MTA Sustainability Initiatives Include Solar, Green Roofs

New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority is planning a series of sustainability initiatives. The initiatives are part of the interim recommendations released by the Commission on Sustainability, formed last summer to create a plan for reducing the agency’s ecological footprint by Earth Day 2008. The MTA’s commitments include:

– Derive seven percent of its energy needs from solar, wind, and other renewable sources by 2015.
– Six megawatts of solar power will be developed at MTA facilities.
– A substantial portion of the Roosevelt Island Subway Station will be powered by renewable tidal energy generated in the East River by Verdant Power.
– Evaluating the feasibility of providing 14 percent of the power at the MTA Bus Company Far Rockaway Depot from wind turbines.
– Offer incentive packages from various state agencies to encourage development at or near MTA stations.
– Develop green design standards for transit facilities based on the LEED ratings, using the rigor and experience of the U.S. Green Building Council.
– High-performance roofs at many facilities, including green roofs at the Metro-North Railroad’s Harmon Yard Support Shop, the MTA Bus Far Rockaway Depot, and the B&T Queens Midtown Tunnel Service Building Annex; and a white roof at the LIRR Hillside facility.
– Joint procurement programs for green products and services in conjunction with other public entities.
– A Smart Fleets Study Group, comprising rail-car designers from the MTA agencies, to identify opportunities to reduce rail-car weight and introduce other environmentally-friendly features.