Idling is harmful to our air quality, health, cars and wallets!
Did you know...

• The Board of Selectmen has endorsed a No Idling policy for Kingston: http://www.kingstonmass.org/filestorage/37/No_Idling_Policy.pdf.
• Thirty seconds of idling can use more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it. That means next time youre waiting for your Dunkin Donuts order, think about shutting off your engine for that thirty seconds!
• An hour of automobile idling burns approximately 1/5 a gallon of gas and releases nearly 4 lbs. of carbon dioxide into the air. Excessive carbon dioxide can increase global warming.
• Many people believe that they are protected from air pollution if they remain inside their vehicles. Not so according to a report by the International Center for Technology Assessment (CTA). CTA found that exposure to most auto pollutants, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon monoxide (CO), is much higher inside vehicles than at the road side. VOCs and CO are linked to serious health problems--like respiratory infections and cancer--are known to shorten life. The highest exposure occurs when sitting in traffic congestion on highways or in a line-up of idling vehicles at a school or drive-through.
• Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution because they breathe faster than adults and inhale more air per pound of body weight.
• An idling car does not perform at full capacity, which can lead to expensive repairs. Some problems include: oil contamination due to residue build-up on the cylinders; corrosion caused by excessive condensation collected in the exhaust system; decreased peak engine operating temperature due to spark plug residue.
• These days, cars don't need to be warmed up-- the best way to warm up a car on a cold day is to just drive off!

See these sites for more info:

• http://www.hcdoes.org/airquality/Anti-Idling/idle.htm
• http://www.cartalk.com/content/eco/tips.html

In other news, the Town of Kingston is working to slow down traffic speeding by on Landing Roadunder the Railroad Bridge and around the curve in front of the Landing, which we heartily endorse. A car-count study from a few weeks ago showed that 4000 cars go by the Landing each day. The police have put up a speed indicator and are to begin enforcing it. So pleasehelp us be safe and save yourself a ticketkeep to the speed limit on Landing Road, and spread the word. We appreciate it!

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