A new study by the Metropolitan Transit Authority shows that MTA’s operations allow New Yorkers to avoid 20 million tons of carbon emissions per year.
At the same time, MTA said it was committed to reducing emissions resulting from its operations by at least 85 percent by 2040.
The new study found that by providing New Yorkers with an alternative to cars, the MTA reduces congestion, allows for high-density neighborhoods, and avoids the emission of greenhouse gases. The amount of carbon not released into the atmosphere, the study said, is equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by a forest larger than the state of Indiana or of keeping 4.5 million cars off the road.
“There is no denying the urgent need to address the climate crisis, and the MTA is a double solution, first by providing New Yorkers with environmentally sustainable form of transportation, and second by finding innovative ways to reduce our own emissions,” MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber said. “Now more than ever, New Yorkers can feel confident that by riding the MTA, they are doing their own part to reduce climate impacts.”
The agency said it will achieve emission reductions by updating its facilities with energy efficient tech and low- or no-emissions systems; transitioning its fleet to zero-emission alternatives to fuel-powered vehicles; and increasing energy efficiency through energy management technologies, regenerative energy, and power storage, and deploying on-site renewable energy installations.
“This ambitious commitment will make the greenest way to get around even greener,” MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer said. “Through this framework, we will further leverage our capital investments to prioritize emissions reductions and energy efficiencies, making it even clearer that investment in the MTA is investment in combatting climate change.”