Pennsylvania School Bus Anti-Idling Campaign

Sample School Board Policy Regarding School Bus Idling

School districts may adopt all or parts of restrictions suggested in the following.

Purpose:
It is the policy of <name of school> to eliminate all unnecessary idling by school buses, thereby reducing exposure by school children to the harmful diesel exhaust fumes.

Rationale:
Diesel exhaust poses a serious health risk to children, bus drivers, and the general community. Children are especially vulnerable to the effects of diesel exhaust. Diesel exhaust can accumulate in and around school buses and cause lung damage and respiratory problems as well as exacerbating asthma and allergies. Exposure may also impair a child's learning abilities. Unnecessary idling contributes to Pennsylvania's over reliance on imported petroleum and wastes financial resources.

Applicability: This policy applies to the operation of all district-owned and/or contracted school buses.

Control Measures:

1. Upon arrival to school loading zone, drivers will turn off engine and not restart until time to depart. Should weather conditions necessitate idling the bus, idling will be minimized and will take place outside the student loading zone. The bus will then pull in as close to pick-up time as possible, turn off engine, load students, and restart. See Cold Weather Provisions below.

2. In colder weather, schools will provide a space for bus drivers who arrive early to wait inside the school.

3. At depots, warm-up idling will be limited to what the school bus manufacturers recommend (usually 3-5 minutes).

4. Buses will not idle while waiting for students on field trips, events, or any trips off school grounds.

5. Loading zone, when feasible, will be located at least 100 feet from air intakes, doors, and windows of the school building. When this is not possible, school personnel will take steps to limit air intake during loading and unloading times.

6. When possible, buses will use a diagonal parking pattern with the front end towards the school entrance rather than the typical nose-to-tail pattern.

7. When possible, Transportation Operations staff will revise bus schedules to avoid school bus caravanning and will assign the cleanest buses to the longest routes.

8. Service and delivery vehicles will not idle in school zone. In instances where idling is necessary to facilitate delivery (such as oil delivery), deliveries will be scheduled before or after school hours.

9. All bus drivers and delivery companies will receive notification of this policy at the beginning of each school year. "No-Idling Zone" signs will be placed in visible locations.

Cold Weather Provisions:

1. If the outside temperature is between 32 degrees and -10 degrees Fahrenheit, idling to operate heaters is allowed for up to 15 minutes.

2. If the outside temperature is below -10 degrees Fahrenheit, there is no time restriction on idling to use heating equipment.