166-713: Since the late 20th century, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority has started several projects to maintain and improve the New York City Subway . Some of these projects, such as subway line automation , proposed platform screen doors , the FASTRACK maintenance program, and infrastructural improvements proposed in 2015–2019 Capital Program, contribute toward improving the system's efficiency. Others, such as train-arrival "countdown clocks", "Help Point" station intercoms, "On
332-566: A "metropolitan commuter transportation mobility tax" . On April 1, 2019, Patrick J. Foye was appointed chairman and CEO. The MTA's immediate past chairpersons were William J. Ronan (1965–1974), David Yunich (1974–1975), Harold L. Fisher (1975–1979), Richard Ravitch (1979–1983), Robert Kiley (1983–1991), Peter Stangl (1991–1995), Virgil Conway (1995–2001), Peter S. Kalikow (2001–2007), H. Dale Hemmerdinger (2007–2009), Jay Walder (2009–2011), Joseph Lhota (2012), Thomas F. Prendergast (2013–2017), and Joseph Lhota (2017–2018). Lhota
498-543: A contactless fare payment system, with fare payment being made using Apple Pay , Google Wallet , debit/credit cards with near-field communication enabled, or radio-frequency identification cards. As of December 31, 2020, the entire bus and subway system is OMNY-enabled. However, support of the MetroCard is slated to remain until at least 2025. MTA also plans to use OMNY in the LIRR and Metro-North. The MTA has reported
664-541: A 12.6 percent increase in toll evasion on New York City bridges and tunnels during the first four months of 2024. This equates to an average of 398,975 missed monthly toll transactions, primarily due to drivers obscuring their license plate . The MTA estimates that this evasion costs the agency approximately $ 50 million annually. Of the unbillable toll transactions, roughly 80,000 per month are attributed to fake or unreadable license plates, while 155,000 are due to obstructed plates. Unregistered or temporary plates primarily cause
830-538: A 35-page opinion that the rejected ad was "not only protected speech — it is core political speech ... [which as such] is afforded the highest level of protection under the First Amendment." The MTA had received $ 116.4 million in revenue in 2011 from advertising sold throughout its subway, commuter rail, and bus systems. In April 2015, another ad became the subject of controversy when the MTA refused to display it,
996-539: A Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Mobility Tax, a payroll tax levied on employers in the 12-county area served by the MTA. Historically, some but not all chairmen of the MTA Board have also held the chief executive officer role, with the chairman providing an advisory and policy role and the Executive Director running day-to-day operations. The roles were combined in 2009 following the recommendation
1162-517: A bond issue that provided $ 44.4 million in funding to these lines. Penn Central's operations were folded into Conrail in 1976. The MTA took over full operations in 1983, and merged the lines into the Metro-North Commuter Railroad . In 1994, the MTA rebranded its five subsidiaries with simpler names to convey that the different agencies were part of one agency. The MTA has the responsibility for developing and implementing
1328-444: A commission to study capital spending. The commission was appointed by then-Governor David Paterson and run by former chairman Richard Ravitch However, following Thomas Prendergast's retirement in 2017, they were split back again. The positions were merged back into one position in 2019 when Pat Foye was appointed Chairman & Chief Executive Officer. The current chairman, Janno Lieber, holds both positions. The following
1494-541: A complete overhaul and would be entirely closed for up to 6 months at a time. The 34th Street–Penn Station stops on the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line and IND Eighth Avenue Line were added to the plan later, but would not be entirely closed due to their key location. The 30 original stations as part of the ESI would be rebuilt for $ 881 million, the two Penn Station stops would be rebuilt for $ 40 million, and
1660-430: A cost of $ 6 million. Designs for the platform doors were being finalized by June 2023. In 2023, short barriers were installed at the centers of the platforms at 57th Street , Bedford Avenue , and Crescent Street to reduce the probability of passengers being pushed into the tracks. In 2024, the MTA announced that it would install low platform fences at four stations (including 191st Street and Clark Street ) to reduce
1826-545: A design-build contract to install PSDs at the three pilot stations. To ensure the maintenance of the PSDs, there will be a separate long-term maintenance contract. The platforms at the stations will be rebuilt to support the weight of the PSDs, including the replacement of concrete and rubbing boards, the repositioning of tactile tiles, and steel reinforcement. Wayside-only berthing systems will be installed, with stopping locations at Times Square and Third Avenue being synchronized with
