Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Fume doom: Manhattan lawmaker targets idling vehicles with higher penalties
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Dec 15, 2022
Modified Dec 16, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Alexi Rosenfeld/Getty Images
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Dec 15, 2022
Modified Dec 16, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A city councilmember from Manhattan wants idling bus and truck drivers to cough up more money for breaking the law.
The Committee for Environmental Protection held an oversight hearing on Thursday on the city’s air quality and its effect on public health. Discussion included Councilmember Julie Menin's anti-idling bill, which aims to increase fines imposed on bus and truck drivers who violate the anti-idling provision of the city’s air pollution control code — a practice long denounced by environmental activists.
The new law, which has received support from 38 city councilmembers, would increase violation penalties from a flat $350 per violation to a range of $1,000 to $2,000 for first-time offenders. From there, violations penalties would only go up, depending on the number of offenses. (Second-time offenders would owe between $2,000 and $4,000. For three or more violations, the range would be $3,000 to $6,000.)
In an interview with Gothamist, Menin said the current penalty is too low to motivate enough drivers to consistently obey the law.
“Right now, we've got a problem where there's a single-rate of $350 for violators, and the current law is not taking into account repeat offenses,” said Menin, who represents a section of the Upper East Side. “So we have corporate actors like Amazon and Con Ed that are continuing to flout the law, and the fine is basically $350. So they're viewing it as a cost of doing business, and yet they're clogging up the streets with the idling.”
She added, “We need to toughen the penalties to send a loud and clear message to these corporations that they cannot continue to idle on our city streets.”
A representative for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Con Edison said it was in the process of converting to an all-electric fleet of vehicles.
“We pride ourselves on our environmental stewardship and strive to comply with all regulations," said utility spokesperson Anne Marie Corbalis, in an emailed statement. "We have stepped up our efforts to ensure that we do not let vehicles idle, except for limited instances when we must in order to run essential equipment. We are determined to improve in this area and will continue to make it a priority, regardless of the level of fines.”
Menin said New York City should align with other major cities like Washington, where idling fines start at $1,000 and double for subsequent violations, up to $8,000.
Current regulations in the city air pollution control code, which aims to improve air quality, forbid vehicles from idling for more than three minutes. Near schools, that time is reduced to one minute.
Emissions from idling gas and motor vehicles are known contributors to health-related impacts. Bad air quality also disproportionately affects low-income neighborhoods, as well as Black and Latino communities.
According to the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health, New York City has one of the highest rates of hospitalizations and deaths due to asthma in children and young adults in the country, with Black and Latino patients accounting for more than 80% of cases. According to an NYC Health study released last year, children in the Bronx are disproportionately affected, with higher rates of asthma-related emergency department visits compared to all other boroughs.
Mike Seilback, national assistant vice president of public policy at the American Lung Association said his organization was behind the legislation in order to advocate for those who experience disproportionately damaging effects from air pollution.
“For decades, the Lung Association has worked with the Council to improve the air that New Yorkers breathe,” Seilback said. “While we have made substantial progress, we still have a long way to go. The Lung Association’s State of the Air report found that New York City continues to have failing air quality and ranks the New York City metro area among the top 25 metro areas with the most polluted air.”
This story has been updated with additional comment.
Tagged
new york city
public safety
Politics
transportation
news
Catalina Gonella
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Queens man charged with hate crime at Jewish-owned bagel shop displaying Israeli flags
Prosecutors say the 22-year-old damaged property outside the Fresh Meadows shop twice in May.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 6:07 p.m. ET
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
News
MTA train yards are in such bad shape plants are growing out of the roof, watchdog says
In some cases, the damage was “clearly not recent."
By
Stephen Nessen
High-ranking NYC officials to testify in ex-buildings boss Eric Ulrich's corruption trial
By
David Brand
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
By
Caroline Lewis
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .