City Council needs to stop idling on more important issues than an anti-idling ordinance
When Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje remarked recently that he’s concerned there isn’t more public art being created in the city, a commenter on our website asked, “Could you be a little more tone deaf there, mayor?’’ Hieftje and the City Council are now being asked to prove that the answer is yes.
Setting aside for a moment the city’s shortage of public art, council is now being asked to tackle not the structural budget deficit, nor the tough decisions that will be necessary to avoid further cuts in police and fire services, but rather a more airy concern.
Idling autos.
That’s right. For all we know, somewhere in Ann Arbor, at this very moment, someone is experiencing an NPR driveway moment -- and hasn’t turned the engine off. So slap ‘em with a hundred dollar fine?
A parked vehicle sits idling in front of the Post Office in downtown Ann Arbor.
Angela Cesere | AnnArbor.com
One of the reasons it’s taken nearly a decade to produce this draft ordinance is that this issue has continually been pushed to the back burner by higher priorities. And rightly so. Even at this stage, we have to ask, is this what the people of Ann Arbor really want City Council spending time on these days?
As great as it is to live in a progressive, politically aware city, there are times when Ann Arbor risks becoming a parody of itself. The Onion, which is launching an Ann Arbor edition, could have written this as a spoof and it would have made clever satire. But the ordinance is real. And it’s already become an open invitation to heap ridicule on City Council.
The Ann Arbor Chronicle tweeted: “Ann Arbor needs anti-idling ordinance for its city council; been sitting, idling, emitting noxious gas for long enough; put it in drive pls.’’ After a bank heist in Ann Arbor last week, a radio personality quipped that he hoped the suspect didn’t leave his car idling in the parking lot while he was inside robbing the place. Of the more than 2,000 people who voted in an AnnArbor.com online poll on the issue, about 77 percent said the ordinance isn’t needed.
Not that the unnecessary idling of vehicles doesn’t emit bad stuff into the air. We agree people should be encouraged to turn off the engine when they aren’t driving. Some communities, such as Denver and Portland, Ore., have used awareness campaigns to promote voluntary compliance. We see the benefit in that.
But an ordinance - even with six-month grace period to educate people before the city starts hitting them with fines of $100 for individuals or $500 for commercial vehicles - feels like overkill at a time when City Council needs to put its attention toward far more serious needs.
In its presentation to council last week, the Environmental Commission emphasized the potential health risks to children when parents leave their cars idling while waiting to pick their kids of from school. That seems like a legitimate concern, and one that the Ann Arbor school district might address through a basic policy, or even a letter sent home to parents.
We also agree with those who think that if the city wants to significantly reduce emissions from idling autos, it could see greater gains by improving the timing of traffic lights and solving other traffic flow issues that cause motorists to sit in stalled traffic when they are trying to get somewhere.
Other than that, we’re not seeing this as a legislative priority for City Council. What people want from local government these days is what they want from Washington - a sense that elected officials understand the gravity of the issues facing us and are up to the task of solving them.
We wish Ann Arbor didn’t have anything more pressing to worry about than the prospect of someone leaving a car running while dashing into the downtown Post Office to mail a letter. Maybe someday that’ll be the case.
But for now, we’d rather see City Council members invest their efforts in bold action on preserving the basic city serves that they’re being forced to gut year after year. Or is that just an idle hope?
(This editorial was published in today's newspaper and reflects the opinion of the Editorial Board at AnnArbor.com.)
Comments
mdike
Fri, Aug 26, 2011 : 2:40 a.m.
The best way to reduce idling time in Ann Arbor would be to establish a timing system for traffic lights. The down side being that every car would no longer be forced to stop at every traffic light regardless of the time of day. If I had a dollar for every time I have sat at a red light and didn't even see another motorist during my stay at that location, I could retire quite comfortably. It's nice that the enlightened city council chooses to play the fiddle, while the cities business climate burns wildly.
Ron Granger
Mon, Aug 22, 2011 : 3:44 p.m.
How about an Ann Arbor ordinance banning loud motorcycles? Why should they be unregulated, while cars are ticketed? I once saw some Canadian police measuring the exhaust volume of a motorcycle. The owner was required to rev the motorcycle to a specific rpm while the Mounty (he was not on a horse, btw) measured the volume from a specific distance.
Mike D.
Mon, Aug 22, 2011 : 4:36 a.m.
Tony: Last week, the Council has the courtesy to hear out the environmental commission, and then they essentially shelved this. If you or anyone on your staff knew the first thing about government process, you'd know that no further action is expected on idling and the issue is dead. Did you even bother to speak to someone on the council before writing this whiny, sensationalized editorial? Or is your anti-mayor bias so strong that you actually knew the issue was dead but still decided to stir the pot? Or will you just do anything to gin up page views, regardless of accuracy or fairness?
