No More Bus Idling at Lynn
Commercial Vehicles are Banned from Idling on Campus
Lynn University banned commercial vehicles from idling on campus on Feb 3 to stop the waste of fuel, a constant stream of pollution that can pose health concerns.
Idling refers to a car or bus that is turned on but not moving. This new Lynn policy only applies to commercial vehicles such as buses and vans. The Sustainability Committee has been striving to pass the Bus Idling Policy since 2015 and are excited to have made this a reality.
“Simply put, idling is wasteful. One of the issues the Sustainability Team noticed is that commercial buses & vans that were coming to campus for sporting events or to transport students and staff to off campus events were idling for an extended period of time once they were on campus,” said Zach Minich, Assistant Project Manager of the Department of Construction and Sustainability. “By doing so these vehicles were essentially a constant stream of diesel fumes being released.”
Drivers tend to leave their vehicles idling because they are left waiting in the Florida heat and need air conditioning. They end up leaving their vehicles on for a long time while they wait for people to board or for the athletic team they brought to campus.
“In order to offset this we now provide each driver with a copy of our bus idling policy and a campus map when they arrive that shows them where they can wait indoors with air conditioning & wifi (IBC & University Center),” said Minich. “This allows us to stop unnecessary bus idling on campus & still provide drivers with air conditioning in our warm Florida climate!”
Idling for more than ten seconds reduces the vehicles fuel economy, creates pollution and costs people more money. By idling more than ten seconds, not only is more fuel used but the vehicle produces more emissions. These contribute to climate change and smog a great deal more than stopping and restarting the engine does.
“No Idling means less wasted fuel & less pointless pollutants being emitted,” said Minich. “To put it into perspective, idling for 5 minutes uses the same amount of fuel as traveling 10 miles! We also remove the potential health risks that are caused by excess idling.”
