Item - 2025.IE19.2

The Infrastructure and Environment Committee recommends that:  

1. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment, Climate and Forestry, and the General Manager, Fleet Services, to report fleet idling performance through the Annual TransformTO Net Zero Progress and Accountability Report.

2. City Council direct the General Manager, Fleet Services to provide idling data to client divisions as part of an overall effort to reduce idling through awareness, education and technology.

3. City Council direct the Executive Director, Environment, Climate, and Forestry, and the General Manager, Transportation Services, in consultation with Toronto Public Health, to report back to Infrastructure and Environment Committee in the fourth quarter of 2025 with recommendations on how to enhance enforcement and compliance by diesel trucks with Toronto’s anti-idling bylaw.

This report responds to direction from City Council to report back on:

-  How Toronto's Idling Control By-law is currently being enforced;

-  The timing and nature of public education since 2015;

-  Steps taken to discourage idling within the City's fleet; and

-  Options to increase public education.

The Idling Control By-law limits idling to no more than one minute in a sixty-minute period, except in specific circumstances where vehicles are required to idle for operational purposes (e.g., Fire, Police and Paramedic), which reduces unnecessary greenhouse gas emissions and improves air quality in Toronto.

Enforcement of the anti-idling by-law is conducted on a complaint basis.

Public enforcement is complemented by City fleet actions, including:

-  A requirement of City employees who operate a City-owned, -leased or -rented vehicle or equipment to comply with the City’s anti-idling policy;

-  Leveraging fleet technologies, training, and awareness for vehicles where some idling is necessary;

-  Enhancing regular anti-idling communications to all divisions, agencies, and corporations; and

-  Procuring zero- and low-emissions vehicles to replace existing internal combustion engine vehicles where feasible and operationally viable, including those with idle-reducing technologies.

Public education is currently conducted through the installation of over 2,120 anti-idling signs across the city, with approximately 25 additional signs being installed per year in high-complaint areas or in response to Councillor requests. A City website also contains more information for residents.

Public education efforts on climate change generally are increasing over time as part of the City's overarching TransformTO Strategy, of which anti-idling represents just one action citizens can take to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

Idling emissions are expected to shrink over time due to an increase in the purchase of electric and other zero-emission vehicles and a fleet-wide standardization of "start-stop" technology in vehicles with internal combustion engines (which turns a vehicle's engine off while stopped at traffic lights and stop signs).