School Bus Idle Reduction Pilot Program

As part of the Children’s Environmental Health Project, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) administers the School Bus Idling Pilot Program (Program) to reduce bus idling near schools. ADEQ has worked with school districts to develop a draft bus idling policy, which many of the school districts involved in the pilot program have implemented. The Program’s best practices include: having drivers turn off buses upon reaching a school or other location and not turn on the engine until the vehicle is ready to depart; parking buses at least 100 feet from a school air intake system; and posting appropriate signage advising drivers to limit idling near the school. For more information, refer to the ADEQ School Bus Idling Pilot Program website.