Dear Editor,
I refer to the article in the Western Wheel weeks ago reporting that the Town of Okotoks is planning to become an Idle-free zone.
Certainly a commendable action.
Not only will it allow us to breathe easier, knowing we are singlehandedly saving the planet, but it will also allow me an extra hour of sleep because my neighbour will not be able to “warm up” his diesel truck from 5 to 6 a.m. every weekday morning!
However, I feel this might be a little like forcing people to recycle their candy wrappers, while allowing massive sheets of construction plastic to blow all over town.
You see, in my opinion, the biggest cause of idling vehicles and unnecessary burning of fossil fuel is the ridiculous amount of poorly synchronized traffic lights in Okotoks!
If it takes fifteen minutes to get from one end of town into the other, at least 5 of those will be spent idling at traffic lights.
Multiply that by the thousands of vehicles travelling through town on a daily basis, and you will beat the idling of a mother waiting to pick up her kids hands down!
It is possible to stop at four or five consecutive lights.
Now, I’m no engineer, but I have traveled enough all over the world to know it is possible to create a “green wave”, at least for the majority of your journey.
I understand the rationale behind slowing traffic in order to stimulate shopping at local businesses, because there are, after all, a number of things to do in Okotoks.
However, don’t ban idling on one hand, while deliberately causing it on the other.
Christo Rabie,
Okotoks
