REDUCING VEHICLE IDLING IN VERMONT: A COMMUNITY BASED

REDUCING VEHICLE IDLING IN VERMONT: A COMMUNITY BASED
STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION & INTERVENTION PLAN
Richard Watts, Assistant Research Professor, CDAE & TRC
Robert Fish, Graduate Research Assistant, Transportation Research Center
ABSTRACT
PAPER #
Decreasing idling has important human health, environmental and
economic benefits. Regulatory approaches designed to reduce idling
have not changed individual behavior. Paper describes alternative
approach to automobile idling reduction using community-based social
marketing to achieve community-wide sustainability goal.
Methodology
Review of successful efforts in northern communities, existing efforts in
Vermont, the experience of other Vermont organizations in promoting
energy efficiency and discussions with community leaders and Vermont
citizens.
Why Reduce Idling?
• Vermont’s transportation sector is the largest contributor of CO2
emissions accounting for 46 percent of all CO2 emissions in 2008.
• Drivers idle vehicles between 15 and 20 percent of total driving time.
Eliminating this idling could save 0.13 gallons of fuel per day per
driver in Vermont, or a total of more than $63 million dollars and
840 million pounds of CO2 emissions per year.
• Ground level ozone leads to premature death and contributes to lung
and heart conditions.
• According to Vermont focus group idling is widespread. Participants
idled after starting car, picking up and dropping off passengers, and
to keep their car warm or cool.
BEST PRACTICES
PROPOSED INITIATIVE
Community Social Marketing
Richmond, VT Campaign Plan Employing Best Practices
Community-based Social Marketing campaigns revolve around the idea that
initiatives that promote behavioral changes are often most effective when they
are carried out at the community level and involve direct contact with people
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Community Based Initiatives
Multifaceted voluntary approaches complemented regulatory approaches by
building social norms, generating public support, and reducing barriers to
compliance and enforcement.
Specific Best Practices
• Every community is different. Efforts must be tailored to local concerns and
involve local community leaders at all stages.
• For change to happen, an individual needs to see, hear, or be exposed to an
idea, message, or product at least seven times before they take action.
• Commitments were most likely to be effective when made by known
community individuals and when accompanied with a public display of the
commitment such as a window sticker.
• Positive and empowering messaging is more successful than messaging with an
accusatory tone. Individual efforts have limited impact compared to
community-wide approach.
MODEL EFFORT
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to Dr. Doug McKenzie-Mohr; Natural
Resources Canada; Wayne Michaud, Idle Free
Vermont; Erik Filkorn, Town of Richmond Selectboard;
Jeff Forward, Mount Mansfield Union School District;
Gary Beckwith, Richmond Climate Action Committee;
Alison Hollingsworth, Project Manager Efficiency
Vermont; and the Vermont Agency of Transportation.
Efficiency Vermont built partnerships with local
organizations, government, schools and
businesses to promote greater levels of energy
efficiency. After holding meetings seeking
input and ideas, outreach strategies were
developed and programs implemented.
Multiple media and social marketing methods
were also employed. Goals were met or
exceeded in each community.
UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH CENTER
Power map community
Develop pledge campaign
Stage direct Interventions at idling hot spots
Involve elementary school children
Develop no-idling curriculum
Integrate eco driving message Into driving instruction programs
Implement the Richmond Energy Conservation Plan
Use local media and opinion-shapers to push no-idling message
Use planned traffic disruptions to pursue a no-idling agenda
Adjust traffic control devices
Conduct additional local outreach
Proceed with complementary statewide efforts
CONCLUSION
In order to achieve actual reductions in vehicle idling, a multifaceted
campaign approach that seeks to reach potential idlers through a
variety of mediums, at different points in their lives, and through
several official and unofficial power brokers in the community is
necessary. In essence, an effective plan consists of a series of tactics
that completely saturate a single community with a no-idling message.
These efforts are most successful when they rely on voluntary measures
and comprehensive activities rather than a regulatory enforcement
approach.
BURLINGTON, VERMONT
www.uvm.edu/trc