Greening Mass Transit & Metro Regions: The Final Report - MTA

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LEED Certification
The green building movement has generated a revolution in new criteria
for measuring energy consumption, emissions, and other sustainability
factors. The prime mover in this revolution is the 10,000-member U.S.
Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit organization of architects,
builders, and organizations, including the MTA. The USGBC's Leadership
in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is "a national
rating system for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings."
The council currently promulgates eight LEED rating systems for different
types of construction, including standards for upgrading existing buildings.
More on LEED standards can be found at www.usgbc.org.
Green Design and ROI
The Corona Yard Maintenance Facility, which opened in 2007, earned the MTA’s first full
LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
Both government and private sector analysis indicate significant energy and operating savings from green buildings, often enough to cover any extra costs. LEED buildings tend to have
8 percent to 9 percent lower operating costs. The New Building Institute in a March 2008 study showed that the median Energy Usage Intensity (EUI) for 121 LEED-EB certified buildings
was 69 kBTU/sq ft, 24 percent lower than the national average for commercial buildings, according to the Commercial Buildings Energy Consumption Survey (CBECS). The same study
showed EUI for Gold and Platinum certified buildings was 50 percent lower EUI than the national average. In a study of 12 green buildings, the General Services Administration found that
the buildings used 26 percent less energy than average, had 13 percent lower operating costs, emitted 33 percent less CO2, and had 27 percent higher customer satisfaction.
Greening the Second Avenue Subway: Cut-and-Cover Stations
Respond-to-Demand
Escalator/Equipment
Sound Absorbtion
Heat Extraction
Considered Recycled
Plastic Railroad Ties
Center Platform to Reduce Total
Station Volume
Economic Modular
Construction
Regenerative Braking
Technology
Cut-and-cover stations on the new Second Avenue Subway – trenched out from grade – incorporate a number of sustainable design elements.