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Communities and Government

Turn it Off: Reducing Engine Idling Project

Executive Summary

While a wide array of public activities contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, one stands out for the potential ease with which it can be altered. This activity involves having motorists turn their engines off while parked and waiting in their vehicle (e.g., when picking children up from school or when waiting to pick up commuters from transit "Kiss and Ride" parking lots). While other activities, such as commuting, clearly play a more critical role regarding emissions, engine idling behaviour is far more amenable to being altered. Further, broad public participation in this activity can be used in future campaigns to leverage more meaningful and challenging changes in behaviour. Additionally, reducing engine idling has the added benefit of lowering smog emissions and promoting the health of those individuals who are frequently exposed to emissions from idling engines.

Project Funders and Partner

The Turn if Off project involved a unique, multi-sectoral partnership that was initiated by Environment Canada, Ontario Region and developed in conjunction with McKenzie-Mohr Associates and the Ministry of the Environment. Project funders included the Federal Government's Climate Change Action Fund, the City of Toronto (Toronto Atmospheric Fund), the Ontario Ministry of Environment's Drive Clean Office, and Environment Canada, Ontario Region. Representatives of these agencies participated on the Turn if Off Steering Committee, which provided direction and guidance to the Project Implementation Team (PIT) of LURA Consulting and McKenzie-Mohr Associates. In turn, the PIT worked very closely with local municipal and community partners to develop and implement the project. These local partners included:
City of Toronto (Works and Emergency Services; Health Department);
Toronto District School Board;
Toronto Catholic District School Board; and
Toronto Transit Commission.

Project Objectives

The overall objectives of the Turn it Off project were to:
Examine ways to reduce engine idling by members of the public while they wait in their vehicles;
Increase community awareness of the importance of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from individual actions, such as engine idling;
Develop knowledge and expertise in the use of the innovative approaches of community- based social marketing;
Promote voluntary compliance with the City of Toronto's Idling Control By-Law; and
Provide the foundation for future community-based programs to address engine idling.

Approach and Methodology

The Turn it Off project used the unique methodologies of community-based social marketing (CBSM) to encourage members of the public to avoid idling their engines while waiting in their vehicles. CBSM is an innovative approach to facilitating behaviour change, emphasizing personal contact and communications, and provides an attractive alternative to traditional information-intensive public outreach campaigns. It involves identifying the barriers to an activity, designing a strategy to overcome these barriers using knowledge from the social sciences, piloting the strategy to ensure that it is successful, and then implementing it on a broader scale.

This project followed a series of sequential steps in developing and applying CBSM strategies at community locations (schools and Toronto Transit Commission "Kiss and Ride" parking lots) in the City of Toronto:

  1. Barrier Identification: Existing research on barriers and motivations relating to the behaviour of engine idling while waiting in a vehicle was reviewed and consolidated. This research indicated that an effective social marketing strategy would need to:
    remind drivers to turn off their engines;
    clarify the brief length of time that a vehicle should be idled for before being turned off (10 seconds);
    cevelop community norms that support turning off an engine as the "right thing to do;" and
    be delivered during warmer months, as comfort and safety are important reasons for why idling occurs seasonally.
  2. Strategy Design: Two CBSM techniques were considered to encourage motorists to avoid idling their vehicle engines while waiting. Prompts or signs are visual or auditory aids that remind people to carry out an activity that they might otherwise forget. It was envisioned that signs would be placed in close proximity to where motorists idle their vehicles to remind them to turn their vehicle engines off. Second, commitment strategies were considered. Gaining a commitment to turn off a vehicle engine could potentially be a powerful factor in reducing idling, especially if these pledges were public. Further, making these commitments public might assist in the development of community norms that turning off an engine is "the right thing to do."
  3. Focus Groups: Focus groups were conducted to seek feedback on the proposed strategies; Three focus groups were held in the City of Toronto in early May. Two of these sessions involved drivers who drop off/pick up children from schools, and one involved drivers who drop off/pick up passengers at a TTC "Kiss and Ride" area. The primary purpose of these sessions was to obtain feedback from typical drivers on the proposed strategies and communications materials for the pilot. The participants made a variety of suggestions regarding the graphics and communications that had been proposed. One of the most significant contributions regarded the anti-idling pledge card that had been prepared. Participants expressed concerns that drivers may feel uncomfortable about signing the pledge cards due to privacy issues. Based on the feedback from the focus groups, the following communications approaches were developed:
    "No Idling" Signs - A minimum of four temporary signs were prepared for each location to encourage drivers to turn their engines off while waiting. These signs were mounted on concrete bases in order that they could be placed in highly visible locations at each site;
    "No Idling" Window Stickers - Commitments in this project were obtained and made public by asking motorists to place a sticker in their window that said "For Our Air: I Turn my Engine Off When Parked"; and
    Information Card - Motorists from whom commitments were sought were also provided with an information card that indicated that reducing idling would save money, reduce air pollution and decrease greenhouse gas emissions.
  4. Strategy Application - The testing of the CBSM techniques involved three stages: baseline data collection; implementing the interventions; and collecting follow-up data.

Baseline Data Collection

Baseline measures taken for ten days to determine the frequency with which motorists idle their vehicle engines while waiting at 12 locations (6 schools and 6 TTC Kiss and Ride Sites). The duration of idling was also measured. These measurements were taken using random time sampling. Random time sampling involves selecting at random small time intervals (e.g. 30 minutes) during which the behaviour of motorists at parking lots is observed. In identifying time periods for measurements, consideration was given to times when motorists were most likely to idle their engines (e.g. end of the school day; end of work day at TTC Kiss and Rides, etc.)

