Policy in action to reduce air pollution

By Joe Losito and Mhairi Moorhead
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.  

“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