Leaving a car's engine running while parked would be banned in Los Angeles under a proposal introduced Wednesday by City Councilman Paul Koretz.
"Idling in traffic or very low-speed driving -- and the consequent increases in emissions -- have been exacerbated by increases in traffic congestion, and efforts to alleviate them must continue,'' Koretz wrote in a motion proposing the ordinance. "However, parked vehicle idling is an unnecessary and inefficient habit that increases air and climate pollution, increases consumption and demand for harmful fossil fuels and also wastes money.''
The motion asks the city attorney to draft an ordinance barring vehicles from idling when parked for more than one or two minutes. Koretz noted that eight states have similar restrictions in place, along with New York City.
The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that ending personal vehicle idling would be the same as taking 5 million vehicles off the road nationally, according to Koretz's office.
As part of the motion, Koretz noted that Los Angeles was ranked the most ozone-polluted metropolis in the United States by the American Lung Association in its 2019 State of the Air report.
The motion was referred to the council's Transportation Committee for further review.
