If you believed the myth that restarting takes more fuel than idling, the myth is busted.
Our research showed a V6 restart takes about the same fuel as 5 seconds of idling.

http://sections.asme.org/florida/ASME%20Fla%20Section%20Virtual%20Mythbusters.html

That’s the American Society of Mechanical Engineers Florida Section.

Sweeping generalizations. Gotta love them.

“State law already restricts bus and truck idling to no more than five consecutive minutes. This legislation authorizes the Commissioner of Education to require that school buses to be turned off while waiting for passengers to load or unload on school grounds or in front of schools, unless idling is necessary for heating, mechanical or emergency conditions. The Commissioner of Education must promulgate these regulations by July 1, 2008.”

If you think about it 3 minutes is hard to enforce because you have to count all three minutes – but if you show up to ticket someone for idling and there is a one-minute regulation, you can go 60 seconds and ticket then. 5 minutes is out of control and you might want to consider encouraging Fieldston to speak to their operators. I find that schools will do many things in the spirit of “going green” these days.

The school buses operated by private schools do pickups at each door, and seem to be required to wait 5 minutes before leaving without their little charges. Due to a hydrant right next to the cityrack on my block, there is a big curbside space right in front of where I lock up. Many mornings, there is a a full-size school bus waiting for tardy Fieldston students that’s blowing extra-chunky diesel exhaust in our faces as we unlock. But I’d be pleased to see the problem at the schools addressed as a first step.

As far as enforcing what’s on the books, I had always thought the existing three minute law applies only to commercial vehicles. Am I wrong?

This morning outside my building, Zipcar was doing some promotion, complete with green zipcar flags and hired barkers handing out brochures.

the main barker guy was saying stuff like “eco friendly!” Meanwhile, the zipcar they had there as part of the event was sitting there parked and empty with its engine running.

(I told him that that’s not “eco-friendly” or legal, and he said something like “I’ll take that into account” or some crap. Felt like calling the cops.)