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#17327733405231992-602: A disclaimer that the display of the ad did not reflect the opinion of the MTA. U.S. District Judge John Koeltl of the US District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan said the ad was protected speech under the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and rejected the MTA's argument that the ad might endorse terrorism or violence. Pamela Geller , president of the group that sued
2158-703: A long-term lease of Penn Central 's Hudson , Harlem , and New Haven Lines. Before 1968, the Hudson and Harlem Lines had been operated by the New York Central Railroad , while the New Haven Line had been part of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad . Penn Central continued to operate the lines under contract to the MTA. In April 1970, Rockefeller proposed that the state take over the Hudson and Harlem Lines. The next month, he signed
2324-604: A new contactless fare payment system to replace the MetroCard (see § Contactless fare trials ). In addition, at least 1,025 R211 subway cars are expected to be ordered under the plan. The R211s would include 58-inch (150 cm) wide doors, wider than the current MTA standard of 50 inches (130 cm), thereby projected to reduce station dwell time by 32%. The new cars will have Wi-Fi installed (see § Cellular phone and wireless data ), USB chargers, digital advertisements , digital customer information displays, illuminated door opening alerts, and security cameras , unlike
2490-526: A new regional transit authority. The new authority would encompass the existing MCTA, as well as the NYCTA and TBTA. Lindsay disagreed, saying that the state and city should have operationally separate transit authorities that worked in tandem. In May 1967, Rockefeller signed a bill that allowed the MCTA to oversee the mass transit policies of New York City-area transit systems. The unification agreement took place
2656-448: A number of previously existing agencies which have come under the MTA umbrella. These previously existing agencies were, with the exception of MTA Bridges and Tunnels , MTA Construction and Development & MTA Grand Central Madison Concourse , successors to the property of private companies that provided substantially the same services. In 1994, the MTA spent $ 3 million rebranding its five subsidiaries with simpler names to convey that
2822-401: A pilot program, was expanded systemwide due to positive passenger feedback. Additionally, credit-card trials at several subway stations in 2006 and 2010 led to proposals for OMNY , a contactless payment system to replace the aging MetroCard system used to pay fares on MTA-operated transportation. Finally, in 2017, the MTA started installing digital advertisements in trains and stations. When
2988-520: A political message" about "disputed economic, political, moral, religious or social issues," and any ad that "promotes or opposes" a political party, ballot referendum, and "the election of any candidate". The board estimated that the ads that the board was banning made up less than $ 1 million of the MTA's advertising revenue of $ 138 million in 2014. Nevertheless, lawyers for the American Freedom Defense Initiative called
3154-680: A project. Similar construction projects in New York City, such as the Second Avenue Subway and 7 Subway Extension , had been more expensive than comparable projects elsewhere for the same reasons, even though other cities' transit systems faced similar, or greater, problems compared to the MTA. In March 2018, the federal Government Accountability Office ordered an audit of the United States' transit costs, which were generally higher than in any other developed country in
3320-581: A projected price of $ 3.5 billion per mile of track. Over the years, the projected cost of East Side Access had risen by billions of dollars due to unnecessary expenses. In addition to overpaying workers and overspending, politicians and trade unions had forced the MTA to hire more workers than was needed. In 2010, an accountant found that the project was hiring 200 extra workers, at a cost of $ 1,000 per worker per day, for no apparent reason. The bidding process for MTA construction contracts also raised costs because, in some cases, only one or two contractors would bid on
3486-504: A single display installed just outside fare control. The cost would be around $ 31.7 million to install, plus $ 5 million in annual maintenance costs. Since the clocks are based on the Transit Wireless Wi-Fi, installation of each set of displays would cost $ 211,000 at every aboveground station (which did not have Transit Wireless as of 2016) and $ 54,000 at every underground station with Transit Wireless. The MTA would upgrade
