NYC Is Exploring Geothermal Technology to Keep the Subway Cool

If you’re getting around in a big city, odds are good that you’ll find yourself taking an underground train during part of your journey. The city in question might be Chicago, London or Seoul; at their best, these systems are marvels of engineering that help keep sprawling populations connected. Different cities’ systems have different advantages, from 24/7 service to stunning architecture.

There’s also the matter of keeping passengers comfortable both on trains and waiting on the platform. One recent rundown of urban subways around the world gave high points to Seoul’s system for, among other things, its use of air conditioning. Having trains cooled when the weather outside is hot is a great feature, but it’s only part of a larger system — and, as anyone who’s waited for the New York City subway on a humid July day can attest, there’s an especially dank quality that comes up when standing on a hot, sweaty platform.

All of that makes a recent Request for Information from the MTA especially beguiling. Turns out the transit agency in question is doing some research into how to make subway stations cooler during the hotter months of the year. The document calls for information on “geothermal cooling technologies for the passenger occupied zone of subway platforms in deep stations.”

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As the MTA’s request points out, the number of electronic systems used to keep subways working properly has grown since the subway first began transporting passengers, and that’s led to more heat being generated. The agency is looking for both general information and specifics for two stations: 168th Street and 181st Street, both serviced by the 1 train.

Writing at 6sqft, Aaron Ginsburg observed that some of the New York City subway’s newest stations, including several on the Second Avenue Subway, do make use of more advanced cooling technology than their older counterparts. As for how 21st-century technology can be applied to some stations that have served passengers for decades, if not longer — presumably this request for information will help determine the feasibility of that initiative.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…