Taking the Car out of Carbon:

Sustainability and the New York MTA

APTA Bus Conference, Memphis, May 24, 2011

Projjal K. Dutta, AIA, LEED AP

pdutta@mtahq.org (212) 878 1065

Director, Sustainability Initiatives

www.mta.info/sustainability

Relative GHG Emissions

High-Rise Low-Rise

Number of buildings 1 10

Average floor size 30,612 sf 36,000 sf

Area of roof 88,000 sf 375,000 sf

Area of ext wall 343,000 sf 385,000 sf

Area of parking 0 sf 1,837,500 sf

Energy Consumption: Low-Rise Office Park vs. Tall Urban Building

Energy Consumption: Low-Rise Office Park vs. Tall Urban Building

BTU

s (1

,000,0

00)

Commute:41,000 BTU/sqft-yr

Commute:210,000 BTU/sqft-yr

Low-rise SuburbanHigh-rise Urban

• 30 mi. round trip

• Diesel Bus, 4 mpg, 20 passengers

• 300 sq.ft. per person, 252 days per

year

• 30 mi. round trip

• Private Car, 15 mpg, 1 passenger

• 300 sq.ft. per person, 252 days per

year

Energy Consumption: Low-Rise Office Park vs. Tall Urban Building

8,637

3,341

Transportation

Building Operations

Materials

Low Density

Auto - Oriented

High Density

Transit - Oriented

GHG Per Person: Kg CO2E (Carbon dioxide equivalent) pa.

Source: Journal of Urban Planning and

Development, Norman, March 2006

Transit GHG Emissions Typology

APTA Climate Change Standards Working Group

Total: 2.3 million metric tons

Revenue Fleet Fuel -Traction

Electricity-Traction

Non-Revenue Fleet -Traction

Heating - Non-traction

Electricity - Non-traction

MTA GHG Emissions, 2009

Transit Effect Multiplier = 8.24

For every unit of GHG that the MTA emits

It helps avoid 8.24 units

In the net it helps avoid about 17million metric tonnes

@ $30 / ton ~ 500 million

Currently un-recognized and un-compensated

9

The Choice

Source: Planning Office: City of Muenster,

Germany

Buses25%

Private Vehicles

75%

Road Space Used

Buses45% Private

Vehicles55%

Buses 45%

Private Vehicles

55%

People Traveling

First and Second Avenues: People Traveling vs. Road

Space Used

SBS Project Need (34th St)

Pedestrian58%

Bus32%

Auto/Taxi10%

People Traveling

Pedestrian37%

Bus26%

Auto/Taxi37%

Right-of-Way Used

11

M15 SBS Performance

40:06:00 35:36:00

18:54

12:04

18:07

17:59

3:37

2:56

0:00:00

12:00:00

24:00:00

36:00:00

48:00:00

60:00:00

72:00:00

84:00:00

96:00:00

M15 LTD M15 SBS

Bus In Motion Stopped at Bus Stops Stopped at Red Lights Other Delays

68:35

12

80:44

Bicycle Volumes (weekdays)

Second Avenue

Between St. Marks Pl and E.9th St.

Cyclist Volumes – 12 Hour: 7am-7pm, Weekdays

1,226 1,247

1,067 1,0491,129

1,023

1,903

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

June 2010 November 2010

December 2010

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010 April 2010

After

+2%

-13% -14%-8%

-17%

+55%

Before

13

Notes: Data from a single weekday count (06/24/10; 11/03/10; 12/09/10, 01/06/11, 02/15/10, 03/08/11, 04/21/11)

Traffic DataSecond Avenue Taxi Speeds

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

MP

H

November 2009 November 2010

14

M15 SBS Features

15

Taking the Car out of Carbon:

Sustainability and the New York MTA

APTA Bus Conference, Memphis, May 24, 2011

Projjal K. Dutta, AIA, LEED AP

pdutta@mtahq.org (212) 878 1065

Director, Sustainability Initiatives

www.mta.info/sustainability