There’s no magic in these school buses. New York Lawyers for Public Interest (NYLPI) researchers found roughly one in five of the yellow tot-mobiles in New York City idle illegally, with the public health impacts disproportionately and negatively passed to communities of color.
The findings come on the heels of State Attorney General Letitia James’s lawsuit against Department of Education-contracted companies over violating idling limits last year, particularly in communities of color. Vehicles, including school buses, cannot keep engines running for more than 3 minutes while parked. The limit is shaved down to just 1 minute when parked adjacent to a school.
Last October, the AG’s lawsuit was reportedly settled. However, the issue remains.
“What we decided to do with this particular report is to get a sense of whether or not this issue persists,” said NYLPI Policy and Legislative Coordinator Suhali Méndez. “We found that it was still an issue. Based on May 31 through June 27, which was equivalent to 19 school days, a total of 142 school buses [at] 40 different schools throughout the city, we found that one in four school buses were observed to be idling even though there are laws discouraging this very act.”
Researchers found Bronx Community District 9, where roughly 28% of residents identify as Black and around 58% identify as Hispanic or Latino, is home to at least eight bus depots. The case study pointed to higher rates of asthma hospitalization among youth in the neighborhood compared to the citywide average.
“The new report from the ElectrifyNY Coalition reinforces the need for the city to swiftly transition to an all-electric school bus fleet,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson in a statement. “The pollution spewed into the atmosphere by diesel and gas buses, particularly when they are idling, causes significant harm to our Bronx communities, and particularly to our children…[T]hrough judicious enforcement of anti-idling laws and the continued transition to electric buses, I am confident that we will be able to eliminate these sources of pollution and keep the air clean and safe for our children.”
The report’s authors, which include NYLPI and three other ElectrifyNY proponents, recommend rolling out—both literally and figuratively—electric school buses sooner rather than later to meet the 2035 transition deadline. Such vehicles can drive, park, or even idle without tailpipe emissions.
The authors also asked schools to provide drivers with more respite to prevent idling, especially during inclement weather when running the engines while parked for heat is legal but still harmful. Encouraging drivers to wait inside the schools during harsh conditions would cut down on emissions. Lastly, the authors suggested further education for bus contractors and schools
Tandy Lau is a Report for America corps member who writes about public safety for the Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting https://bit.ly/amnews1.