Illustrations: Andrea Chronopoulos
How to Win the War on Car Idling
Air-pollution laws, enforcement sprees and educational campaigns haven’t worked. What will it take to make drivers shut off their engines when they’re parked?
At the end of February 2020, just days before New York City reported its first coronavirus case, a crowd gathered in front of City Hall for a press conference that stirred to the sounds of “White Wedding” by Billy Idol.
Idol himself stood alongside Mayor Bill de Blasio, who proclaimed that “White Wedding” would be the walk-on music for all future City Hall policy announcements. The then-64-year-old rocker was there to help launch a new public awareness campaign, “Billy Never Idles,” aimed at reminding New Yorkers to turn off their engines when not in use. “Shut it off!” Idol bellowed, in his signature style.