Weekly newsletter: January 14, 2025
Hi everyone!
It’s mid-January and the daylight is slowly starting to last longer. I visited Parc Omega with my wife last weekend for her birthday and made some animal friends, but I think the friendship is one-sided. I think the animals only liked me for the carrots.
Small Trillium Line update
Some transit users who park at Bowesville Station may already have noticed, but after a brief discussion with signals staff last week, the wait time at the traffic signals to exit the park and ride has been shortened from 60 to 15 seconds.
OC Transpo staff continue working to address the first and last departure times of route 74 at Limebank Station, so that it better aligns with the first and last Line 2 trains.
They are also working on signage improvements for the pick-up/drop-off traffic pattern at the station.
Unfortunately, the stop assignment for route 74 departing Limebank will remain at Stop H, as that is where the route will pick up after the bus network realignment in April. The 100-metre walk still beats the 250-metre walk to Stop F at Tunney’s Pasture, though.
Idling by-law
City can lead by example instead of enacting unenforceable by-laws.
An updated Idling By-law↗ took effect at the start of the new year.
Adopted at the City Council meeting of October 2, 2024, the updated by-law permits an occupied vehicle to idle a maximum of three minutes per hour, when the temperature is 0° to 27°, or a maximum of 10 minutes per hour, when the temperature is below 0° or above 27°.
An unoccupied vehicle is permitted to idle for a maximum of one minute per hour, regardless of temperature.
Exemptions include emergency vehicles engaged in a call, vehicles sitting in traffic or in a drive-through, public transit vehicles, vehicles engaged in farming, and vehicles idling to facilitate repairs and servicing, among others.
Regulations limiting the duration of idling vehicles is commonplace in different jurisdictions around the world. They usually exist to reduce unnecessary fuel consumption for the benefit of the environment, and in some cases, comfort of people nearby.
In Canada, they mostly exist as municipal by-laws. The first idling by-law was passed by Toronto in 1996. (Fun fact, Inuvik, Northwest Territories, permits idling up to 30 minutes, while Jasper, Alberta, permits idling only to defrost a windshield.)
Ottawa’s Idling By-law was first enacted in 2007 and limited permitted idling to a maximum of three minutes per hour when the temperature is 5° to 27°. No limit existed for temperatures below 5° and above 27°.
As part of a regular review cycle for all by-laws, the Idling By-law was reviewed throughout 2024. City staff analysed the 2007 by-law, compared the idling by-laws of other Ontario municipalities, and ran a public survey.
As part of their work, staff also looked at respective idling by-laws in Toronto, Burlington, Kingston, Hamilton, and London.
Staff’s work culminated in their original proposals as listed below. The proposed exemptions are the same as what was ultimately adopted by Council.
Occupied vehicle may idle for a maximum of one minute per hour when the temperature is 0° to 27°
Occupied vehicle may idle for a maximum of five minutes per hour when the temperature is below 0° or above 27°
Unoccupied vehicle may idle for a maximum of one minute per hour, regardless of temperature
Following feedback from the public, the proposals were ultimately amended by Council to what they are now.
The Council discussion was engaging, but nothing was more interesting than by-law’s answer to one Councillor’s question about their ability to enforce the by-law.
A responding by-law officer must witness the idling violation, meaning the officer must watch the vehicle idle past the time limit.
Given almost all idling happens with the intention of driving away soon (exemptions notwithstanding), the offending vehicle usually leaves before an officer can respond. Or, where an officer does respond in time, the vehicle can simply leave.
That means the by-law is practically not enforceable, especially with more important (and enforceable) by-laws competing for resources.
Sure, the by-law can be used as an educational tool to encourage a change in behaviour, but since it can’t be enforced, it’s no better than “actual” educational material like pamphlets, signs, and other multimedia communications.
I do believe we should minimise excessive idling due to its negative impact on the environment and one’s wallet in wasted fuel, and we should communicate just that with the public. We don’t need another expensive document for the platitudes drawer.
Where the City can be most effective, though, is leading by example through better enforcement of its own fleet, and reviewing exemptions and when they are necessary.
Otherwise, why would the public care if we don’t?
Thanks, as always, for reading!
-Wilson