Stop NYC from allowing car exhaust near our schools and parks
Make your voice heard and let the Department of Environmental Protection know that idling near schools and parks is an environmental hazard for our youth
Schools and parks should be safe spaces for students: not areas where they’re exposed to increased fumes and toxins. Idling and car exhaust are detrimental to our health, particularly for young people, leading to increased rates of asthma and chronic upper respiratory illnesses.
The city has known this for over FIFTY years and has banned car drivers from running engines for more than 3 minutes on a normal block and for more than 1 minute on a school block. Despite this, the Department of Environmental Protection is reversing the progress that the city made over FIFTY years ago, and released a new rule that allows motorists to idle for more than 1 minute outside of schools based on a technicality. We urge you to write to the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, your local council member, Chair of the Transportation Committee Selvena Brooks-Powers, and Chair of the Committee on Environmental Protection, Resiliency & Waterfronts James Gennaro, asking them to speak out against this damaging law before it goes into effect. If you’re interested, the Department of Environmental Protection is hosting a virtual public hearing on the rule on March 7th at 11 am. You can testify against this rule at the meeting or submit comment here.
Relevant links:
Adjacent Rule Clarification
https://rules.cityofnewyork.us/rule/adjacent-definition-rule/
Streetsblog Article | ‘A Joke’: New City Rules Would Give More Idlers A Free Pass
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2024/02/07/a-joke-new-city-rules-would-give-more-idlers-a-free-pass
DEP Anti-Idling Campaign
https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/whats-new/billy-never-idles.page
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