A recently-passed ordinance in the City of Madison limits the length of time that drivers can keep a vehicle’s engine running while it is parked on public and private property, with exceptions. The limit is set at five minutes. The “driving factors” for this ordinance, as stated in the article, are the environmental and health impacts from car exhaust. While I understand the desire of local elected officials to create a healthier environment by reducing emissions, I believe that the passage of such ordinance will not bring about any significant benefit and would create unnecessary enforcement burdens on public officials.