Interventions

Following these baseline measurements, the CBSM techniques were tested by randomly assigning the six sites in each category (school and TTC) into three groups of two. Two schools and two TTC sites had signs prominently placed in locations where motorists frequently idle (signs only condition). Two schools and two TTC sites also received the signs but in addition commitments were sought from motorists. These motorists also received the information card. Finally, two schools and two TTC sites received neither the signs, commitments or information cards. These four sites served as a control against which changes in the other conditions could be compared.

Follow-up

Once the strategies had been implemented, follow-up measurements were obtained for ten days, again using random time sampling. All measurements in this project were made between the last two weeks of May, 2000 and third week of July, 2000. The intervention was delivered first at the schools and then at the TTC locations.

A small team of "project monitors" was hired to collect baseline data, implement the interventions, and conduct the follow-up measurements. These monitors were carefully trained to collect and record data, and to properly identify idling vehicles (e.g. look for exhaust; vibrating tail-pipe or antenna; vehicle noise, etc.). Data recording forms and "tip sheets" were prepared to assist monitors and ensure a consistent approach to data collection.

Pilot Results and Recommendations

Overall, in the course of this project 8435 observations of motorists' idling behaviour were made. Given the large number of observations made, these findings are likely indicative of what would occur if this project were implemented on a larger scale. During the baseline period, 53% of motorists were observed idling, suggesting that significant opportunity exists to reduce idling through the application of community-based social marketing.

The combination of commitment and signs reduced idling by 32% and idling duration by a staggering 73%. The signs by themselves did not reduce idling incidence or duration. Analysis by site location (school or TTC) revealed that the combination of signs and commitment was particularly effective in school settings. In total, 2377 observations were made of motorists' idling behaviour at the school sites. At school sites the combination of signs and commitment reduced engine idling by 51% and duration by 72%. In total, 6058 observations were made of motorists' idling behaviour at the TTC sites. As with the schools, the combination of signs and commitment was the most effective strategy in reducing both idling incidence and duration. At TTC Kiss and Ride sites the combination of signs and commitment reduced engine idling by 27% and duration by 78%.

The combination of signs and commitment had a significant and consistent impact upon idling incidence and duration. Since baseline observations revealed that over 50% of motorists idled their vehicle, this strategy has considerable potential for reducing emissions from idling. Given the particular success of this pilot at schools we suggest that priority be given to the preparation of a toolkit that provides schools in Toronto and beyond with the knowledge and communication materials necessary to enable them to quickly implement anti-idling initiatives. We further suggest that individuals be hired, perhaps through the presently developing provincial and territorial climate change hubs, to coordinate and assist schools and other sites with the implementation of anti-idling programs. The above mentioned toolkit will also be of value to municipalities and community groups that want to take action on the issue of idling in their communities.

The wider dissemination of this project should be accompanied with further refinement of the strategy. For example, commitments are most likely to be effective when made to individuals we know. This suggests that commitments made by drivers of taxis, buses, and trucks, for example, are most likely to be successful when made to a colleague (or fleet operator) and when accompanied with public displays of this commitment (such as the window sticker that was used in this project). We suggest that further piloting be done with motorists that were not studied in this pilot (bus drivers, truckers, etc.) and with non-municipally controlled locations (such as hotels and taxi-stands). These pilots would allow for further refinement of the community-based social marketing strategies and the eventual dissemination to a much broader audience.

By coupling the community-based social marketing strategy with a media advertising campaign, it may be possible to quickly influence the behaviour of large numbers of individuals and in so doing quickly develop new norms in which turning off an idling engine is perceived as the socially appropriate thing to do. Accordingly, we suggest that a media advertising and communications campaign be developed, perhaps as part of NRCan's single issues campaign.

The findings from this project clearly indicate that personal contact is an essential part of curbing idling - as evidenced by the fact that the signs by themselves were not effective in reducing idling. While personal contact and the obtaining of commitments will need to remain as a central aspect of future anti-idling initiatives, these initiatives could be bolstered by a background media campaign. We envision the development of media materials (radio, television and print materials) that provide a backdrop for community-based initiatives. That is, the media materials could dispel myths regarding how long a vehicle should be idled before being turned off. Further, it could help to establish this behaviour as the normative or "right thing to do".

We suggest, given the importance of personal appeals in changing behaviour, that the advertisements themselves utilize personal appeals that encourage motorists to make a personal commitment to reduce idling. These advertisements should also be branded along with the community-based materials so that a clear connection is made between the backdrop advertising and the community initiatives. As with all CBSM initiatives, the use of these advertisements should be piloted in different communities in conjunction with the sign and commitment approach researched here to find which combination of advertisements and personal communications is most effective.

In Summary

A successful anti-idling campaign can serve as a catalyst for public involvement in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. Idling in Canada is ubiquitous. Its prevalence provides an opportunity to engage millions of Canadians in an activity that has a direct relationship to climate change and air quality. This project clearly demonstrated that this behaviour can be quickly and cost-effectively altered through the use of community-based social marketing approaches. By combining such local approaches with a national anti-idling campaign it is possible to change the behaviour of millions of Canadians and to use this behavioural change as a foundation for increasing Canadians' knowledge of climate change and the role each of us play in its abatement. As such, a national initiative to curb idling may mark for many a personal transition that leads to engaging in other climate friendly activities as well as supporting policies that reduce emissions.