Sustainable Mass Transit
Thomas Abdallah, P.E., LEED AP
Vice President Environmental Services & Chief Environmental Engineer at MTA Construction and Development New York City
Mass transit offers cities less pollution and greenhouse gas compared to individual car transportation, which prevails in cities or regions which do not
have reliable, comfortable, or rapid mass transportation. The dominant use of
the automobile in most cities, and the burning of fossil fuels has brought dirtier
air, causing regional air pollution. Fossil fuel burning with the emittance
of greenhouse gases contributes to global warming and extreme climate
change.
If one of the foundation principles of sustainability is to not compromise
the needs of future generations with the needs of the present, it is clear that
the current continued use of fossil fuels for energy has a consequence that
causes harm to the environment and contributes to global warming, impacting
the future. This is something that needs to be reversed now, or our next
generations will have to bear the burden, in order to sustain themselves and
generations to come. Optimistically it is not too late to make this change,
and convert to a more sustainable presence.
Mass Transit is a solution to this challenge!
Mass transit makes cities more sustainable each time a network adds
service, and each time the service becomes more energy efficient. Train and
bus commuting brings pollution levels down as well as carbon footprint, and
sustainability initiatives help reduce or mitigate pollution and greenhouse gas
emittance. Transit infrastructure, facilities, and vehicles can be made more
sustainable. People can help cities become more sustainable by the choices
they make.
Thomas Abdallah, P.E. LEED AP ENV SP
Vice President & Chief Environmental Engineer MTA C&D
Columbia University Professor SPS Sustainability Managment
CUNY Charles B Rangel Transportation Lead
VirginiaMangrumFA.com
2 个月It does. Are you brave enough to travel from the crime-ridden areas where people are getting pushed onto the tracks, being shot or stabbed? They could save a million dollars a day on buses if they simply enforced the required cost for riders to pay for the ride. No, they need to charge the honest people with a little more going on for their inability to regulate their system. Sorry.
Refrigeration Engineer at Columbia University-Sustainability Management MS-30yr Facility Professional
9 个月https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/09/arts/nyc-hochul-congestion-pricing.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&sgrp=c-cb
Founder & CEO, AEG - Advanced Energy Group + Puerto Rico Energy Week | Chair of IEEE Grid Edge Innovation Challenge | Stakeholder Mobilization for Leaders as Champion Teams focused on Energy ? Health ? Equity
9 个月As you say, Tom, “People can help cities become more sustainable by the choices they make.” Decisions matter
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9 个月Tom This is not the time to sit back and do nothing about this nonsense!I am glad folks like you and can galvanize Support to fight this and put some sense I don’t understand why Governor is doing this.
The Sustainability Career Coach?
9 个月Thomas Abdallah, P.E., LEED AP Her last minute turnabout on Congestion Pricing is both irresponsible and disappointing. Having lived right next to the 59th St Bridge for a decade during which bicycle lanes crossing in front of the lower level exit and on ramps, this shows a lack of vision and leadership on the part of the Governor. Thank you for calling them as you see them!