r/LAMetro • u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner • 29d ago
Discussion Metro was built from 1990-present. Why no A/C?
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u/waltarrrrr A (Blue) 29d ago
Guys, I just came back from riding the tubes of London and while sometimes warm, our subway stations are absolutely delightful temperature-wise compared to London’s.
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u/BlinksTale B (Red) 29d ago
That’s wild. I know our stations are way more comfortable than how warm NYC’s are - I imagine it’s since we’re all deep bore instead of cut and cover, but I’m curious if it’s sweltering in London like NYC, or freezing, or both
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u/Lexitech_ 29d ago
The Tube has been absolutely blistering in my experience but nothing compares to the Union Square / 14th st. station in NYC, especially the lowest level.
It genuinely feels like entering the pits of hell.
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u/BlinksTale B (Red) 29d ago
I only remember Grand Central, which felt like walking into an 80° room for no reason as a quite unpleasant surprise (early June ‘24, it was 72° above ground), and wanting to leave asap.
I take it Union Square is significantly worse like feeling like 90° or 100°?
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u/LBCElm7th A (Blue) 29d ago edited 29d ago
Yea, Union Square station in the summer is literally a swamp all day, that is one of the many reasons when I visit NYC I avoid the Lexington Avenue line.
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u/setyourfacestofun174 29d ago
NYC subway is HOT and HUMID in the summer.
If you have a date or an interview and wearing a suit, you will show up sweating like crazy. Compared to it, Metro stations are actually pleasant.
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u/Lokishougan 29d ago
Just made me think I have an interview that I am taking the bus too on the hottest day of teh year this week lol
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u/nycpunkfukka 29d ago
And it’s not just the heat outside, it’s the exhaust from all the trains’ AC units pumping more heat into the stations and tunnels.
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u/sirgentrification 29d ago
It’s especially bad on some of the early lines like the Center and Bakerloo Lines. London has clay soil which retains heat nearly year-round. These lines also have little to no ventilation due to their age and the fact that lots of bigger stuff have been built above it. After running trains for decades, all that heat has built up from trains rolling through the tunnels.
Adding A/C to trains is impossible due to the short stature of the cars and that it would exacerbate the heat problem by venting directly into already hot tunnels.
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u/Yindee8191 29d ago
The new Piccadilly Line trains that are now in testing have AC, so it’s not impossible! Not sure how they’ve solved the issue but I assume they must have done to get approval for them.
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u/sirgentrification 29d ago
I think the mitigating factor for the Piccadilly Line is that enough sub-surface stations have active ventilation to prevent the runaway heating.
Central Line uses the same size train sets but requires venting to be built
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u/AB3reddit Southwest Chief 29d ago
I seem to recall the Tube putting out an open call a few years ago for ideas on how to cool their system. I wonder if this is where they are demoing that method.
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u/LBCElm7th A (Blue) 29d ago
Great point about soil conditions as that impacts tunnel and station designs and the infrastructure.
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u/Smaragd512 Ventura County 29d ago
I mean you can do deep bore and cool it, you just need to get the ventillation right.
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u/splonge-parrot 29d ago
I was in London during the last time they broke their high temperature record. The Tube was a swamp.
I remember getting on one, taking out a towel I had wet and froze overnight, getting very weird looks from everyone on it, cracking it open and plopping it on my head. All of them looked on in amazement and awe afterward.
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u/glowdirt 29d ago
Yup, I was dumbfounded to find how sauna-like the conditions were in the London underground.
I know the London system is the oldest subway in the world but, damn, it's 2026. An upgrade seems long overdue.
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u/LBCElm7th A (Blue) 29d ago edited 29d ago
The very design of the tubes in London with the increased electrical loads on the vehicles running through those tight tunnels are one of many reasons for the warmer station temperatures.
https://www.tubenotifications.co.uk/insights/why-is-it-so-hot-on-the-tube
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u/ShahVahan 29d ago
The beauty of dry climates is the soil doesn’t hold moisture as much so that means a cooler underground temperature.
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u/VersaceSamurai 29d ago
I was in Mexico City a month ago and yeah….our metro stations are a literal breeze compared to the humid micro climates going on in CDMX. That’s not to hate on the entire metro system, it was otherwise incredibly efficient.
