Overview:

Summary: Gasoline-powered vehicles lose a majority of their energy as waste heat. Regulating the idling of vehicles can reduce local air tempearture, decrease GHG emissions, protect human health.

Implementation: Establish a program for community members to report idling vehicles.

Considerations for Use: Consider providing incentives (e.g. a portion of the fine that vehicle drivers pay) to encourage participation. This intervention can target freight transportation, taxis, or all vehicles in a particular zone or citywide.

• Policy Levers:
  
  
  Awareness and EngagementGovernments may design and operate programs with the goal of increasing awareness and engagement among constituents or stakeholder groups about the risks and opportunities of extreme heat.
• Trigger Points:
  
  
  City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
  No-regrets actions (low cost/low effort but substantial benefit)Interventions that are relatively low-cost and low effort (in terms of requisite dependencies) but have substantial environmental and/or social benefits.
• Intervention Type:
  Planning/Policy
• Sectors:
  Transportation

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Heat-vulnerable communities, Residents
• Phase of Impact:
  Risk reduction and mitigation
• Metrics:
  Changes in traffic or congestion

Case Studies:

• NYC Air Complaint Program

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  City, Neighborhood
• Authority and Governance:
  City government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Short-term (1-2 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  City government
• Funding Sources:
  Public investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Low
• Public Good:
  Medium
• GHG Reduction:
  Medium
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  Reduce air and water pollution, Reduce greenhouse gas emissions
• Co-benefits (Social):
  Improve human health