{"id":11077,"date":"2016-11-04T15:57:03","date_gmt":"2016-11-04T19:57:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/sinking-the-subway-the-mbta-confronts-climate-change\/"},"modified":"2016-11-04T16:07:04","modified_gmt":"2016-11-04T20:07:04","slug":"sinking-the-subway-the-mbta-confronts-climate-change","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-rctom\/submission\/sinking-the-subway-the-mbta-confronts-climate-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Sinking the Subway: The MBTA Confronts Climate Change"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Record Year<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The winter of 2015 was a downright rotten one for Boston. Aside from being the snowiest on record with over 108 inches on the ground (buckle up RCs!) [1], Boston\u2019s MBTA, the oldest subway system in the United States, had come to a screeching halt [2]. By early February, after several weeks of steady snowfall and several thousand stranded commuters, the mayor of Boston, facing yet another blizzard, requested the pre-emptive shut-down of the MBTA until the storm passed [3]. A city used to the cold had finally thrown in the towel against Mother Nature. But 2015 was just a taste of what\u2019s in store for cities like Boston that rely on dense and aging public transportation systems. Today, our teeming\u00a0coastal cities and their public transit systems are staring down a slow-moving climate change crisis which threatens their ability to operate into the future.<\/p>\n

\"Bostonians<\/a>
Bostonians are tough…but is the T?
Source: Boston Globe<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Boston is a prime target. Already low-lying, sea levels in Boston are expected to rise up to 18 inches<\/strong> by 2050 [4], increasing coastal storm surges<\/strong>. Further, extreme precipitation events<\/strong>, such as the storms of 2015, are expected to increase [5], along with lengthy heat-waves<\/strong> and other equally nasty, infrastructure-crippling weather events [6]. Taken all together, Boston\u2019s public transportation infrastructure, much of it closing in on 100 years old, is not equipped to confront unpredictable and dangerous storms, flooding, and heatwaves. Already underfunded, the storms of 2015 magnified the obvious aches and pains across the system.<\/p>\n

With rising seas and increasing storm surges, the MBTA\u2019s aging system of bus, trolley, light and heavy rail, commuter rail, and ferry services all risk catastrophic damage that could end up costing lives, not to mention the hours of delays and hassle commuters will face as they make their way to work. In 2012, the MBTA moved over 400 million commuters a combined total of 1.8 billion miles [7]. The system is a vital piece of Boston’s productivity, as thousands of students and professionals commute across a dense urban landscape every day. Indeed, having a well-established public transit system is likely a great part of Boston’s appeal, and\u00a0the T’s growth in ridership has outstripped even the growth in population in the city [8].<\/p>\n

What\u2019s been done? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Despite the threats, the MBTA has primarily focused on reducing its current environmental impact. In 2012, the MBTA signed\u00a0the American Public Transportation Association Sustainability Pledge [9]. This voluntary pledge asked the MBTA to move towards sustainability, primarily focusing on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting the eco-friendly nature of public transit. By and large, the MBTA has been successful at minimizing its energy consumption, specifically:<\/p>\n