourth at 11.8% idling time. During the last week of competition, Burlington moved up to second at 4.8% idling time. The Town of Newmarket placed first in the municipality category with an initial idling rate of 4.9% and a final idling rate of 2.5%. (Top)

GTA-wide idling awareness campaign
GTA Idle free poster The City of Burlington is a member of the GTA Clean Air Council. The Council also launched a GTA-wide idling awareness campaign in June that led up to the Smog Summit on June 20, 2003. As part of this campaign, approximately 70 local community-based outreach initiatives were planned for the GTA, including five in the Halton Region. On June 6th, members of the Aldershot Community Council joined Greenest City to help educate those waiting to pick someone up at the Burlington GO station parking lot. The other location chosen to participate in this program within Burlington was Rolling Meadows Public School. (Top)

The City's activities - 2004

On June 14, 2004, Burlington's city council passed an idling control by-law #71-2004 limiting unnecessary idling to 3 minutes. As of May 2nd 2005, a total fine of $180 ($150 fine plus a $5 court charge and a $25 victim surcharge) could be issued for unnecessary idling by parking enforcement officers. They also have the option to issue a summons instead of a fine. In this situation, a judge would ultimately determine the fine.

The intention of the idling control by-law is to educate the public about the issue and to act as a deterrent. Fines or summons' will be issued when drivers refuse to turn off their engines or when they are observed to be repeat offenders.  Two additional communication pieces were produced after the by-law was approved by Council - an information card, that some have referred to as a mock ticket, and a letter. (Top)

The City's activities - 2005

Between November 19th, 2004 and May 31st, 2005 parking enforcement officers distributed 59 information cards to drivers observed to be idling their vehicles. In addition, when complaints are received, environmental staff mail friendly letters to residents or businesses advising them of the idling by-law. It is imperative that the person reporting the idling activity also provide a mailing address where the letter will be sent.

Between June 13-17, 2005, the City of Burlington once again joined forces with other GTA municipalities for Idle Free Week (see above for more details about the 2003 campaign). Through the generous funding of Natural Resources Canada, three city parking enforcement officers devoted their day to idling enforcement by handing out information cards to drivers and asking them to turn off their vehicle engine.

A total of 731 information tickets were handed out at Burlington's GO stations, schools and commercial areas between June 13-17. Drivers were for the most part appreciative of the city's effort in light of the number of smog advisories already issued prior to the idling blitz. (Top)

The City's activities - 2006

Environment staff continue to promote this issue through the city's website, in Environmental Corner (which appears in the Update section of Friday's Burlington Post newspaper), through displays set up at municipal facilities and at events. Letters are also mailed to residents or businesses when complaints are received about unnecessary idling. The city's parking enforcement officers will continue to hand out information tickets when they observe idling vehicles. If necessary a fine or a summons will be issued. 

City of Burlington staff are encouraging schools to continue to raise the profile of unnecessary idling throughout the 2006-2007 school year. To help facilitate the process, staff mailed a kit to all Burlington elementary schools in early September designed to guide each school in the organization and launch of an idle free campaign. Please note that the text in the kit was developed using material from the Active and Safe Routes to Schools website.

Included in the City Of Burlington Idle Free Education Campaign Kit for elementary schools are:

A 12 ft by 3 ft outdoor vinyl banner is also available for use during a school's campaign.

City staff asked schools to promote idling awareness during International Walk to School Week, October 2-6, 2006. International Walk to School Week is one of the many components of the Active and Safe Routes to Schools programs, and the 'no idling in school' program is another. (Top)

The City's activities - 2007

Environment staff continue to promote this issue through the city's website, in Environmental Corner (which appears in the Update section of Friday's Burlington Post newspaper), through displays set up at municipal facilities and at events. Letters are also mailed to residents or businesses when complaints are received about unnecessary idling. The city's parking enforcement officers will continue to hand out information tickets when they observe idling vehicles. If necessary a fine or a summons will be issued. (Top)

It’s Time to Kick the Idling Habit

The following sections are from the Natural Resources Canada Office of Energy Efficiency Idle-Free Zone website.

Many Canadian motorists have fallen into the idling trap – even in the summer. A recent study of driving habits and behaviour shows that we idle our vehicles year-round and do so for many reasons.

Warming up a vehicle is the most common excuse for idling. We also spend a lot of time running our cars needlessly in the drive-through lanes of fast-food restaurants and while waiting for someone. Moreover, we idle while we are stalled at railway crossings, wait to park, run quick errands, stop to talk to an acquaintance or friend and wait in line to get gasoline. All these situations have two things in common: they waste fuel and money, and they are avoidable.

Although it’s safe to say that most Canadian motorists do some amount of idling, a recent study reveals some interesting trends. For example, the amount of idling we do tends to increase with the number of people in our household. If we live with children, we’re more likely to idle than drivers without children. As well, how often we idle appears to decrease as we get older – retirees are the least likely to idle. If we live in a rural area, we’re more likely to idle than drivers living in urban centres. Regionally, people in British Columbia are the least likely to idle their vehicles.