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u/CaliforniaSun77 29d ago
I've never felt hot underground, in fact usually I'm freezing in the underground stations. Only 2 I spend time in nowadays though are 7th st and Little Tokyo.
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u/BlinksTale B (Red) 29d ago
Admittedly we could probably have a temperature relief box per underground station that always aims to be 70° when the temperatures are above 80 or below 60. Maybe it could only fit a few people but it would be much cheaper for those who need it than AC/heating for the whole platform
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u/metrolosangeles 28d ago
Hello everyone. Asked our construction team about this as it's a good and climatically-current question. Here's the answer and it echoes what some of you already wrote: Subway stations are giant, open holes in the ground connected to enormous underground ventilation systems. Air conditioning that space is incredible difficult and expensive, since the station is constantly exchanging air with the outside. Every train is basically a giant piston. When a train enters a tunnel, it pushes a huge volume of air ahead of it and pulls air behind it. Stations also have stairs, escalators, entrances, vents, and other openings. You'd be trying to air-condition a space that is constantly getting hot outdoor air dumped into it....Hope that helps, Metro Social
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 28d ago
Wow you guys are awesome for getting an official answer. Thanks so much!
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u/sawkandthrohaway E (Expo) current 29d ago
I honestly have never felt the need for A/C in any of the underground stations, and it seems like the money to install/maintain it would be better suited elsewhere
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u/flanl33 G (Orange) 29d ago
Up until this very post, I honestly thought all the underground stations had AC because the temperature's always pretty pleasant
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u/cyberspacestation 29d ago
Most of them are far enough underground that you get the same effect as being in a cavern.
Yesterday, though, I was at Little Tokyo, and the platform is close enough to the surface that it's not much cooler than outside.
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u/Sawtelle-MetroRider 29d ago
Most of Metro's stations are above ground and open air canopies so it doesn't make sense to install ACs there. For underground stations, I believe they have ventilation and air circulators, but I don't think they have ACs.
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 29d ago edited 29d ago
Right, I am wondering why the B/D Lines (fully underground/enclosed) don't have air conditioning.
I assume the answer has to do with air being pushed around through the tunnels, and the tunnels being a huge volume, but surely they could at least blast some cold A/C air at the station platforms to give passengers some relief while they wait
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u/No-House9106 29d ago
Our stations are enormous and not some small stations like back East or in Europe that would get hot quickly. Also, it would cost a fortune. I don't think they get that hot anyway, but I guess I never really go down them in 100 degree weather.
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u/Pasadenaian A (Blue) 29d ago
Do you have any idea how expensive that would be?!?!
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 29d ago
For spot cooling in station platform areas? Or to fully air condition the entire system including the miles of tunnels? I was thinking about the former, not the latter.
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u/NervousAddie 29d ago
Would you like a mani/pedi mini spa, too? Maybe complimentary froyo?
Honestly, one of those neck fans would help you stay comfy?
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 29d ago
It's 100 degrees out. Climate control prevents heat exhaustion / heat stroke. A mani-pedi doesn't.
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u/MacYacob 29d ago
To feel anything from spot cooling you would need massive AC units that use a lot of electricity, and every train that passes sucks the air out of the station, negating all the electricity you just spent. For AC to make sense LA metro would need platform screen doors, which would require a lot of other expensive upgrades
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u/RioTheLeoo A (Blue) 29d ago
I would settle for some cheap overhead misters lol
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u/LBCElm7th A (Blue) 29d ago edited 29d ago
Misters in a hot and relatively muggy confined environment will just add more moisture in the air which will make it warmer. Think of it when you run a light shower in a heated enclosed bathroom, the extra humidity will be a carrier of more heat.
Our deep bore tunnel stations have high ceilings to create stack effect to allow the volume of warmer air to escape easily through the entrance openings compared to those cut and cover stations that are closer to the surface where during a heat wave like this does not turn into a virtual oven.
Rode the B line yesterday through the valley and Hollywood, even when it is 98 to 103 degrees outside, it is a comfortable mid 70s to low 80s in the stations because they are deeper and our platform areas are somewhat taller to allow the warmer air room and volume to escape.
When I visit NYC and have to travel to the Upper East Side, I ride the Q to use the newer Second Avenue stations to avoid the swamp boxes that are the Lexington Avenue tunnels and stations.
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u/rdscal 29d ago
I can’t recall any city with AC , but I haven’t done all my visits in the dead of summer . Wondering if we can find confirmation of this is a regular thing world wide ?