KeepingItReal
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 7:38 p.m.
A few weeks ago, aa.com wrote about the interest of local citizens voting in the recent election. The turn out was so low as to raise serious concerns about the one party system that has resulted over the years. This is a good example of how a one party system function. However, our failure to encourage diversity from our local council has resulted in their so-called "tone deafness"
Halter
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 7:15 p.m.
What makes it all the more entertaining is: it doesn't matter WHAT the city council ultimately decides to do here -- it is an unenforceable ordinance...they don't even ticket the cell phone drive-while-texters, you think they will really issue any tickets for idling?...Maybe if someone "calls it in" to complain, and by then, the car or truck will be long gone... Today, I counted 7 drivers on Main between Liberty and 94 texting while driving. A police car was driving directly next to one of them. Makes it even less worthwhile for them to be debating this....
julieswhimsies
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 6:33 p.m.
I agree completely. Although this ordinance being addressed by the city council has been entertaining me all week. Portland, Oregon has a huge traffic problem. The city has encouraged commuting by bicycle by providing safer bike lanes, and some one way streets where only cyclists can ride both ways. My son's office has an indoor "parking lot" for bikes which most employees use. You see a lot more people walking to work than you see in Ann Arbor, and bike lanes are continually being made wider. "Egregious idling" (Sorry. that term still makes me laugh.) is encouraged through massive educational campaigns. Campaigns like this are what we should be concerning ourselves with, and what the city council should be addressing. Those of us who choose not to idle our cars, usually do so in order to save fuel. Get back to work on the important issues, A2 City Council.
julieswhimsies
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 11:03 p.m.
Oops. I meant Egregious idling is discouraged in Portland!
Ron Granger
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 4:32 p.m.
But I have a God given right to pollute! The earth was created for us to CONSUME!
slave2work
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 2:26 p.m.
.They cut the policing force in half, BUt now they want them to sit and time how long a car has been sitting idle? wow, interesting thought. Let's see.. a football weekend, 100,000 cars swinging thru that small area. lot of idling tickets there!!!..
Priscilla
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 1:28 p.m.
~ What next! I could give a lot more ideas that are truly necessary to idlely get through a work day that makes more since and earn more respect with the community than taking tax payers money on nonsense like this.
MB111
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 1:26 p.m.
"As great as it is to live in a progressive, politically aware city" This is the primary fallacy. Ann Arbor is not progressive. Every real estate site plan is fought tooth & nail - fear of change. Constant re-election of officials - fear of change Firing of appoitees because they have a different opinion - fear of considering change
PLGreen
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 1:24 p.m.
Just another reason to avoid Ann Arbor, shop and dine out County.
Mr Blue
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 3:32 p.m.
With gas at 3.75 a gallon? I don't know about you, but going "out county" to shop and dine is a waste of time and money when everything I need or could possible want is within five miles of where I live in the city.
Urban Sombrero
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 1:20 p.m.
Well said, Tony. I couldn't agree more with you. This is nonsense and, most likely, simply an attempt at building revenue for the city. ENOUGH! "...it could see greater gains by improving the timing of traffic lights and solving other traffic flow issues that cause motorists to sit in stalled traffic when they are trying to get somewhere." I also can't agree more with that statement. The timing of lights in this town is ridiculous! I was driving down Stadium yesterday, at speed, and I swear, I hit every light red. Traffic should flow smoothly, especially when, like yesterday when I was out, there was little volume. It shouldn't be a "get going only to STOP!" type of deal. It's insane.
zip the cat
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 1:20 p.m.
It just blows me away,every time the council in the city of A2 comes up with something off the wall and ALL the whiners and complainers come out of the woodwork . Hey, last time they had a election or primary in your city to vote the off the wall ones out. Guess what! ALL you whiners and complainers sat at home on your duffs and did nothing. So enjoy the merits of your lack of common sence,by not voteing. I'd say your getting just what you asked for. Have fun
Gordon
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 1:16 p.m.
I'm just certain that revenue was on the minds of council. More fines less cut in services. Course the police would be further wasting time issuing tickets for what constitutes iding & not idling therefore cutting back on the usefullness of police officers. I can just picture the Sysco truck delivering frozen food on days when it's almost a 100 one short stop after another till there is defrosting food. 10 years later an ordinance requiring no frozen food should be sold if it's been subject to the possibility of being defrosted. laugh you may; but realize it's another revenue generator for the city. This opinion is lomg over due.
Stephen Lange Ranzini
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 1:01 p.m.