The good news? We can kick the idling habit by thinking about fuel efficiency every time we drive our cars. It’s one important way we can each contribute to Canada’s climate change goal – to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to six percent below 1990 levels by 2008 to 2012. Here are some basic tips for reducing the waste and environmental damage caused by idling:

  • Minimize warm-up idling. Even at -18oC, most cars require only 15 to 30 seconds of idling before being driven, assuming that the vehicle’s windows are clear.
  • Avoid high speeds and rapid acceleration for the first five kilometres so that all moving parts can warm up.
  • Use a block heater to warm the engine before you start it. This reduces engine wear, improves fuel efficiency and reduces emissions. Use an automatic timer to turn on the block heater two hours before you plan to start the vehicle.
  • When you’re stopped for more than 10 seconds, except in traffic, turn the engine off. Ten seconds of idling uses more fuel than restarting your car.
  • Avoid using a remote car starter – it will just encourage you to start the car before you’re ready to leave, which means unnecessary idling.

For more information on buying, driving and maintaining your vehicle with fuel efficiency in mind, visit the Auto$mart website or call 1 800 387-2000 for your free information kit.  (Top)

Idling - Did You Know... ?

Idling gets you nowhere - and it can be costly. Excessive idling wastes an enormous amount of fuel and money and generates needless greenhouse gas emissions.

If every driver of a light-duty vehicle in Canada stopped idling for just five minutes, we would save 1.9 million litres of fuel. We would also prevent more than 4500 tonnes of carbon dioxide - the main greenhouse gas - from entering the atmosphere and contributing to climate change.

Once a vehicle is running, the best way to warm it up is to drive it. With computer-controlled, fuel-injected engines, you need no more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days before driving away.

In winter conditions, emissions from an idling vehicle are more than double the normal level immediately after a "cold start."

Warming up the vehicle means more than warming the engine. The tires, transmission, wheel bearings and other moving parts also need to be warm for the vehicle to perform well. Most of these parts don‘t begin to warm up until you drive the vehicle away.

The catalytic converter - the device that cleans pollutants from the vehicle's exhaust - doesn't function at its peak until it reaches between 400°C and 800°C. The best way to warm the converter is to drive the vehicle.

Idling emits more pollution if the vehicle‘s catalytic converter isn‘t working properly. Ask your technician to check the system the next time your car is being serviced.

Driving a vehicle cuts warm-up times in half. This reduces fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Ten seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it. If you're stopping for more than 10 seconds - except in traffic - turn off the engine.

Every 10 minutes of idling costs you at least one-tenth of a litre in wasted fuel - and up to four-tenths of a litre if your vehicle has an eight-cylinder engine. Keep in mind that every litre of gasoline you use produces 2.4 kg of carbon dioxide.

Excessive idling can be hard on your engine. Because the engine isn‘t working at peak operating temperature, fuel doesn‘t undergo complete combustion. This leaves fuel residues that contaminate engine oil and make spark plugs dirty.

Restarting a car many times has little impact on engine components such as the battery and the starter motor. The wear on parts that restarting the engine causes adds about $10 a year to the cost of driving - money that you'll likely recover several times over in fuel savings.

It's important to drive away as soon as possible after a cold start. But avoid high speeds and rapid acceleration for the first five kilometres. This lets the whole vehicle reach peak operating temperature as quickly as possible without paying a fuel penalty.

If your vehicle has a diesel engine, idling actually lowers the coolant temperature faster than shutting off the engine. In other words, switching off the engine keeps the engine warm longer.

A poorly tuned engine uses up to 15 percent more energy when idling than a well-tuned vehicle. Keeping your vehicle in good condition is a key to fuel efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

Using a block heater is a more efficient and effective way to warm the engine than idling. A block heater warms the engine block and lubricants, which makes the engine start more easily and reach its peak operating temperature faster.

You don't need to leave a block heater plugged in overnight to warm the engine - two hours is more than enough. Many people use an automatic timer to switch on the block heater at the right time.

Idling your vehicle with the air conditioner on (to keep the interior cool) can increase emissions by 13 percent.

A recent study suggests that in the peak of winter, Canadians voluntarily idle their vehicles for a combined total of more than 75 million minutes a day - equal to one vehicle idling for 144 years. We idle about 40 percent less in summer, but still waste an enormous amount of fuel and emit unnecessary pollution.

Warming up a vehicle is the most common reason given for idling - in both winter and summer! Canadians also say that they often idle while sitting in the drive-through lane of a fast-food restaurant or while waiting for someone. (Top)

For further information

Natural Resources Canada's Idle Free Zone
The City of Mississauga's Turn your key ... be idle free
Greenest City's No Idling Campaign 
GTA Clean Air Council's Idle Free Campaign

 (Top)

 

 

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