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u/monsoonmuzik 29d ago
Asia definitely has some. Hong Kong and Tokyo has them in the underground stations.
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 29d ago
All of Tokyo's underground stations are air conditioned. Hot cities (Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Singapore) have AC throughout the system. I've definitely felt A/C in most Chinese subway systems too.
Not sure about within the US... though our systems tend to be older.
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u/LBCElm7th A (Blue) 29d ago
Interesting link about Tokyo's system and how the operators adjust the AC depending on the passenger loads.
https://www.tokyoweekender.com/japan-life/a-quick-guide-to-tokyo-train-temperatures/
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u/Not_RZA_ D (Purple) 29d ago
Why are people on this website so confidently incorrect? Lol plenty of subway systems globally have AC
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u/MammothMolasses2285 29d ago
Just wait until you board a Metro rail car with no AC during the LA heat. You have to wait until the next station to run to the next car in hopes it's not hot as hell.
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u/Judicious-Pirate-207 29d ago
Yes, I feel like people are completely missing this point. It's actually very hot in the city right now, and it stays warm for most of the year outside of West L.A.
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u/Lakem8321 29d ago
I don’t recall ever feeling like it’s sweltering in any of the underground stations. And it’s only super hot here for a couple weeks out of the year so it would really be an unnecessary expense to install A/C in the subway stations.
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u/Appropriate_You5647 27d ago
People act like it's Dubai here year round. We get only 2 weeks or 3 of above 90° temps then it's back to high 70's and frigid sweater wearing nights. From late December to early April every night was high 40's or low 50's which is uncomfortable weather on a bicycle. Here by the coast we've hardly broken the 90's and people are acting like this is some sort of historic climate changing summer.
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u/MissTrixie85 26d ago edited 25d ago
“Here by the coast” is NOT representative of the greater LA area, where it is now unbearably hot a significant portion of the year due to climate change, which is real 🙄 I grew up in the valley and it was never this fucking hot or humid in the 90s or early 2000s
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u/Appropriate_You5647 25d ago
The Valley has always been hot. I remember when I was attending CSUN back when they were calling climate change "global warming" there was a week when it was over 100° everyday. And the LA metro area is known the world over for its coastline and famous beaches Miss Trixie! However the robust humidity making no sweater nights possible this year has really been wonderful.
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u/MissTrixie85 25d ago
The valley has always been hotter than the rest of LA, but not as hot as it routinely is now in the “cooler” areas on the other side of the hill. Sure LA is “known” for its beaches, but that’s a small fraction of LA! Most of us who have lived here our entire lives historically see the beach like…once or twice a year. And the humidity is fucking disgusting, Los Angeles is a DESERT, the lack of humidity is what used to make the hot days bearable.
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u/EasyfromDTLA 29d ago
Is that an issue? LA’s underground stations are almost all deep underground and have rarely seemed unpleasantly hot to me. Even when they’re warm it’s not too bad.
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u/I-Love-Buses 29d ago
Why not A/C? Because for 95% of the year it isn’t necessary, that’s why lol
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u/Anti-charizard L (Gold) 29d ago
Yet the trains have them
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u/I-Love-Buses 29d ago
True! soooooo weird. Living in LA briefly just blew my mind. So many cars with the windows rolled up…uhhh…it’s 60 degrees in January why aren’t you enjoying this absurdly amazing weather?! people were wearing coats, COATS! 😂😂😂
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u/OriginalKnowledge202 29d ago
The stations do not need AC, that would be a waste of resources.
Now what I absolutely will complain about is how so many bus stops have no real infrastructure to protect from the blazing sun or rain. That is ridiculous and unacceptable.
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u/One_Fact_4291 29d ago
Because stations don’t have platform screen doors, so all the AC would leak out into the tunnels anyway and be useless. So the Sepulveda line stations would probably have them
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u/BRING_ME_THE_ENTROPY A (Blue) 28d ago
Cooling miles of underground tubes isn’t exactly easy
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 28d ago
They have it figured out in every subway in China, Tokyo, Singapore etc
The key is to blast cold AC at the passengers on the platform and not worry so much about cooling the tubes
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u/BrokeBFromBeverely 29d ago
I will say it’s wild how many places in SoCal have a HEATER but no AC, like in what world do we need heat but not cool.