The city has more than $250 million in cash lying around, but it's trapped in separate dedicated accounts ("buckets") and it can't be moved to where it needs to be used to meet urgent needs like fire and police safety. City council should be spending it's time discussing ways to drain the buckets to get the resources where it needs to be. This is complicated and takes time, but if they don't start to discuss it and instead spend their time on lower priority items, they will never begin the process of fixing this big issue. Drain the buckets!
Stephen Lange Ranzini
Mon, Aug 22, 2011 : 4:25 p.m.
@DonBee: An excellent question! Cash and short term investments related to the water and sewage funds of the city total $72,794,364 as of 6/30/2010 (see columns 1 and 2 on page 30 of the city's annual audited financials (CAFR Report), available on the city web site at <a href="http://www.a2gov.org/government/financeadminservices/accounting/Pages/Home.aspx" rel='nofollow'>www.a2gov.org/government/financeadminservices/accounting/Pages/Home.aspx</a> The total cost of the Waste Water Treatment Plant upgrade to water and sewage systems is $82,000,000 (see page 4), so the funds available are almost all that is necessary to fund the project. I agree that this particular bucket shouldn't be drained as there is a specific, urgent need for the funds. There are by my count some 58 separate dedicated funds in the city's financial structure. They have $187 million in them beyond the sewer and water system funds mentioned above. For any fund that doesn't have a specific, urgent need for the funds, there should be a strategy worked out how to return the funds to the general fund or to the taxpayers!
DonBee
Mon, Aug 22, 2011 : 12:54 a.m.
Mr. Ranzini - In some ways I agree with you. Some of the buckets are artificial. On the other hand the water and sewage "bucket" is created from the water and sewage bills and is designated to replacing key infrastructure and building new. Draining that bucket would be similar to draining the pension funds of all the city employees. A day will come (soon) when you have to put it back and then you are in even deeper trouble. Without this bucket, how much do you actually have left to drain?
Silly Sally
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 1:01 p.m.
Start with idling diesel delivery trucks that belch out smoke, not soccer moms warming up their cars prior driving kids to school or daycare on a cold day..
snoopdog
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:51 p.m.
"For all we know, somewhere in Ann Arbor, at this very moment, someone is experiencing an NPR driveway moment -- and hasn't turned the engine off." Never had one of those NPR moments, never will but I get your point and am in agreement. Good Day
Christopher LeClair
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:35 p.m.
There is NOTHING more threatening to the safety and overall wellness of our city than an Idling Bill. SHAME ON YOU AnnArbor.com for questions it's importance. Have you not noticed the destruction of the social fabric resulting from these idling cars?
cagazote
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:30 p.m.
I was in Switzerland recently and the car I rented automatically shut off when idling. The car re-started once I stepped on the accelerator. Not all cars had this feature, just the vehicle I was renting, a Fiat diesel, Doblo. Overall I believe that Ann Arbor should be a leader in energy efficiency and carbon neutrality. I do not think I would have started with idling cars! The city should find ways to help interested citizens acquire solar power panels, wind mills and other sources of renewable energy. Cars and other vehicles owned by the municipality should be electric, hybrid or have the idling shut off technology. City lights, power, heating and cooling should be done by renewable energy sources. If it can not be done in A2, with all of us highly educated, liberal elite packed into a few scare miles, it can not be done globally.
Craig Lounsbury
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 5:12 p.m.
You used electricity to post your comment Mr. Blue. And your comment operates on a false premise with regard to what I said. I stated our electrical needs are ever increasing as a point of fact which thy are. You took that and assumed I see at as a fait accompli which I don't. But realistically if your implying somehow we all will live with whatever "clean electricity" we can produce I think your not being realistic.
Mr Blue
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 3:36 p.m.
@Craig. Why do you and our consumer society think that our electrical (energy) needs must be "ever increasing". Believing in that premise is part of the problem.
Craig Lounsbury
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:49 p.m.
I don't believe we can supply our ever increasing electrical needs with wind and sun in these parts, at least not with current technology. May I ask your stance on Nuclear?
David Cahill
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:29 p.m.
This is a perceptive editorial, Tony! The shadowy entity known as the Environmental Commission should think through its more radical ideas before exposing them to prime time and seeing them ridiculed. (Remember its idea of removing Argo Dam?) I'm glad you mentioned your "opt-in" poll on idling. An increasing number of Ann Arborites are participating in these polls. They reflect the opinions of those who are interested in local politics - that is, voters. I hope the city government looks at your recent poll on public art, in which a majority opposes the program, before genuflecting to the "art lobby" when it considers the program in the next month or so. Vox populi, vox dei.
Carole
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:24 p.m.
