Edmonton's Proposed Anti-Idling Bylaw

[AxeMan]

Anti-idling bylaw comes with hefty fine
Updated: Fri Jan. 09 2009 16:29:06

ctvedmonton.ca

The City of Edmonton wants to reduce unnecessary vehicle idling with a new bylaw that comes with a hefty fine for motorists.
Motorists could expect to pay a $250 fine if their vehicle is stationary and they let their engines idle for more than three minutes within a 30 minute period.

With the recent cold temperatures in Edmonton, the proposed bylaw would still allow drivers to run their vehicles for an unspecified amount of time if the temperature is -11 or colder.

The proposed bylaw is complaint based so Edmontonians would be asked to report those who leave their vehicles idling for more than three minutes in -10 degree weather or warmer.

And some Edmontonians CTV News spoke with are in support of the bylaw.

"(It) keeps the country cleaner and safer for the children around us, I think its a great idea," said Larry Louie.

City Councillor Don Iveson also approves of the bylaw.

"Well having the law sends the signal that it is important to the city, that people behave reasonably when they operate their vehicles and it gives us the tools in extreme cases to do enforcement," said Don Iveson.

But the City doesn't have everyone's support. City Councillor Tony Caterina doesn't see the proposed bylaw getting passed.

"The calls and emails from my constituents basically say this is the silliest thing they have ever heard of, and given how this is going to be enforced I agree with my constituents, this is pretty silly," Caterina told CTV News.

Any persons who file a complaint would be required to testify in court if the matter is challenged, another matter that has Caterina shaking his head in disapproval.

"If someone disputes this and has to go to court the person who complains has to take the day off to act as a witness," he said.

Vehicles that would be exempted from the bylaw include fire, police and other emergency vehicles, as well as some commercial vehicles.

Motorists will not have to worry about get ticketed if stuck in a traffic jam.

Edmonton would not be the first to enforce an idling bylaw. The following communities currently have the idling bylaw:

St.Albert
Beaumont
Hinton
Jasper
Banff (restricted to commercial vehicles only)
Edmonton's proposed bylaw stems from a $140,000 vehicle idling reduction campaign the City paid for in 2008.

A public hearing will be held on January 13th and from there, the matter will go before council.

I can hardly contain my anger at these deadbeat excuses for city councillors to even consider wasting time even talking about this. They already wasted $140,000 on it. This was Michael Phair's original idea. Next they will be telling me how much toilet paper to use when I take a crap! These people must live on another planet than me. If they ever give me an idling ticket it will be followed shortly by an assault charge. I won't even waste my energy explaining why it is wrong because it just is on every level. I would love to talk with Don Iveson behind the wood shed.
What are your opinions?

[The Rog Man]

I think it just reinforces the level of stupidity running this city, aswell maybe they are trying too justify the raises they gave themselves?
I've already been taxed on the money i earned to buy the gas they taxed me on when i purchased it too put it in a vehicle i bought with money I already paid taxes on so I personally think if i want too run my vehicle it is at my expense and they should mind their own business?
And what about in the summer time when it's fires of hell hot outside and i want to run the car in advance so i don't burn a layer of skin off my ass when i sit in the vehicle??? Or have a friggin stroke from the heat???
Politicians at their finest!!!!!!
ALWAYS coming up with new ways too waste tax payers money and then expect us the taxpayers too pay for their stupid ideas??
My three bitts werth !!!

[Sporty]

Maybe if people showed some common courtesy and common sense they wouldn't need bylaws like this.

Before I bought my house, we lived in a small apartment, for 2 winters another tenant with a diesel truck ran it continuously night and day in the winter months. More often than not the fumes seeped into our bedroom windows aggravating my daughter's asthma and we had to listen to the noisy thing night after night.

We approached the fellow nicely on several occasions explaining the problem it was causing and he basically told us to f off each time. We complained to the landlord and asked them to at least move him to the other side of the parking lot away from our windows with no luck, it wasn't illegal what he was doing.

Too often diesel owners run their trucks non stop in cold weather, especially when they work the rigs because they don't have to pay for fuel. Their reasoning, its harder on a diesel to start it up when its cold. Funny thing though is that my husband who also works the rigs, never leaves his truck run all night regardless of the temps. He plugs it in and it fires up every morning without trouble, it can't be that his truck is more special than most.

Its these type of people that anti idling bylaws are coming about. If they showed a little respect for their neighbor and environment then everyone else wouldn't need to be punished along with them.

[sparky660]

I for one think it is a great idea but 3 minutes is not long enough. 15-20 minutes would be more realistic. Like sporty said it is nice know that the guy with a company truck won't be able to let his diesel run all night stinking up the community and keeping us up.

[honda450]

What a crock of you know what.

[sparky660]

Originally Posted by honda450

What a crock of you know what.

So it would be alright if I parked my diesel in front of your place idling all night stinking your house up?

More importantly lets think of what benefits it will have on the environment.

[LongDraw]

There is two sides to this. I agree that the last thing we need is another Bylaw. However most of the azzhats that own the latest super-chipped diesel think that they have to leave it running in perpetuity from late September until May... Your trucks are noisy, stinky and you can shut it off you know. Especially when you park in front of a businesses front entrance.

Anyways, no point in another Bylaw. Waste of time and resources. Seems our elected officials have to create make work projects for themselves- Nevermind the enforcement nightmare!

[Map Maker]

Originally Posted by Sporty

More often than not the fumes seeped into our bedroom windows aggravating my daughter's asthma

We approached the fellow nicely on several occasions explaining the problem it was causing and he basically told us to f off each time. We complained to the landlord and asked them to at least move him to the other side of the parking lot away from our windows with no luck, it wasn't illegal what he was doing.

I dont think the bylaw would be for 99% of the folks but it would be for the 1% of azzhat wearers like the one above Sporty had to deal with. Bylaw would give her a legal course of action instead of the vigilanty justice option.

[220swifty]

Don't kid yourself, we all have to pay for the mistakes of the 1 %.

[rugatika]

I think that Edmonton city council are on the right track. I would also like to see fines going to people that have homes bigger than say a base of 300 sq ft plus 100 sq ft per person. A family of four would be allowed to live in a house of 700sq-ft. ANything more is a waste of resources to heat. And anyone that lived in a house with a yard would be given a yearly fine for wasting habitat. And anyone that eats more than 1000calories per day would also be fined.

People that wear glasses would be fined, and so would people in electric wheel chairs. There could be fines for people that burn wood and fines for people that bbq. Fines for people that walk slow and fines for people that walk fast. Fines for short people, and tall people too. Forgetful people that drive extra to get groceries they forgot would also get fined. In fact....why not just limit the number of kilometers each family can drive each month. There could be someone from the government that goes to each house every month and check odometers. And another thing...I'm sick of looking at my ugly neighbour. When will there be a fine to make sure ugly people stay indoors. I demand that the government correct every single inconvenience in my life!

Weeeee, this is fun. There is no end to the good our government can do for us. And each new bylaw would come with a whole new force of enforcement officers and bureaucrats and judicial branches. Pretty soon every single one of us will be living exactly the perfect life that someone much smarter than we are has decided is the perfect way to live. What a perfect wonderful world we will have.

Idiots.