2010-06-08 Committee Report

City Council on June 8 and 9, 2010, adopted the following:

1. City Council grant authority to submit any bills required to amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 517, Idling of Vehicles and Boats, generally in accordance with Attachment 1 to the report (April 22, 2010) from the Medical Officer of Health, and with the amending by-law in Attachment 1 amended by eliminating the exemption for transit vehicles while at a layover or stopover location, and subject to any necessary refinements as may be identified by the Medical Officer of Health, the General Manager of Transportation Services and the City Solicitor.

2. City Council request the Province of Ontario to amend either the Provincial Offences Act or the Highway Traffic Act to designate idling as a Part II Offence.

3. City Council request that the General Manager, Transportation Services, and the Toronto Police Services Board, in addition to any enforcement blitzes they may presently conduct, also conduct enforcement blitzes on Smog Days.

4. City Council request the Medical Officer of Health to enter into discussions with the Chief of Police to develop a plan that would see enforcement of this by-law by parking control officers, subject to a change in provincial regulations.

5. City Council request the City Manager’s Strategic Communications Office to work with Toronto Public Health and to report to the Board of Health on possible idling messages prior to roll out.

6. City Council request the City Manger, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, to report annually to the Board of Health on the number of tickets for idling that are issued bi-annually by:

a. transportation officers; and

b. police officers.

7. City Council request the Medical Officer of Health to review the Idling Control By-law in two-year's time.

8. City Council request the Medical Officer of Health, in consultation with the General Manager, Transportation Services to promote the benefit of an investment in the installation of auxillary power sources, where technically feasible, among vehicle operators that require their vehicle engines to run as part of essential operational functions.

9. City Council forward this report to the Toronto Police Services Board, the Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto Hydro and other City agencies, boards and commissions for information.

The Board of Health recommends that:

1. City Council grant authority to submit any bills required to amend Toronto Municipal Code Chapter 517, Idling of Vehicles and Boats, generally in accordance with Attachment 1 to the report (April 22, 2010) from the Medical Officer of Health, subject to any necessary refinements as may be identified by the Medical Officer of Health, the General Manager of Transportation Services and the City Solicitor.

2. City Council request the Province of Ontario to amend either the Provincial Offences Act or the Highway Traffic Act to designate idling as a Part II Offence.

5. City Council request the City Manager’s Strategic Communications Office to work with Toronto Public Health and to report to the Board of Health on possible idling messages prior to roll out.

6. City Council forward this report to the Toronto Police Services Board, the Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto Hydro and other City agencies, boards and commissions for information.

The Board of Health:

1. forwarded its recommendations on this item to the June 8, 2010, meeting of City Council;

2. requested the Chief Corporate Officer and the Director of Fleet Services, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, to determine the percentage of City of Toronto vehicles which are required to idle when performing their operations; and

3. requested the City Manager, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health, to report directly to City Council on June 8, 2010, on the feasibility of:

- eliminating all exemptions for the Toronto Transit Commission, Toronto Police Services and City of Toronto vehicles; and

- developing an enforcement protocol that is not part of the by-law that makes necessary allowances for special circumstances and that would ensure that the by-law and ticket cancellation policy is reviewed every three years.

Toronto Public Health led a review of Toronto’s idling control bylaw to determine how it could be improved. The review considered the benefits of reducing idling of vehicles, idling control bylaws in other jurisdictions, reasons why people idle, and information gathered during stakeholder consultations.

Consultation with stakeholders indicated that the bylaw could be more effective if it was easier to understand and easier for the City to enforce. Suggestions for improvement included decreasing the allowed idling time, clarifying the language in the bylaw, removing some of the exemptions, and strengthening enforcement.

Reducing permitted idling time from three minutes to one minute would reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants, and make the bylaw easier to enforce. A revised bylaw would also offer the opportunity to renew efforts to reduce idling in Toronto. Education and outreach could increase public knowledge about the impact of idling on greenhouse gas emissions and target specific areas or sectors which are a consistent source of complaints.

This report updates a report that was on the November 2009 Board of Health agenda by responding to the Board of Health’s request for additional information about enforcing the bylaw.

Meeting No.	30	Contact	Candy Davidovits, Committee Administrator
Meeting Date	Monday, May 3, 2010	Phone	416-392-8032
Start Time	1:00 PM	E-mail	boh@toronto.ca
Location	Committee Room 1, City Hall	Chair	Councillor John Filion

Item

HL30.2	Improving Toronto's Idling Control By-law: Update