The New York Power Authority and the Post Authority have completed a nearly $1.2 million upgrade to the lighting system at the Jamaica Station transportation hub.
The energy-saving improvements will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 800 tons a year, the equivalent of taking roughly 150 cars off the road.
The new lighting modernized the station and increases the safety and security of travelers utilizing the hub, which provides connections between the Long Island Rail Road, the New York City subway system, and the AirTrain to JFK Airport. The energy-efficient project was carried out under Governor Andrew Cuomo’s BuildSmart NY program, a comprehensive statewide initiative to increase energy efficiency in public buildings, and directly supports the Green New Deal, the nation-leading clean energy and jobs agenda that will put the state on a path to 70 percent renewable energy by 2030 and 100 percent carbon-free electricity by 2040.
“The Port Authority is committed to implementing energy-saving measures across its facilities, and in New York our partnership with NYPA is already making that a reality at JFK Airport,” Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton said. “Last month our two agencies completed work to support an electric fleet of ground service vehicles by adding 38 electric charging hubs. Today we’re pleased to announce the completion of work to AirTrain JFK’s Jamaica Station including the roughly 1,700 new LED lights. In order to continue supporting the record numbers of travelers throughout the region, we must make the important investments to upgrade our infrastructure to 21st-century energy standards.”
The energy-saving project called for the replacement of inefficient metal halide and fluorescent fixtures with LED technology, reducing energy-use, lowering maintenance costs and improving light quality at the transportation hub. The nine-story facility operates 24/7 to accommodate the needs of those traveling to and from the station.
“Jamaica Station is a major New York City transportation hub and this lighting project significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs for the Port Authority,” NYPA President and CEO Gil C. Quiniones said. “NYPA, through administering the Governor’s BuildSmart NY initiative, has undertaken hundreds of projects like this one at state and local government facilities, making a big impact in lowering New York’s energy use.”
In addition to the recently completed project at Jamaica Station, NYPA and the Port Authority have partnered to complete $19 million in energy efficiency measures and JFK and LaGuardia airports and at the World Trade Center under BuildSmart NY.