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#17327733405233652-482: A special MasterCard website and use a MasterCard PayPass credit or debit card/tag to participate. Originally scheduled to end in December 2006, the trial was extended into 2007 due to "overwhelming positive response". In light of the success of the first PayPass pilot project in 2006, another trial was started by the MTA. This one started on June 1, 2010, and ended on November 30, 2010. The first two months started with
3818-576: A staggered schedule from October 2017 to February 2019. Originally, this package entailed renovating one platform at a time since the stations are all consecutive, unlike in other packages, but the plan was later amended so two sets of two non-consecutive stations would be completely closed at once. The third package of stations was on the IND Eighth Avenue Line in Manhattan. The 163rd Street , 110th Street , 86th Street , and 72nd Street stations were included as part of an amendment to
3984-479: A unified mass transportation policy for the New York metropolitan area , including all five boroughs of New York City and the suburban counties of Dutchess , Nassau , Orange , Putnam , Rockland , Suffolk and Westchester . This twelve-county area make up the "Metropolitan Commuter Transportation District" (MCTD), within which the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance levies
4150-722: A wide-ranging improvement program as part of the 2015–2019 Capital Program. Thirty stations would be extensively rebuilt under the Enhanced Station Initiative , and new R211 subway cars would be able to fit more passengers. The MTA has also started some projects to improve passenger amenities. It added train arrival "countdown clocks" to most A Division (numbered route ) stations and the BMT Canarsie Line ( L train) by late 2011, allowing passengers on these routes to see train arrival times using real-time data. A similar countdown-clock project for
4316-461: A year) and employ about 74,000 people. The MTA's systems carry over 11 million passengers on an average weekday systemwide, and over 850,000 vehicles on its seven toll bridges and two tunnels per weekday. MTA carries out these planning and other responsibilities both directly and through its subsidiaries and affiliates, and provides oversight to these subordinate agencies, known collectively as "The Related Entities". The Related Entities represent
4482-536: Is a list of chairmen of the authority: Lhota did not serve as CEO in his second stint as chairman, as CEO responsibilities were carried out by Executive Director Ronnie Hakim. Lieber served as Chair and CEO in an acting capacity from July 30, 2021 to January 19, 2022. The following is a list of members of the MTA Board. The MTA has developed several official web and mobile apps for its subway and bus services, and also provides data to private app developers to create their own unofficial MTA apps. In 2012,
4648-557: Is also provided in the 2015–2019 Capital Program, along with the modernization of interlockings at 30th and 42nd Streets. The local tracks of the IND Culver Line would also get CBTC as part of the 2015–2019 Capital Program, as well as the entire line between Church Avenue and West Eighth Street–New York Aquarium , with three interlockings to be upgraded on that stretch. As of 2014, MTA projects that 355 miles (571 km) of track will receive CBTC signals by 2029, including most of
4814-399: Is governed by a 21-member board representing the 5 boroughs of New York City , each of the counties in its New York State service area, and worker and rider interest groups. Of these, there are 14 voting members, broken down into 13 board members who cast individual votes, 4 board members who cast a single collective vote, and 6 group representatives who do not vote. Five members as well as
4980-454: Is promoting the use of steam for cooling in the summer months, something that can be accomplished with the installation of absorption chillers . Such trigeneration systems reduce peak electrical loads and save construction costs associated with expanding electrical infrastructure. Clouds of condensation are vented from manholes in Manhattan through orange and white "chimneys". This can be caused by external water being boiled by contact with
5146-415: Is used on the LIRR and Metro-North. Both railroads sell tickets based on geographical "zones" and time of day, charging peak and off-peak fares. Tickets may be bought from a ticket office at stations, ticket vending machines (TVMs), online through the "WebTicket" program, or through apps for iOS and Android devices. In 2017 it was announced that the MetroCard would be phased out and replaced by OMNY ,
Technology of the New York City Subway - Misplaced Pages Continue
