Res. No. 122

Resolution calling on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation requiring the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to publish air pollution data for each subway station and mitigate the highest concentrations of air pollutants

By Council Members Hudson, Restler, Hanif, Avilés and Cabán

Whereas, In New York City (NYC or the City), the subway system is managed, maintained and run by NYC Transit, a subsidiary of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) which is a State-run entity; and

Whereas, Millions of New Yorkers rely on the City’s subway system for their public transportation needs; and

Whereas, There are 472 subway stations and 665 miles of track across the City, with many of those stations and tracks located underground and in tunnels; and

Whereas, One of the benefits of using public transportation, like the City’s subway system, is that it removes hundreds of thousands of cars from our streets, contributing to a cleaner environment; and

Whereas, According to the MTA, traveling by bus or train instead of a vehicle means that there are 400 million fewer pounds of soot, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, and other toxic substances released each year into the city's air; and

Whereas, While taking mass transit is beneficial for the environment, the MTA should also ensure that the air quality within the subway itself is safe for its riders; and

Whereas, Researchers from New York University Langone’s Department of Environmental Medicine conducted a study (NYU Langone Study) published in February 2021, which found that the City’s subways were one of the most polluted transit systems in the Northeast; and

Whereas, The NYU Langone Study found that the concentrations of hazardous metals and organic particles in the subway system were anywhere from two to seven times higher than outdoor air samples in the City; and

Whereas, According to the NYU Langone Study, the air pollutants found in the City’s subway system were likely present due to “the continual grinding of the train wheels against the rails, the electricity collecting shoes, and diesel soot emissions from maintenance locomotives”; and

Whereas, The United States Environmental Protection Agency reports that exposure to particles like those found in the City’s subway system can affect both the lungs and the heart and have been linked to asthma, heart disease, and increased respiratory problems; and

Whereas, Data from the Pew Research Center shows that Americans who are lower-income, black or Hispanic, and immigrants are more likely to use public transportation on a regular basis; and

Whereas, In addition to concerns for the health of subway riders, there are concerns about the impact that prolonged exposure to the air pollutants found in the subway might have on MTA employees who spend a significant amount of time in the underground stations; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York, calls on the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, legislation requiring the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to regularly publish air pollution data for each subway station and mitigate the highest concentrations of air pollutants.

Session 13

LS #6,761

01/18/2024

Session 12

RA

LS #6,761

1/9/2023