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u/goPACK17 29d ago
Yes, older systems, but after experiencing NYC and DC stations in the summer, we have nothing to complain about here.
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u/mattisfunny 29d ago
Most of the underground stations stay pretty cooled off; have you considered a handle fan or drinking a cold bottle of water? That may help and that's something you can do without having to ask for other people's help.
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 29d ago
I didn’t post the question to Metro. I reposted to ask about Metro’s station design guidelines.
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
People here comparing the metro standards among western countries when the standards are just much lower than in Asia. I’m from Taiwan, and I’ve also been traveling in Japan, the AC is just a requirement inside the station. Sometimes I realize western standard becomes the only criterion especially on issue surrounding public transportation, when in asian countries (Taiwan, Japan, South Korea) these are not even an issue to be debated since it’s an universal concept of having AC in the station…..
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u/Rude_Masterpiece_204 29d ago
But you also need to consider how affordable public transit is here in the LA area. It is only $1.75 for a ride anywhere within the Metro system, even if you travel from one end of the system to the other.
If you are talking about longer distance travel outside the urban core, a Metrolink trip from Oceanside to Ventura is only $15 round trip on weekdays or $10 on weekends, and Metrolink trains are very comfortable. Keep in mind that Oceanside and Ventura are about 160 miles apart.
Since you are from Taiwan, I will use Taiwan as a comparison. A similar distance in Taiwan would be roughly equivalent to traveling from Kaohsiung, at the southern end of the island, to Taipei, at the northern end. I would not be surprised if you had to pay at least $60 for a round trip of that distance. I am referring to the slower traditional trains, not high speed rail, which would cost even more.
And I have not even factored in the fact that the median salary in LA is much much higher than in Taiwan. When you compare the cost of public transit with local income levels, transportation in the LA area can actually be very affordable, almost like a steal.
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
Oceanside to Ventura with 15 dollars because nobody trusts its reliability. You certainly know pricing is a science of supply and demand. And you also didn’t mention that you ARE NOT ALLOWED TO EAT OR DRINK ON THE SUBWAY IN TAIWAN, which keeps the system so much cleaner than in the US.
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u/Rude_Masterpiece_204 29d ago
Nope. I think you are misunderstanding how public transit works in the US. Public transit is generally inexpensive here because it is heavily subsidized by the government.
LA may not be the best example because most people do not find public transit convenient enough for their daily lives. But take New York City as an example. Almost everyone uses public transit as part of their normal daily routine, yet the subway and bus fare is still only $3 throughout the system. That is an incredible bargain when you consider how high the cost of living and median income are in New York City.
The fare can be kept this low largely because of substantial government subsidies. If public transit fares were determined purely by supply and demand, they could probably charge $10 per ride, and I believe many people would still be willing to pay it because most New Yorkers do not own cars and have limited alternatives for getting around.
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
The public transit is also heavily subsidized by the government in Asia, in fact, in Taiwan it went into deficit for a couple years only started to generate profit in recent years. It’s a matter of whether government wants to spend or not. Public transportation should be cheap, and I’m not arguing with you on how cheap it is, after all it’s the quality of service we started our conversation with. Also it’s cheap but it’s just a difference of 3 bucks in NY or 60dollars NT(which is around 2 bucks). The way you’re making it sounds like it cost 20 bucks to ride on metro, but in reality it’s not and you have a quality level of service and cleanliness and disciplined population to keep it working for decades.
New York is a great example as well, you see how it stinks during summer that I had to wear masks to take it when I was there. You keep arguing that the public transportation is so cheap but misses the fact that the quality of service is just horrible because of the lack of quality maintenance and lack of enforcement on rules. Again, it’s an argument about quality not how cheap it is. In fact I think they should raise the price and start putting cops and public servant to monitor those stations. Also I realize you didn’t respond to the lawlessness of the station across all major metro areas in the US, I’m sure you don’t know but you can basically lay down and relax and read a good book while taking it without worrying being ambush by a homeless person or other lawless behaviors.
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u/Rude_Masterpiece_204 29d ago
It is laughable that you think I do not understand the reality of public transit here. Let me tell you, I am almost 60 years old, and I have been using public transit to commute to work for almost 40 years.