5312-674: Is used to heat and cool buildings and for cleaning and disinfecting. It is the largest such system in the world and has been in operation since 1882. Con Edison's Steam Operations is a district heating system which carries steam from generating stations under the streets to heat and cool buildings and businesses in Manhattan . Some New York City businesses and facilities also use steam for cleaning and disinfection. The New York Steam Company began providing service in lower Manhattan on March 3, 1882. The company merged with Consolidated Edison on March 8, 1954. Today, Con Edison operates
5478-622: The 7 and <7> trains' platform at Times Square ; the E train's platform at Sutphin Boulevard–Archer Avenue–JFK Airport ; and the Third Avenue station. The announcement came after several people had been shoved onto tracks, including one incident that led to the death of Michelle Go at the Times Square stations. On July 13, 2022, the MTA released a request for proposals for
5644-458: The 7 and <7> trains. However, it is unlikely that the entire New York City Subway system will get retrofitted with platform screen doors or automatic platform gates due to, again, the varying placements of doors on rolling stock. Following a series of incidents during one week in November 2016, in which 3 people were injured or killed after being pushed into tracks,
5810-718: The 142nd Street junction and the Myrtle Avenue junction . More recent projects use tunnel boring machines , which minimize disruption at street level and avoid already existing utilities, but increase cost. Examples of such projects include the extension of the IRT Flushing Line and the IND Second Avenue Line . The MTA has plans to upgrade much of New York City Subway system from a fixed block signaling system to one with communications-based train control (CBTC) technology, which will control
5976-549: The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 . In January 2018, the NYCT and Bus Committee recommended that Judlau Contracting receive the $ 125 million contract for Package 4 and that Citnalta-Forte receive the $ 125 million contract for Package 8. However, the MTA Board temporarily deferred the vote for these packages after city representatives refused to vote to award the contracts, citing the high cost and relatively low importance of
6142-556: The B Division (lettered routes) and the IRT Flushing Line was deferred until 2016, when a new Bluetooth -based clock system was tested successfully. Beginning in 2011, the MTA installed "Help Point" to aid with emergency calls or station agent assistance, in all stations. Interactive touchscreen kiosks, which give station advisories, itineraries, and timetables, were installed starting in 2011. Cellular phone and wireless data in stations, first installed in 2011 as part of
6308-534: The BMT Canarsie Line to use communications-based train control , using a moving block signal system that allowed more trains to use the tracks and thus increasing passenger capacity. After the Canarsie Line tests were successful, the MTA expanded the automation program in the 2000s and 2010s to include other lines. This led to a 2017 proposal to install platform screen doors in one Canarsie Line station. Additionally, as part of another program called FASTRACK,
6474-697: The BMT Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn, for which the contract was awarded on November 30, 2016. From March to June 2017, these stations closed for construction, reopening from September to November 2017. The second group of stations, comprising the 30th Avenue , Broadway , 36th Avenue , and 39th Avenue stations on the BMT Astoria Line in Queens, was awarded on April 14, 2017, to Skanska USA , and entailed renovating these stations on
6640-516: The Cortlandt Street station on the N , R , and W trains. Fans are used at five additional stations, all on IRT lines. The leader of MTA's construction department said in 2022 that it was not feasible to install air conditioning in most older stations. This is both because of the high power requirements for the air-cooling systems and because the presence of ventilation grates in older stations would reduce
6806-630: The Democratic and Republican parties, at the mayoral and gubernatorial levels, had gradually removed $ 1.5 billion of MTA funding. Other actions by city and state politicians, according to the Times , included overspending; overpaying unions and interest groups; advertising superficial improvement projects while ignoring more important infrastructure; and agreeing to high-interest loans that would have been unnecessary without their other interventions. The Times stressed that no single event directly caused
Technology of the New York City Subway - Misplaced Pages Continue
6972-561: The Grand Central–42nd Street station on the 4 , 5 , 6 , and <6> trains; the Cortlandt Street and South Ferry stations on the 1 train, which both replaced older stations; the 34th Street–Hudson Yards station on the 7 and <7> trains; three stations on the Second Avenue Subway ; the Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station ; and
