The American Bus Association and the United Motorcoach Association filed a joint petition with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on May 27, 2026, requesting a federal preemption determination regarding New York City’s motorcoach idling enforcement program. The petition argues that the City’s current framework conflicts with federally required safety and operational standards governing interstate motorcoach transportation. The filing specifically raises concerns that New York City’s three-minute idling limit does not provide adequate time for federally required pre-trip inspections and other startup procedures necessary to safely place a motorcoach into service.
The petition also notes that modern motorcoaches require additional startup and operational time beyond the City’s current limit in order to properly activate safety systems, air brake systems, wheelchair lifts, emissions systems, and passenger climate controls. ABA and UMA argue that manufacturers’ operating manuals and standard industry safety procedures routinely require more than 3 minutes to ensure a safe and adequate startup before passenger boarding and departure. The filing further highlights that publicly operated transit fleets are treated differently under the City’s enforcement structure, whereas private interstate motorcoach operators remain subject to aggressive enforcement and citizen-complaint provisions.
“Motorcoach operators are subject to extensive federal safety obligations before a bus ever leaves the curb,” said Fred Ferguson, President and CEO of the American Bus Association. “New York City’s current idling framework creates an impossible conflict between local enforcement and federally required safety procedures. Our industry supports reasonable environmental policy, but safety and operational realities must come first.”
“Our members make sure that safe operations are the top priority as they transport tourists, convention attendees, students, commuters, military members, and other passengers,” said Scott Michael, President & CEO of the United Motorcoach Association. “While protecting the environment is also important, we must ensure that federal safety measures can take precedence.”