This mayor and most on council definitely have way too much time on their hands. Especially, since they do not wish to tackle any of the real issues that are facing the citizens of our Great Ann Arbor just as public safety, Stadium Bridge, streets that need repairing, etc. The list is quite long. To them, I say move along and let us get folks into office who wish to take Ann Arbor to the limits by keeping it safe and easily traveled.
justcary
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:21 p.m.
The notion shared by the author of this article and the cantankers that get up early to crank about every article annarbor.com publishes is patently incorrect: namely, that high-priority matters and quality-of-life issues cannot be undertaken concurrently (that means "at the same time") by a governing body. The assumption that the problem currently making news is trumping work done on the other (more complicated one) is false. Why don't talk to your city councilperson? You CAN call them on the telephone, they're good people! Or talk to ANYONE who runs or is a boardmember of an organization. S/he will probably tell you that there are ten or a hundred issues on the agenda, and they try to move forward on each of them. There are outside parties working on these issues: consultants, researchers, lawyers, etc. How foolish it would be to stop all that work because the "big" jobs don't appear to be getting enough attention! However you may feel about emissions, city art, speeding tickets, or whatever, the "haven't they got better things to do?" argument holds no sway. Resources (such as time and money) are budgeted and budgets are followed precisely to prevent squeaky wheels from getting all the grease and shutting the machine down.
BTPud
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 1:36 p.m.
If the City Council showed any action towards the things that the people of A2 want, then I doubt that there would be as much outcry towards things like emissions and city art being tackled "concurrently" (yes, I realize some would still complain). But as they drop the ball, time and again, on things that truly matter, the "cantankers" have a point.
Halter
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:48 p.m.
Are you on City Council?
DonBee
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:07 p.m.
but....but....but.... This bill will bring national attention to Ann Arbor. The other stuff is just business as usual. Without this bill, Ann Arbor will just be another midwest city with no place on the national news, and no chance for its leadership to rise to national office.
HappySenior
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 11:57 a.m.
There is an election this November. Remember to vote. This is your city government that is failing you. And we should be planning ahead. Who do you know that is a fiscally responsible, honest, rational person who would be willing to run for mayor? If this city won't even consider a Republican, then the real election is the primary and that other candidate has to be identified and promoted for the primary.
Goober
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:40 p.m.
I believe this is good advice. I do not intend to vote for any incumbent. We need all new city council personnel and a new mayor. Our current team is leading us off a cliff.
Halter
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 11:48 a.m.
What would be really really good from a Newspaper point of view?....If you printed things like the next time the Council plans to discuss this topic: the time, date, place....and what would be even better? That one of your reporters who has access to things like poll-date (as unofficial as it is) shows up to present it... That is how you start to discuss things in a more formal way, rather than just these 500-comment threads where people say the same thing, that Council does not read, and that gets everyone worked up?...
Craig Lounsbury
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 11:40 a.m.
"What people want from local government these days is what they want from Washington - a sense that elected officials understand the gravity of the issues facing us and are up to the task of solving them" well said Mr. Dearing. I believe more and more that Mr. Hieftje realizes he is immune from losing his position like a third world dictator who wins "elections" with 99% of the "votes". As such he doesn't really care what the unwashed masses want or need. I didn't always think that way about the guy but I do anymore.
Brian Kuehn
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 9:38 p.m.
Amen. The root of the problem is our council is essentially elected in August as part of the Democratic primary. Low voter tournout assures that once a council member get their 250 supporters to the polls, they are a shoe in for election.
SonnyDog09
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 11:27 a.m.
They are public servants. They don't care what we think.
Halter
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 11:06 a.m.
Bravo...but this too will fall on the mayor's deaf ears.
Steve Hendel
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 10:31 a.m.
A2 needs some genuine principled political competition in governmental affairs, and not the one-party state we have had for, what, at least a decade. It seems like the only non-Democrats who run for office are either (1) total amateurs or (2) people whose policies are essentially indistinguishable from the incumbent 's. That's not to mention (3) 'community activists' whose main campaign style is personal attacks on their opponent.
Alan Goldsmith
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 10:30 a.m.
"As great as it is to live in a progressive, politically aware city, there are times when Ann Arbor risks becoming a parody of itself. The Onion, which is launching an Ann Arbor edition, could have written this as a spoof and it would have made clever satire." You think? Lol.
Brad
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:48 p.m.
"there are times when Ann Arbor risks becoming a parody of itself" a ship that's already sailed ...
Brad
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 12:48 p.m.
"there are times when Ann Arbor risks becoming a parody of itself"
hermhawk
Sun, Aug 21, 2011 : 10:12 a.m.
Basic city services are far more important than car idling. Enough of this nonsense already.