7138-632: The IRT Pelham Line . The seventh package would have included three stations on the IND Queens Boulevard Line : Northern Boulevard , 67th Avenue , and Parsons Boulevard . In July 2017, after Package 1 had been assigned, the nonprofit Citizens Budget Commission released a study critical of the plan. In the study, the CBC noted that the 30 original stations only constituted 8% of weekday boardings, and none of these stations were in
7304-848: The IRT subway debuted in 1904, the typical tunnel construction method was cut-and-cover . The street was torn up to dig the tunnel below before being rebuilt from above. Traffic on the street above would be interrupted due to the digging up of the street. Temporary steel and wooden bridges carried surface traffic above the construction. The 7,700 workers who built the original subway lines were mostly immigrants living in Manhattan. Contractors in this type of construction faced many obstacles, both natural and man-made. They had to deal with rock formations, and ground water, which required pumps. 12 miles (19 km) of sewers, as well as water and gas mains, electric conduits, and New York City steam system pipes had to be rerouted. Street railways had to be torn up to allow
7470-591: The Integrated Service Information and Management – B Division (ISIM-B) project, which would upgrade signal towers and connect track circuits to a central database. The project was called the Beacon Train Arrival System, and all 268 underground stations would have it installed by the end of 2017. In each of the remaining 269 stations without countdown clocks, there would be two displays for each platform, as well as
7636-562: The L train were also given to developers. When Bluetooth -enabled countdown clocks were installed in the B Division (lettered services) in 2016 and 2017, they were also configured to feed data to the Subway Time app as well as in an open-data format. MTA's Bus Time app originated as a pilot program to install bus countdown clocks along the M16 and M34 routes in August 2009. At
7802-473: The Lexington Avenue Line ), gap fillers . In October 2017, it was announced that as part of a pilot program , the Canarsie Line's Third Avenue station was planned to be refitted with platform screen doors while the 14th Street Tunnel was rebuilt from April 2019 to March 2020. This was possible as a result of the L train's automated train operation . The MTA would have used the results of
7968-763: The New York City metropolitan area . The MTA is the largest public transit authority in North America, serving 12 counties in Downstate New York , along with two counties in southwestern Connecticut under contract to the Connecticut Department of Transportation , carrying over 11 million passengers on an average weekday systemwide, and over 850,000 vehicles on its seven toll bridges and two tunnels per weekday. In February 1965, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller suggested that
8134-639: The New York State Legislature create an authority to purchase, operate, and modernize the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR). The LIRR, then a subsidiary of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), had been operating under bankruptcy protection since 1949. The proposed authority would also have the power to make contracts or arrangements with other commuter rail operators in the New York City area . On June 1, 1965,
8300-418: The New York State Legislature , Governor Kathy Hochul proposed raising the MTA payroll tax, a move projected to increase revenue by $ 800 million, and also giving the MTA some of the money from casinos expected at present to be licensed soon for business in Manhattan. On November 18, 2017, The New York Times published an investigation into the problems underlying the MTA. It found that politicians from both
8466-539: The Staten Island Railway , was also overhauled, without being closed. The renovations were done in several stages called "packages", which allowed contractors to renovate three to five stations in a given area simultaneously. The first four packages were completed in 23 months, by early 2019. The first package consisted of the Prospect Avenue , 53rd Street and Bay Ridge Avenue stations along
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#17327733405238632-484: The Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA), which operated toll bridges and tunnels within the city. Rockefeller offered his "complete support" for Lindsay's proposed unified transit agency, while longtime city planner and TBTA chair Robert Moses called the proposed merger "absurd" and "grotesque" for its unwieldiness. In June 1966, Rockefeller announced his plans to expand the MCTA's scope to create
