NYC Metro to Offer Green Options for Riders

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The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is considering a green MetroCard program where riders can donate towards environmentally sustainable operations. The idea is one of many made in a million dollar proposal on how the MTA could lessen the environmental impact of its operations.

This is not the first time the MTA has taken such measures under consideration. They have confirmed that 7-percent of their power be from renewables by 2015, and they are also greening their facilities.

Ernest J. Tollerson, the authority’s policy director, said that while still in the works, but that under the program riders buying tickets at station vending machines could be given a green option – pun intended.

“We’re working on a model,” Mr. Tollerson said, “that says that you might add an increment to the price of a MetroCard, a Long Island Rail Road ticket, to a Metro-North ticket and also to the crossings for bridges and tunnels, on a voluntary basis, and say that you might want to contribute a particular sum a month and that money would go into a program only to fund sustainability projects.”

“I think people may be willing to contribute something like the cost of maybe going to the movies one night to helping green the M.T.A.,” he said. Um, yah…especially if they keep making rubbish like that new Indiana Jones film.

Though, this greener choice comes on the heels of a fare increase. Rates are expected to go up by 23-percent.

The proposal also included that new construction should comply with LEED Silver guidelines. Other choices are to make the subway cars lighter so they require less operational power.

How about just making them run on time?

Photo: © Natalia Bratslavsky | Dreamstime.com