Is there a law that applies to idling buses?
Yes. Regulations adopted by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) require buses and trucks that weigh more than 8,500 lbs to turn off their engines after five minutes. The penalties for violating this law can be steep – ranging from $250 to $15,000. The New York Attorney General recently prosecuted fleet owners in New York City for violating this idling law. There are some exceptions to the regulation – such as when a vehicle is mixing concrete or unloading cargo or running an engine for maintenance – but none of the exceptions apply to school bus drop off and pick up at the schools within WCSD’s.
