Proper ventilation, no matter the structure, is extremely important. Some demand ventilation controls can reduce exhaust operating costs by 30% to 50% and can be installed on either new fixtures or existing hoods. Certain ventilation projects, however, aren’t as easy to complete — especially in New York City.

After the NYC Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced its plans to build a large ventilation plant under Park Avenue, city residents pushed pack, effectively halting the plan for the time being.

The MTA’s plan was to begin tearing up parts of Park Avenue in Midtown over the next few years in order to improve the city’s subway ventilation. The goal of the project was to help bring fresh air into the underground tunnels in the event of fires and other subway emergencies.

When the city built its original tunnel system in the 1920s, none of its tunnels had mechanical ventilation plants, but the majority of the tunnels have since been retrofitted to make emergency ventilation possible. Currently, the tunnels under Park Avenue, and a few other parts of the NYC subway stretch, have no emergency mechanical ventilation system in order to pump out smoke if a fire breaks out.

According to DNA Info, after a large community uproar, the MTA has been forced to shelve its ventilation plans.

“Late last week I was notified that the MTA is removing this project from their current 5-year plan, based in part on community opposition,” said State Senator, Liz Krueger. “So, while we may all face these issues again in later years, for now this project will not be going forward.”

NYC residents, especially those living in the Park Avenue area, were against the construction because it would cause problems in a neighborhood that is already overwhelmed with traffic issues and noise pollution.

“MTA was saying it was a safety issue, and we don’t want people to be unsafe,” said Justin Flagg, a spokesman for Krueger. “But on the other hand, that determination was made years ago and they haven’t acted with any great expedience.”