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Here in New York, I've been hearing some talk. People are muttering things here and there about how the subways don't really make a difference with energy because of how much energy is required just to run them and maintain them. I didn't buy it (nor did I want to), so I decided to do some research.
Luckily, The United States Department of Energy had some answers for me. Turns out the energy expenditure for the NYC subway is 3492 BTU per passenger mile. Meanwhile, it's around 3702 BTU per passenger mile for automobile travel.
The difference?
While one passenger is surely doing the environment less damage by riding the subway than riding in a car, we also have to keep in mind that mass transit, such as the NYC subway, caters to millions of people a day. A car caters to a small group at best.
The answer?
No matter how much construction is done on subways and no matter how much energy they take up, it still takes up more energy to run individual cars--especially in a city like NYC where traffic often comes to a stand still and gas is just wasted.
Use public transportation whenever you can!
This post was inspired by Hollywood Green.
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