Every so often we find stories that warrant further debate. Today being a perfect illustration. The following relates to the City of Minneapolis, Minn.
“By: Nicole Muehlhausen, Web Producer
Mpls. limits vehicle idling to 3 minutes
The Minneapolis City Council and Mayor R.T. Rybak approved changes Friday, to the city’s vehicle idling ordinance that aims to reduce air pollution. The ordinance limits most vehicle idling to three minutes, except in traffic.
“Most of the air pollution in Minneapolis comes from vehicles and cutting down in idling is one easy thing we can all do for our environment, our health, and the health of our neighbors,” said Mayor R.T. Rybak.
Vehicle motors release particulate matter, dirt, nitrous oxides, hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide into the air. These chemicals are linked to increased rates of cancer, heart and lung disease and asthma and are the major source of human-caused climate change. Children are especially vulnerable to vehicle air pollution because their lungs are still developing, and they inhale more pounds of pollution per pound of body weight than adults do.
For the driver, reducing idling saves money in fuel. On average, a car will burn more than half a gallon of fuel for every hour spent idling. In general, 10 seconds of idling uses more fuel then restarting the car, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
“In these times of high gas prices, it’s a way for people to save fuel. If you’re sitting in an idling car, you’re getting zero miles a gallon. That’s not good for your pocketbook or the environment,” Rybak added.
Engines generally pollute more when cold and driving a vehicle cuts warm-up time in half. Idling a cold engine actually pollutes more than driving it does and idling is harder on the engine.
An existing ordinance already applies to large diesel trucks and buses in Minneapolis, which in general limits idling of those vehicles to five minutes.”
I guess it’s OK for southern CA to continue shutting down the car pool lanes for those driving alone 24/7 while in northern CA they established realistic HOV lane criteria. Namely four hours in the morning and four hours in the afternoon Monday thru Friday. On all other days and hours ANYONE can drive in the designated car pool lanes. So by design we create gridlick rather than opening up our roads to save on fule and diminish pollution but what do I know. I asked Governor Pete Wilson to right this wrong how many years ago? I have lost count.
Exception. Those with hybrid decals on their cars which are exempt.
End the debate with a return to auto use rationing.
I am not sure, but I think ½ to ¾ of the gas used in cars could be saved by limiting the excessive amount of horse power used in the engines.
Let’s go back to those wonderful days of “odd and even”. This is all a massive plot! A Prius gets
70 MPG….a Lincoln Navigator 10 MPG. Let’s just count the ways….the market will adjust to limiting vehicle useage to 20 gallons a week!
The ‘A’ sticker was issued to owners whose use of their cars was
nonessential. Hand the pump jockey your Mileage Ration Book coupons and
cash, and she (yes, female service station attendants) could sell you three
or four gallons a week, no more. For nearly a year, A-stickered cars were
not to be driven for pleasure at all.
The good old days, way before my time.
While I agree with having a debate on those owners of Hummer’s and big SUV’s sucking up more gas than other owners, there are several options, each of which need to be explored and action taken.
When I questioned the differences in the rules of the road in northern Vs southern Ca I was told that our usage patterns are different. While this may be a valid statement, think about all of the added pollution, loss of fuel and wasted time for every driver who sits in traffic in the conventional lanes while cars in the HOV lanes may be whizzing by 24/7. Furthermore these standard lanes, with more usage, require sooner maintenance than the HOV lane that sees less action.
As I drove to Laguna Woods on Friday I did see a Smart car pass me by. Yes, I actually let him pass me so that I could see the back of the car. Not exactly my choice to get on the freeway but a great second car for local transportation needs.
Most people in California have never heard of this, but Boston employs what is called a ‘zipper lane.’ In the morning, outbound traffic from Boston is reduced by one lane by a machine that moves specially designed jersey barriers into it to create a separate walled off lane used for car pooling into the city.
In the evening, the ‘zipper’ goes the other way. So simple, yet so ingenious. Car pool lanes are supposed to help increase traffic flow as well as reward carpoolers, but clearly only the latter is happening… it’s a good start, but we need more creative solutions.
SMS
SMS.
As you leave New Jersey traveling to NYC, and approach the GW bridge or the Holland or Lincoln tunnels, they have a similar system with red or green lights so that they alternate one lane depending on time of day to speed up traffic flow. That system is older than you.
Larry –
Good point. You’d think our civil engineers out here would take a lesson. 🙁
SMS
*They already have that “Zipper Lane” in Dallas, Texas..and have so for several years. It does work.. but for tourists it will confuse the heck out of all of them. People would have to be educated…and we do a terrible job of that in So. Cal…that’s why there is a cultural difference Dr. Gilbert from NOCAL to SOCAL! It is going to be really intersesting to watch drivers after July 1st..when they can’t use their
cell phones “by hand”! Thank God there are less cars on the road right now…imagine how tragic it would have been in bumper to bumper traffic?
Hey Ron. While I won’t be using my cell phone I will still be reading my newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee with my free hand as I drive on the freeways after July 1st. Who knowns I might even comb my hair.