NYC, MTA eye study to keep subway platforms cool during summers

New York City officials are teaming up with the MTA to try to cool down hot subway platforms.

A potential new project would create a "thermal energy network" to keep the platforms cool in the summer and heat up nearby municipal buildings in the winter.

The idea is to take the heat that makes subway riders miserable during the summer, capture it, store it and use it to help nearby buildings when it gets cold.

To do this, the city and MTA are launching an $800,000 feasibility study at the Brooklyn Bridge City Hall 4, 5 and 6 station and the connected Chambers Street J and Z station. 

The proposal would use radiant cooling technology to absorb heat from the platforms. The heat would travel through pipes to a geothermal borehole beneath the abandoned center platform at Chambers Street, where it would essentially be stored until it's needed during the winter. 

"There are few feelings worse than escaping the extreme summer heat only to find yourself on a subway platform that is even hotter. Unfortunately, for millions of commuters, that is the reality of our transit system — with some stations soaring up to 20 degrees hotter than the outside temperatures," said Mayor Zohran Mamdani.  

The MTA says the technology could make stations more comfortable while potentially lowering energy costs.

Officials are starting at this station because it is one of the hottest in the system. The Brooklyn Bridge City Hall station averaged 96 degrees during summer 2025, according to the city. 

"Working with Mayor Mamdani and the MTA, we are harnessing cutting-edge climate technology for a truly cool purpose: making our subway stations tolerable during the summer and heating critical city buildings during the winter," said Gov. Kathy Hochul. 

A contract is expected in the fall to launch the study. If the idea proves to be practical, design work could begin in early 2027.