It’s no secret to New Yorkers that summertime in the subway system can feel scorching. Now, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is looking decades ahead in the wake of climate change to try and bring residents air-conditioned subway stations.  

The MTA is working with multiple organizations to find the most cost-effective solutions to reach a goal of slashing emissions by 85% by 2040.  

“We’re trying to adapt to the reality of the impact that climate change is having,” says MTA CEO and President Janno Lieber. “Making subway stations in the whole system more resilient is one of those things. Being realistic with the level of climate change, we may need to improve the subway environment.” 

The MTA has acknowledged the subway system is vulnerable, particularly during extreme weather events.  

There will be up to three times as many days with temperatures over 90 degrees and four times as many heat waves in the 2030s, according to the New York City Panel on Climate Change.  

The MTA says effective strategies will aim to keep platform temperatures below 85 degrees when temperatures reach 95 degrees or more.