8798-428: The subway tokens that had been used as the subway's form of fare payment from the 1950s on; by 2003, the MetroCard was the exclusive method of fare payment systemwide. Since then, there have been programs to replace the MetroCard itself. In the first program, introduced in early 2006, the MTA signed a deal with MasterCard to test out a new radio-frequency identification card payment scheme. Customers had to sign up at
8964-697: The 34th Street–Penn Station stops on the IND Eighth Avenue Line and the IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line , 57th Street and 23rd Street on the IND Sixth Avenue Line , and 28th Street on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line . These stations, except the two 34th Street–Penn Station stops, were closed between July and December 2018. The fifth and final package for the New York City Subway included
9130-473: The ADA, while 100 stops (mostly above ground) had precast concrete platforms that would not be able to support the weight of the doors. The MTA claimed the remaining stations could not be refitted because of persistent fleet alignment issues; columns that were too close to the platform edge; an inaccessible platform; insufficient space for a platform-door equipment room; and, in one case ( 14th Street-Union Square on
9296-552: The Canarsie Line, the MTA ordered more R160 cars and these were put into service in 2010. This enabled the agency to operate up to 26 trains per hour up from the May 2007 service level of 15 trains per hour, an achievement that would not be possible without the CBTC technology or a redesign of the previous automatic block signal system. The R143s and R160s both use Trainguard MT CBTC , supplied by Siemens. The next line to have CBTC installed
9462-531: The Capital Program. The New York City Transit and Bus Committee officially recommended that the MTA Board award the $ 111 million contract for Package 3 to ECCO III Enterprises in October 2017. These stations were closed on a staggered schedule between March and June 2018, and reopened between September and November 2018. The fourth package of stations consisted of stations in midtown Manhattan, and included
9628-465: The ConEd steam system's installed capacity and 50% of the annual steam generated comes from cogeneration . Cogeneration and Heat Recovery Steam Generation (HRSG) significantly increase the fuel efficiency of cogenerated electricity and thereby reduce the emission of pollutants , such as NOx , sulfur dioxide , carbon dioxide , and particulate matter, as well as the city's carbon footprint . Con Edison
9794-621: The D along the BMT West End Line , and the N along the BMT Sea Beach Line . Meanwhile, the IRT Flushing Line ( 7 and <7> ) was to get the clocks in 2018, a delay from an earlier announced date of 2016. In August 2016, a 90-day testing period began for updated countdown clocks on eight BMT Broadway Line stations on the N , Q , R , and W services. The clocks feature new LCD screens as opposed to
9960-454: The Go! Travel Station" passenger kiosks, wireless and cellular network connections in stations, MetroCard fare payment alternatives, and digital ads, are meant to benefit individual passengers. Yet others, including the various methods of subway construction, do not directly impact the passenger interface, but are used to make subway operations efficient. In the mid-1990s, it started converting
10126-775: The IND, as well as the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and the BMT Broadway Line . The MTA also is planning to install CBTC equipment on the IND Crosstown Line , the BMT Fourth Avenue Line and the BMT Brighton Line before 2025. Additionally, the New York City Subway uses a system known as Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) for dispatching and train routing on the A Division (the Flushing line, and
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#173277334052310292-406: The L train were also given to developers. Displays at 5 IRT Dyre Avenue Line stations were the last in the mainline A Division to be added, as a result of signal modernizations for IRT Dyre Avenue Line stations. Displays at 267 B Division stations were funded as part of the 2015–2019 capital program . Upon the October 2015 approval of funding for the 2015–2019 capital program, full installation of
10458-404: The L train, where the existing LED clocks would be upgraded to use the new LCD displays. All of the countdown-clock data for the B Division services would also be available in the MTA's Subway Time app, in addition to the data for the A Division and L services that were already included in the app prior to the test. The countdown clocks for the rest of the B Division were to be installed as part of
10624-553: The LIRR. The New Haven Railroad's trustees initially opposed New York Central's takeover of the New Haven Line, as they felt that the $ 140 million offer for the New Haven Line was too low. After some discussion, the trustees decided to continue operating the New Haven Line until June 1967. In January 1966, New York City Mayor John Lindsay proposed merging the New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), which operated buses and subways in New York City, and
