President's Letter to Employees
Green and Getting Greener: Ideas for a More Sustainable MTA
Dear MTA LIRR Employee:
MTA Sustainability Initiatives
The MTA is going for a new generation of green achievements, and you can help in a major way by sharing your ideas with the Blue Ribbon Commission on Sustainability. The Commission, chaired by Jonathan F. P. Rose, and comprised of 21 members from both the public and private sectors, has a wealth of experience in green planning and development.
The Commission engaged in identifying a new wave of ideas to make agency operations and facilities as environmentally friendly as possible in the first half of the 21st Century. The Commission is eager to collect and study your ideas, and wants recommendations to build on the MTA's existing record of green achievements, like the Long Island Rail Road's use of water recycling at all of its train wash facilities and our use of composite third rail, instead of steel, for traction power. Using composite third rail represents a 45% reduction in electrical resistance that translates into reduced energy consumption for traction power. Close to 60% of all our current third rail is made of composite material, a percentage that is growing each year with our Third Rail Replacement Program. Another change you may have noticed is as our highway vehicle fleet is replaced, more hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles are being utilized.
Using the form on page 2 [or at mta.info/green-ideas], please give us your best ideas on how to conserve water and energy, reduce waste and the use of materials, make facilities greener, and encourage people to live near transit and use transit more often. Your ideas could become part of a new master plan for a more sustainable MTA.
No one knows more about the MTA's network of mobility services than you. You are the team who keeps it running and will be one of the premier sources of good ideas. Those ideas can be large or small, complicated or simple.
We really appreciate your help -- and look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Helena E. Williams
President