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Others depend on the honor system and dangle the carrot of federal grant money as an incentive. Te Houston-Galveston Area Council is a voluntary association
of 13 counties that issues air quality grants. Shelley Whitworth, Air Quality Program Manager for the council, said school dis- tricts are asked to implement no-idling policies to be eligible. “Some are good about implementing policies and some are
lax. We promote no-idling policies, but we have no enforcement powers,” she commented. Ron Terrell, director of transportation for the Cypress-Fair-
banks ISD in Houston, said the district’s no-idle policy is in the employee handbook and states that drivers should not idle parked buses. Air conditioning should be turned off when the bus is not running. Disciplinary action may include verbal con- sults and written documentation. Te stringency of each regulation or policy reflects the severity
of the local air quality problem. Idling times are generally tem- perature-driven. Tose who have needed “encouragement” to comply with laws have received it from state and federal watch- dog agencies in the form of hefty fines. Investigative news reports and local residents “being good citizens” and reporting violations also contribute. First Student, Inc., the nation’s largest school bus contrac- tor, set the bar for anti-idling practices and training since
implementing provisions contained in settlements totaling $428,000 with CARB and the Environmental Protection Agen- cy’s New England Regional Office in 2009. Idling is limited to three minutes, and mandatory training and internal monitor- ing procedures have been implemented as have assurances that buses are adequately equipped with appropriate tech- nologies. The company also produced a DVD that is required viewing for all drivers. “Te central provisions of our anti-idling policy are designed
to exceed the most stringent state regulations,” said First Student spokesman Timothy Stokes. “Our main goal is to be a good en- vironmental neighbor in each state we operate in. We conduct six unannounced inspections per month at every location and keep a record. Drivers who violate the policy are counseled and retrained. We emphasize our policy through signage and regular meetings. We take the policy very seriously.” Local environmental activists also play a role, especially in
Pennsylvania. Te Group Against Smog & Pollution (GASP) is a force in Allegheny County, Pa.. GASP Executive Director Rachel Fillipini said targeting school buses was a “no-brainer” when GASP began its campaign to cut emissions. “School districts are leaders in idling reform because of the
pressure from parents,” she said. “Tey also realize idling is un- healthy and wastes money and resources.” ■
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buspartswarehouse.com 22 School Transportation News Magazine March 2011
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