BengalNews Reporters
The
Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority as well as the Department of
Environmental Conservation have worked together to enforce a new law regarding
the idling policy.
The goal
of the policy is to cut down the level of emissions by limiting the amount of
time that drivers at the Peace Bridge can idle their engines.
“Basically
it does not allow any cars or trucks to idle in the U.S. plaza or at secondary
parking areas,” said Matthew Davison, spokesman for the Peace Bridge Authority.
According
to the Clean
Air Coalition of Western New York, a
community-based organization that informs residents on how to prevent and
reduce pollution, the five-minute idling policy has gone unnoticed to drivers
at the Peace Bridge and the idling of trucks still remains a problem for the
air quality on the West Side.
The
Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority said that they put up signs in
the plaza to notify drivers that there is no idling allowed and have also put up
information on their website.
“Most
folks are already compliant, and don’t want to idle their vehicles anyways for
gas reasons,” said Davison. “People are pretty good when they get here, once
they see the signs. I’m hopeful they will just turn off their cars and trucks.”
However,
the new policy has forced some truck drivers to idle on West Side dead-end streets
instead of waiting at the Peace Bridge.
“A lot
of the time, the backup at the bridge is too long so they don’t want to wait so
they just pull off and idle,” said Soto. “It is mandated by the government for
them to only drive 12 hours and then they have to take a break and the closest
break is all the way in Cheektowaga. So if they can’t drive there they just
come to these streets and take a nap.”
A 2011
study conducted by Dr. Lwebuga-Mukasas, professor of Medicine at the University
of Buffalo found that nearly 45 percent of West Side households reported at
least one case of chronic respiratory illness or asthma.
“The
challenge,” said Erin Heaney, director of the Clean Air Coalition, “is that
even people who have medical degrees are not being schooled in the public
health stuff that we know.”
Natasha Soto and Erin
Heaney, Clean Air Coalition
The Clean Air Coalition has worked together with the Department of Environmental Conservation to set up air quality monitors throughout Western New York in order to monitor the air quality in highly polluted areas.
The Clean Air Coalition has worked together with the Department of Environmental Conservation to set up air quality monitors throughout Western New York in order to monitor the air quality in highly polluted areas.
“We
think that people shouldn’t get sick because of where they live,” said Heaney.
The state
also plans to expand the Peace Bridge plaza, which would create more room for
cars and trucks that are waiting, as well as decreasing the traffic at the
border. The plan to expand is underway as the state has already purchased the
Episcopal Home on the corner of Busti Avenue and Rhode Island Street.
Along
the streets close to the projected expansion area are signs on the front lawns
of people who either support the expansion or are against it. This illustrates
the tension in the area in regards to the positives and negatives of this
proposal.
The
increase in noise and pollution levels poses a threat to the area that could
cause property values to decrease. However, more jobs would be created for the
construction of the project.
The air
quality study is currently ongoing in the area. It is questioned whether the
winter season will change the amount of drivers idling due to the decreasing
temperatures. Edited by Jennine Taberski
