The MTA announced last night that the onslaught of hot weather expected New York City and stick around for two or three days could impact travel. With temperatures climbing into the upper 90s after a cool few weeks, the authority may have to reduce power consumption, with the reduction in usage impacting subway and train signals, overhead power lines and escalator and elevator service.
“While we are obligated to reduce power consumption, we will make every effort to provide safe and reliable service throughout our entire network,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Joseph J. Lhota. “While extreme temperatures can affect our equipment and infrastructure, we will do everything possible to avoid service disruptions.”
The MTA says its goal is to “run trains on schedule and at regular intervals,” thus minimizing customers’ wait times on un-air conditioned and stiflingly hot underground platforms. Still, if the New York Power Authority implements its Peak Load Management plan to reduce demand, subways may run slower as the MTA powers down some substations. Additionally, I’ve noticed in the past that some of the authority’s newer computerized upgrades — such as the popular countdown clocks — may not be operating during periods of extreme hot.
It’s a scorcher out there. Stay cool, stay hydrated, and if you’re feeling ill, please do not board a subway train. As the heat drags on, I’ll be back in a bit with some musings on bus fare scofflaws.
5 comments
That settles it. I was going to take the subway tomorrow after bicycling today. I’ll bicycle tomorrow too.
New York gets a heat wave where the temperature approaches 100 basically every year, and the most accepted climate models point to heat waves increasing in frequency and intensity in New York in the near future. I wouldn’t characterize this as “extreme” as much as “routine.” This is the new normal. So why would the MTA install electronic systems and mechanical parts that can’t handle summer temperatures in New York?
Just as there are successful transit systems in cities that laugh at what we consider a major winter snow storm, there are trains running just fine in places where it’s 100 degrees half the year. If I were writing the RFP for the countdown clocks I would have required that their cooling systems run in 120º temperatures. Why does the MTA miss this stuff?
“why would the MTA install electronic systems and mechanical parts that can’t handle summer temperatures in New York?”
It’s not that the MTA’s clocks can’t handle the heat. Rather, the New York Power Authority asks all users, including government agencies, to reduce their energy use on peak load days in order to maintain the integrity of the grid.
Thus, I’d say your ire should be directed at our early 20th century energy grid– one that isn’t well-suited for locally-grown, renewable power/wasn’t built with the effects of climate change in mind.
Unfortunately, this problem is not limited to NY, but affects grids across the country, which, collectively, require ~$500B in upgrades.
“Thus, I’d say your ire should be directed at our early 20th century energy grid– one that isn’t well-suited for locally-grown, renewable power.”
Actually, my experience is that it can handle locally-grown renewable power quite well. The problem is that their isn’t enough of it, and briging power in from elsewhere is taxing not only generating capacity but also major distribution cables and substations.
Part of the issue is that opportunities in NYC do not abound as they do elsewhere. The wind is usually not that strong in the summer, so that doesn’t work well. And there isn’t much free roof space on most buildings so solar is difficult to put in on any scale that’s worth it to do so.
Though, developing technologies at least have the potential to make solar easier.
More practical is addressing demand rather than supply. You’d be surprised how much inefficiency and wasted energy there is in this city.