Air Watch Northwest | Anti Idling | Transportation Supervisor Letter

(Date)

(Name of Transportation Supervisor)
(Address 1)
(City, State, Zip)

Dear (Name of Transportation Supervisor):

Unnecessary vehicle idling contributes to health risks and pollution in the state of Washington while needlessly wasting money. Idling consumes from ½ a gallon to one gallon of fuel per hour, and uses more fuel than turning your engine off and on. This is one hazard that can be easily prevented, and your drivers can be part of the solution. (Name of organization) has designed a program that will allow your drivers to actively improve air quality and health while saving money at the same time.

The process is simple. You have received informational letters and pledge forms for your drivers. Please distribute these to your crew on (Date) and have them sign the forms pledging not to idle their buses or personal vehicles unnecessarily. Once drivers have signed the pledge, please give them one of the enclosed "No-Idle" key tags and a coupon for discounts from (business name). Please mail back the signed pledge forms using the self-addressed envelope provided by (Date).

We encourage you to seek the participation of all of your drivers to take part in this program - eliminating unnecessary idling is a win-win situation for everyone!

We have also enclosed draft policy language for your consideration if you do not currently have a written idling reduction policy.

(To reduce air quality and health impacts, it is recommended that you idle your vehicle no longer than 30 seconds.)

Thank you for your support of this program!

Bus Policy Language

When a school bus driver drops off students, they are to turn the vehicle's engine off. At pick-up, school bus drivers only turn on their buses' engines when all students are in the vehicle and there is a clear path to exit the pick-up area.

In colder weather, if the warmth of the bus is an issue, idling is to be kept at a minimum and occur outside the school zone. The "warmed" bus is to enter the school zone as close to pick-up time as possible to maintain warmth, and then shut down.

A bus is allowed to idle in a school zone if the physical layout of the school prevents the bus from "parking" to drop off the students. If this type of environment exists, during pick-up the buses are to arrive and park, even in a queue, and not start until the first bus is loaded.

At school bus depots, limit the idling time during early morning warm-up to what is recommended by the manufacturer (generally three to five minutes). For cold weather, if your vehicle has a plug-in block heater, use that to warm the engine. The block heaters can help avoid starting difficulties and shorten warm-up times.

Idling Reduction Fact Sheet

Did you know?

Each of us takes 20,000 breaths each day.
The average American breathes 3,400 gallons of air a day.
Children breathe 50 percent more air per pound than adults.
Vehicle exhaust is the leading source of toxic air pollution in Washington.
Idling consumes from ½ gallon to one gallon of fuel per hour and wastes more fuel than turning off and on your vehicle engine.
Diesel exhaust contains microscopic soot, a particle that is about 200 times smaller than the period at the end of this sentence.
Diesel exhaust contains both very small particles and 40 chemicals that are classified as "hazardous air pollutants" under the Clean Air Act.
Idling buses tend to accumulate diesel exhaust, which may be retained during the ride depending upon bus ventilation rates.
It is more efficient to turn off most warmed-up vehicles than to idle for more than 30 seconds.
A single vehicle dropping off and picking up kids at one school puts three pounds of pollution into the air per month.
Carbon monoxide reduces the ability of blood to bring oxygen to body cells and tissues.
Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15.
Children's asthma symptoms increase as a result of car exhaust.
Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children and the cause of most school absences.
Exposure to vehicle exhaust increases the risk of death from heart and lung disease and lung cancer.


No Idle Zone / Anti-Idling
(Date) (Name of Transportation Supervisor) (Address 1) (City, State, Zip) Dear (Name of Transportation Supervisor): Unnecessary vehicle idling contributes to health risks and pollution in the state of Washington while needlessly wasting money. Idling consumes from ½ a gallon to one gallon of fuel per hour, and uses more fuel than turning your engine off and on. This is one hazard that can be easily prevented, and your drivers can be part of the solution. (Name of organization) has designed a program that will allow your drivers to actively improve air quality and health while saving money at the same time. The process is simple. You have received informational letters and pledge forms for your drivers. Please distribute these to your crew on (Date) and have them sign the forms pledging not to idle their buses or personal vehicles unnecessarily. Once drivers have signed the pledge, please give them one of the enclosed "No-Idle" key tags and a coupon for discounts from (business name). Please mail back the signed pledge forms using the self-addressed envelope provided by (Date). We encourage you to seek the participation of all of your drivers to take part in this program - eliminating unnecessary idling is a win-win situation for everyone! We have also enclosed draft policy language for your consideration if you do not currently have a written idling reduction policy. (To reduce air quality and health impacts, it is recommended that you idle your vehicle no longer than 30 seconds.) Thank you for your support of this program! Bus Policy Language When a school bus driver drops off students, they are to turn the vehicle's engine off. At pick-up, school bus drivers only turn on their buses' engines when all students are in the vehicle and there is a clear path to exit the pick-up area. In colder weather, if the warmth of the bus is an issue, idling is to be kept at a minimum and occur outside the school zone. The "warmed" bus is to enter the school zone as close to pick-up time as possible to maintain warmth, and then shut down. A bus is allowed to idle in a school zone if the physical layout of the school prevents the bus from "parking" to drop off the students. If this type of environment exists, during pick-up the buses are to arrive and park, even in a queue, and not start until the first bus is loaded. At school bus depots, limit the idling time during early morning warm-up to what is recommended by the manufacturer (generally three to five minutes). For cold weather, if your vehicle has a plug-in block heater, use that to warm the engine. The block heaters can help avoid starting difficulties and shorten warm-up times. Idling Reduction Fact Sheet Did you know? Each of us takes 20,000 breaths each day. The average American breathes 3,400 gallons of air a day. Children breathe 50 percent more air per pound than adults. Vehicle exhaust is the leading source of toxic air pollution in Washington. Idling consumes from ½ gallon to one gallon of fuel per hour and wastes more fuel than turning off and on your vehicle engine. Diesel exhaust contains microscopic soot, a particle that is about 200 times smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. Diesel exhaust contains both very small particles and 40 chemicals that are classified as "hazardous air pollutants" under the Clean Air Act. Idling buses tend to accumulate diesel exhaust, which may be retained during the ride depending upon bus ventilation rates. It is more efficient to turn off most warmed-up vehicles than to idle for more than 30 seconds. A single vehicle dropping off and picking up kids at one school puts three pounds of pollution into the air per month. Carbon monoxide reduces the ability of blood to bring oxygen to body cells and tissues. Asthma is the third leading cause of hospitalization among children under the age of 15. Children's asthma symptoms increase as a result of car exhaust. Asthma is the most common chronic illness in children and the cause of most school absences. Exposure to vehicle exhaust increases the risk of death from heart and lung disease and lung cancer.