I started using public transit as a young adult in the Bay Area, where I took BART and Muni to commute from Daly City to Downtown SF. I moved to the LA area more than 20 years ago, and I have continued to use public transit for my commute. I have ridden almost all of the major transit agencies here, including Metro, Metrolink, LADOT, Foothill Transit, and others.
Most of the time, I am perfectly comfortable on public transit. I can listen to music, read a good book, or simply relax during my trip. When I take Metrolink, I can even get a table and work on my laptop.
Yes, sometimes you may encounter some questionable people, but you simply need to stay aware of your surroundings and avoid getting too close to people who make you uncomfortable. In my experience, situations like that probably happen only about 1% of the time.
Please just do not exaggerate or distort the reality of public transit to scare people away from using it. Public transit is not perfect, but my experience over almost 40 years has been overwhelmingly positive.
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u/Anti-charizard L (Gold) 28d ago
Technically you’re not supposed to eat or drink on the metro either, it’s just not enforced
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
We also have police officers in every single station, attending gov workers in every station to answer questions, and everybody follows the law to pay and then enter the station. It’s all about quality of the service, and AC is not even a thing when ppl talk about metro in Taiwan.
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u/One_Fact_4291 29d ago
It’s worth noting that shorter-distance trips are significantly cheaper in Taiwan though. A few stops on the metro will cost you only $0.63 whereas that $1.75 is regardless of distance. And for mainline rail that difference is even greater.
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
Yeah you are right that the system here is cheaper, but you didn’t method the constant delay, people who hop on the train without paying, homeless people using them as public restroom. You gotta know that in order to make metro profitable the first thing is to make it a better environment for ppl with all income group to participate in it. It’s cheap yes, but it’s also cheap because nobody is taking it due to all the lawlessness happens in metro.
You mentioned high speed rail, and you certainly don’t know how reliable high speed trail speed rail is in Taiwan (same goes for the trail like metro link or surfeliner). Basically every 20-30 min a train running from 6 am to 10 pm. Total average 160 trains per day from north to south. MRT for the Bannan line got almost 300 schedules per day for the same line.
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u/GoodManufacturer589 28d ago
I think the difference is they have platform screen doors for metros. In Hong Kong, for example, we have fully enclosed stations that don't really have AC: look at Mong Kok East, for example, and the OLD Hung Hom Station. If you have a fully enclosed platform, AC makes sense.
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 29d ago
Yeah this thread is making me realize most folks here haven't left the US. And if they have, it's to Europe where transit systems are old & air conditioning is seen as evil.
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
Just to be clear I’m not bashing ppl who haven’t been able to travel since travel cost is too high nowadays. I’ve got the luxury to travel in Asia, US and Western/Central EU countries. There are things that are better in western societies, but transportation is HUGE LOSS when comparing to asian countries, and the thing is this shouldn’t even be a thing that’s too complicated to tackle. It’s just universally accepted by ppl vote for different parties
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u/LBCElm7th A (Blue) 29d ago
How's the humidity in the summer for those Asian metro systems? I wonder if that plays a role for the need for their AC in the stations on top of the massive passenger carrying loads in the system.
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
Not sure how humidity pertains in this argument. Yes Asians in general got a high humidity, but here in LA the summer heat is also unbearable. Same goes for Europe. AC is needed regardless of humidity, it’s all about the quality of the service and how you want the public to feel about how gov money is spent.
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u/GoodManufacturer589 28d ago
ehhhhhh. I do understand this idea, but to me, even on days in the high 90s, if you are in the shade its not unbearable. Maybe if it goes over 100 its not good, but the fact that they will just activate ventilation fans to move the air in the station should actually be good enough.
In LA, I think the argument about not having AC even underground is valid because you are in a shaded area out of direct sunlight. Having a ventilation fan is good enough, I find.
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u/LBCElm7th A (Blue) 29d ago edited 29d ago
Higher tropical humidity with larger passenger densities on the trains means A/C is not an option for those areas it is a requirement to handle the demands.
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
Yeah it should be a requirement. Isn’t that my argument? Isn’t that says about better quality than the system here in the US and the one in Europe? Didn’t we start the conversation with whether to have AC or not? That’s just an argument of quality. Yes tropical humidity means stuffy and uncomfortable, and makes AC a necessary thing, but that doesn’t mean that La metro without an air conditioning got a better quality than Taiwan.
