Comments on: It’s too darn hot

By: Mike HC

Mike HC — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 12:06:56 +0000

If by “adjusting” you mean sweat uncontrollably, then yes, I have “adjusted” too

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:44:45 +0000

Rhywun, the problem isn’t the summers, but how the city’s dealing with them. New York’s summers are colder than those of most places. Hong Kong would be absolutely intolerable without air conditioning. In Tokyo, green advocates have had to convince businesses to turn up the thermostat a bit during the summer and switch to ties-off dress codes.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 06:23:07 +0000

I haven’t been on the subway in Hong Kong, so I wouldn’t know – but I’d expect nothing short of full AC in there.

Honestly, I don’t think it’s just an age thing. The ventilation issue has always been there. It’s just that the solution the IRT came up with was to place ventilation grates strategically so that passing trains would create air turbulence, ventilating the stations. This stopped working once trains were lengthened to increase capacity; the grates were no longer in the correct positions.

Besides that bit of shortsightedness, New York is perfectly capable of installing AC in its stations, as it has at Grand Central. The key issues are that a) capital projects such as air conditioning, accessibility, and platform screen doors cost more in New York than they have to, and b) even if they didn’t, governments at all levels don’t like to spend that money.

By: rhywun

rhywun — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 01:12:08 +0000

I’ve lived here 12 years now and I almost don’t even think about it any more. When I first moved here (from cooler climes), I actually had to bring a change of clothes to work during the summer. Now I don’t. Must be getting used to it?! But yeah, summers in general are my absolute least favorite thing about NYC. I may be more used to it, but I still don’t like it one bit.

By: j o s h

j o s h — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 17:56:26 +0000

having to endure miserably hot subway stations is one of the few things that i mention when people ask me what i don’t like about living in new york city. i hope all the work designing ventilation for the new 2nd avenue subway stations makes a difference. maybe the MTA could refurbish some of the old stations to somehow exhaust some of that hot air. i dream!

By: herenthere

herenthere — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:40:23 +0000

I think you meant linking to Singapore or Hong Kong. But their advantage is that they built their metros nearly 70 years after New York did. Perhaps there should be a A/C stations goal like the ADA-compliant "key stations" goal?

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:09:20 +0000

At 72nd Street, you can wait at the station houses at street level; you can see the tracks from there so you won't miss the train, but the temperature is bearable. And all this because New York doesn't air condition its subway stations like some other cities.

By: rhywun

rhywun — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 23:10:24 +0000

They can run them as cold as they want for all I care. I like to dry off by the time I enter the office.

By: digamma

digamma — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:58:52 +0000

I wonder what the platforms would feel like if they ran the AC at 78, like everyone else.

By: The Car Blog » Blog Archive » It’s too darn hot

The Car Blog » Blog Archive » It’s too darn hot — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:55:10 +0000

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