Baltimore/Washington Region Kicks off Anti-Idling Campaign
The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governors kicked off a campaign for diesel idle reduction in the Washington/Baltimore region Tuesday, supported by several other groups including American Trucking Associations and the American Bus Association.
The campaign aims at 鈥渄ecreasing emissions鈥nd improving air quality for everyone鈥 and will encourage commercial drivers to turn off their engines, resulting in both economic and environmental benefits, the council said.
鈥淭urning the engine off when it doesn鈥檛 need to be on is one of the easiest and most efficient steps bus and truck drivers can take to help improve the region鈥檚 air quality,鈥 said Leta Mach, chair of the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee. 鈥淭his simple act will help drivers to avoid costly fines, save money and curb fuel use.鈥
Trucks and buses currently idle about 2,200 hours per year, equating to about 800 million gallons of fuel annually. The council estimates that shortening idle time by saving 0.1 mile per gallon could save up to $6 million to $8 million each year.
In addition to improving air quality and increasing the bottom line for transportation companies, decreasing idling will also reduce engine wear-and-tear on trucks and buses.
鈥淎ny way you look at it, it鈥檚 a win-win situation,鈥 said Glen Kedzie, environmental affairs counsel for ATA.听 He praised the campaign as having positive effects 鈥渇ar beyond public health,鈥 citing improvement of the trucking industry鈥檚 carbon footprint as well as its public image.
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