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Tom Brattebo is hoping that communities throughout Spokane County will get active about idling.
In his role as an AmeriCorps volunteer, Brattebo is working with the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency to get the word out about safety issues concerning vehicles that sit at drive-thru windows, railroad tracks and in school zones. The idea is to have cities like Millwood install signs that remind motorists to turn off their cars and trucks instead of emitting exhaust that harms air quality and aggravates health problems like asthma.
At the Millwood City Council meeting on Monday, Brattebo provided city leaders with an overview of the program and even brought along an example of a “no-idle zone” sign that could be placed along any number of Millwood streets.
“This is about creating awareness,” Brattebo said. “If a car is going to idle for more than 30 seconds, you should turn the vehicle off.”
Brattebo described how more fuel is expended when a vehicle is idling than when in motion, a fact that should not be lost on motorists feeling the effects of escalating gas prices.
The primary goal of the program, however, focuses on improving air quality, an objective emphasized by the SRCAA since it formed nearly 40 years ago. The organization works to enforce federal, state and local air quality laws through education and monitoring. From notices about indoor and outdoor burning to underlining the positive impact of cleaner, more efficient heating devices, the agency continues to coordinate programs that benefit the environment and clear the air for residents of Spokane County.
Asthma continues to be one of the leading causes of school absences, Brattebo said. A number of districts in Spokane County are discussing implementation of the signs which are already in place at around 20 sites throughout the county, including several schools in the West Valley School District.
“This is a health issue,” Brattebo said.
Brattebo has also been working with the Spokane Transit Authority to install the signs at transfer stations. The no-idle reminders would not apply to areas in the vicinity of stop signs and traffic lights. Brattebo emphasized that while signs may be in place in specific areas, the no-idling message should “be a guide wherever you are.”
On Tuesday, the Liberty Lake City Council approved a resolution making the city a no-idle zone community. Municipal leaders will consult with Brattebo and the SRCAA, as well as the Liberty Lake Police Department to determine the most ideal areas to install signs.
Millwood council members agreed that a resolution in support of the idea could be drawn up for discussion and a vote at the next meeting on June 2.
In other council news:
- A meeting will be scheduled over the next month with representatives from Welch/Comer Engineers, the company hired to work on the design phase of a $1.3 million project to improve Argonne Road. Council is hoping to add certain elements of a corridor study, completed earlier this year, to the construction plans. The study called attention to a variety of potential upgrades including new traffic signals, illuminated crosswalks, pedestrian and bike paths, sidewalk improvements and radar speed limit signs.
- Council received news that the Millwood Farmers Market will open Wednesday, May 21. The venue, featuring fruits and vegetables from local farmers, artwork and music, will operate each Wednesday from 3 to 7 p.m. through Oct. 1. The market is located at the corner of Euclid and Marguerite, two blocks west of Argonne.
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By
Craig Howard