10790-405: The MTA began studying the feasibility of installing air conditioning in other stations. In January 2012, the MTA introduced a new maintenance program, FASTRACK, to speed up repair work. This program involves a more drastic approach than previous construction, and completely shuts down a major portion of a line for overnight work on four consecutive weeknights from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. According to
10956-481: The MTA in order to run the ads, lauded the decision, and a lawyer for the organization said the same decision had been made in Washington and Philadelphia. A week afterward, the MTA's board in a 9–2 vote banned all political, religious, and opinion advertisements on subways and buses, limiting any ads to commercial ones. Specifically, it banned advertisements that "prominently or predominately advocate or express
11122-466: The MTA introduced a Vignelli -style interactive subway map , "The Weekender", to its website. The web app provided a way for riders to get information about any planned work, from late Friday night to early Monday morning, that is going on either on a service(s) or station(s) of the subway during the weekends. On June 11, 2012, the MTA duplicated "The Weekender" site as a free mobile app download for iOS . On November 29, 2012, an Android version of
11288-449: The MTA officially released the Subway Time app, which uses subway countdown clock data to determine the next-train arrival times on seven services. Real-time station information for the "mainline" A Division (numbered routes) , comprising all numbered services except the 7 train, was made available to third-party developers via an API . This was achieved through both the Subway Time mobile app and as open data . In early 2014, data for
11454-448: The MTA passed the $ 29 billion 2015–2019 Capital Plan, the largest capital plan in MTA's history; it will be funded by federal, state and city government as well as riders' fares and tolls. Three months later, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and MTA chairman Thomas Prendergast unveiled their plan to spend $ 26 billion to modernize the subway network, which includes adding Wi-Fi and cellphone services throughout all 278 underground stations by
11620-399: The MTA started closing certain lines during weekday nights in 2012, with each of the lines closing overnight for a week in order to allow workers to clean these lines without being hindered by train movements. The program was expanded beyond Manhattan the next year after observing the increased efficiency of the FASTRACK program compared to previous service diversions. In 2015, the MTA announced
11786-467: The MTA started testing ultra-wideband radio-enabled train signaling on the IND Culver Line . The ultra-wideband train signals would be able to carry more data wirelessly in a manner similar to CBTC, but can be installed faster. The ultra-wideband signals would have the added benefit of allowing passengers to use cellphones while between stations, instead of the current setup (see Technology of
11952-522: The MTA started to consider installing platform edge doors for the 42nd Street Shuttle . By 2017, a pilot program for platform screen door technology was underway at the Pelham Parkway station in the Bronx. The MTA conducted an internal study of the system in 2019 to determine whether platform screen doors could be installed at each station. The MTA concluded that only 128 stations, or 27 percent of
12118-423: The MTA states it needs. If this is not funded, the MTA will fund the repairs with debt and raise fares to cover repayments. The MTA has consistently run on a deficit, but increased spending in 2000–04 coupled with the economic downturn led to a severe increase in the financial burden that the MTA bore. The budget problems stem from multiple sources. The MTA cannot be supported solely by rider fares and road tolls. In
12284-407: The MTA to keep track of trains in real time and provide more information to the public regarding train arrivals and delays; and will obviate the need for complex interlocking towers. The trains are also equipped with high-tech computers inside the cab so that the conductor could monitor the train's speed and relative location. The BMT Canarsie Line ( L service) was the first line to implement
12450-812: The MTA to pursue the Program for Action, saying, "We're making up for 30 years of do-nothingism". Ronan proposed that the MTA take over the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway Company from the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and start a $ 25 million modernization project on the railway. The city's Board of Estimate approved this purchase in December 1969. The MTA took ownership of the Staten Island Rapid Transit in January 1971. The agency entered into