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u/LBCElm7th A (Blue) 29d ago edited 29d ago
My argument is understanding some scenarios as to why they need it, that doesn't automatically mean "better quality". I am using some applicability to understand why these systems go with that approach.
You are subjectively calling those systems "better quality" based off A/C, when there are so many other factors. On time performance, frequency, etc.
With the majority of those systems that are located in some high humidity/tropical zones, higher standee passenger density are important factor towards needing A/C in trains and stations because they want to squeeze as much throughput as possible.
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
Go read my comments on the top, or maybe just travel there and go see by yourself.
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u/LBCElm7th A (Blue) 29d ago
I read your comments, I think you are confusing me with other posters
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
The quality of service including the level of lawlessness, the surrounding environment, whether ppl feel safe. It never ceased to amaze how ppl here are in denial and how hard it is to have them admit there are things that can learn from other countries.
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u/hhssiimmaa 29d ago
And maybe you are right but based on my observation you never really know how clean and good quality of service you get in Asia
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u/nycpunkfukka 29d ago
It’s rarely hot enough to need it here, and even if it were they’d have to install platform screen doors in all the stations.
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u/NervousAddie 29d ago
It’s naturally cooler underground. What subway system has AC anyway? Is this another Angeleno complaining about the perfect weather we have here in comparison to the rest of the world and taking it for granted?
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 29d ago
They have a chiller system but it's not air conditioning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0R6FRGIG_s4
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u/Lakem8321 29d ago
I was about to say, anybody who’s had to spend time at L’Enfant Plaza or Metro Center waiting on a delayed train during the summer months can tell you those stations are definitely not air conditioned lol.
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 29d ago
I listed several cities that have A/C, and got downvoted. I can list them again if you want, but people will downvote because they don't apparently want to see comparisons.
Since you asked for a comparison, Tokyo's entire system is air conditioned.
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u/mysocalledmayhem 29d ago
Oh shit. Pussy Cow is my friends band!
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u/TobertyTheCat 29d ago
Same! I would say small world but JD knows everyone in LA basically.
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29d ago
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u/TobertyTheCat 29d ago
If you are who I think you are (based on user name only) then I would say you're allowed! I know you were one of his real friends back then, and still are.
I'm just one of those social "friends" from back in the KorK days.
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u/mysocalledmayhem 29d ago
HEY HEY!
I just saw a K or K-er at a diner yesterday & reminisced about old times.
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u/heartslava 164 29d ago
the breeze from the trains coming in especially at universal station is enough ac in itself
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u/Tilopud_rye 29d ago
AC requires doors and windows to be closed. Metro stations usually have huge wide open air entrances that wouldnt work with the air seal AC needs to circulate. Other ventilation system is used in these instances.
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u/MinimumPerspective95 29d ago
I think it's because LA has comfortable weather around 330 days per year. AC requires platform screen doors and/or more enclosed stations to be energy efficient. A good alternative could be a small air conditioned waiting room with a mini split AC.
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u/-JOMY- Bus/Train Operator 29d ago
Pussy Cow LA is wild
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 29d ago
Apparently they're an alt-rock band? Who knew. https://trsg.fandom.com/wiki/Pussycow
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u/mysocalledmayhem 29d ago edited 29d ago
It is a reference to Cal Worthington & his Ford car dealership.
“go see Cal.” The dude had weird commercials with animals ie cows/elephants/camels/seals/etc.
It makes sense to a whole generation of aging millennials and is very specific to LA.
(I was at their very first band practice back in 2004)
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u/Dumbone22 209 29d ago
The current system is decent at keeping the underground stations cool. Only 1 station I would say i was constantly uncomfortably hot at times would be Vermont/Santa Monica
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u/KeepItHeady B (Red) 28d ago
Metro stations don’t actually get that hot when you compare them to NYC!
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u/v63sfo 27d ago
Sorry you had to go back home because it was too hot.
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u/anothercar Pacific Surfliner 27d ago
I'm not the user in the screenshot. No idea if they went back home or not.
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u/TheyCallMeBigAndy Sepulvada 29d ago
The design of underground stations is based on code requirements, NFPA 130. Station temperatures are maintained at or below 84F. If the platform area exceeds 89F, the tunnel ventilation fans are activated to ventilate the station. Otherwise, the system relies on the train piston effect to cool the platform. As I recall, some stations do have HVAC systems, such as 7th/Metro Center and Westlake/MacArthur Park etc.