NY&A curbs emissions

Glendale, N.Y., residents living next to the Otto Road rail yards got some good news Tuesday when New York & Atlantic Railway announced it will spend $1 million to cut emissions on its 11-unit fleet, the New York Daily News reports. Neighborhood and environmental activists have long complained about noise and pollution from diesel engines idling there. Railway officials said the work, which will "lower its carbon footprint by 35 percent," should be completed by the end of the year. Most of the funds will come from a U.S. Department of Transportation grant through its Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program. The railway will kick in about 20 percent of the cost. Railway officials said the trains will be retrofitted with devices that monitor the temperature of the water in the engines. They will also ensure the water is heated, reducing the need to keep the engines idling. Currently, they are kept running so their temperature does not drop below 38 degrees.