12616-626: The MTA to reduce the number of subway stations included in the program from 33 stations to 19. The 19 subway stations still part of the program include those in Packages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8, although the Staten Island Railway's Richmond Valley station from package 5 would still be included. Most of the $ 936 million allocated to the ESI was already used for the 19 stations underway. During the work, contractors had discovered additional infrastructure issues that had to be dealt with. In total,
12782-585: The MTA's Trip Planner; whereas the existing Trip Planner can only plan trips along MTA-operated modes of transportation, MYmta's Trip Planner can also suggest routes via other operators such as the Staten Island Ferry , NYC Ferry , PATH , and NJ Transit . A beta version of MYmta was released to the general public in July of that year. In future versions of the MYmta app, the MTA planned to integrate
12948-845: The MTA's action a "disingenuous attempt to circumvent" the judge's order. Another controversy regarding MTA ads arose in 2018. After initially rejecting proposed advertisements from Unbound, a sex-toy retailer, the MTA allowed the ads. Previous advertisement proposals from companies, such as female-hygiene retailer Thinx 's ad proposal in 2015, had been rejected and later approved due to "dissemination of indecent material to minors" and "public display[s] of offensive sexual material." New York City steam system The New York City steam system includes Con Edison's Steam Operations, which provides steam to large parts of Manhattan . Other smaller systems provide steam to New York University and Columbia University , and many individual buildings in New York City also have their own steam systems. The steam
13114-531: The MTA's inception until 2003, the agency collected subway and bus fares via a series of small metal tokens. The MTA cycled through several series of tokens throughout the late 20th century. In 1993, MTA started testing the MetroCard , a magnetic stripe card that would replace the tokens used to pay fares. By 1997, the entire bus and subway system accepted MetroCard, and tokens were no longer accepted for fare payment in 2003. A different fare payment system
13280-421: The MTA's systems, the agency requested $ 4 billion in federal funds, since the decreased fare revenue left the already-struggling agency in a financially tenuous position. After the subway was temporarily shuttered at night starting in May 2020, trains and stations were cleaned more than usual. Over 132 employees died of COVID-19 as of June 2020 . On February 1, 2023, as part of her Executive Budget proposal to
13446-604: The MTA, this new program proved much more efficient and quicker than regular service changes, especially because it happened at night and not the weekend, when most transit closures had occurred before. In 2012 the program only closed lines in Midtown and Lower Manhattan, but due to the success of the program, the MTA decided to expand it to the outer boroughs as well. In 2013, FASTRACK was expanded to other corridors requiring minimal shuttle buses and in 2014 to even more locations. There were corridors scheduled for 2014 during 24 weeks of
13612-486: The Metro-North Railroad stations at White Plains , Harlem–125th Street , Crestwood , Port Chester , and Riverdale . The ESI program formerly contained thirteen more stations in three packages numbered 5 through 7, but these were deferred to the 2020–2024 Capital Program due to a lack of funding. The fifth package of stations would have been in northern and eastern Brooklyn, along with Richmond Valley of
13778-593: The New York City Subway § Cellular phone and wireless data ) that only provides cellphone signals within the stations. The MTA has long been reluctant to install platform screen doors in the subway system, though it had been considering such an idea since the 1980s. Originally, it was planned to install platform doors in several stations along the Second Avenue Subway and on the 7 Subway Extension , but their installation presented substantial technical challenges, as there are different placements of doors on New York City Subway rolling stock . The platform-door proposal
13944-418: The New York City Subway's 472 stations contain artificial air-conditioning systems. The air-cooling systems are mostly located in subway stations that were built in the 21st century. In August 2006, the MTA revealed that all new subway stations would be outfitted with air-cooling systems to reduce the temperature along platforms by as much as 10 °F (6 °C). The stations with artificial cooling systems are
14110-574: The Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee, which represent customers of MTA transit and commuter facilities. Board members are confirmed by the New York State Senate . In 2017, the MTA had operating expenses of $ 16.85 billion, an outstanding debt of $ 38.083 billion, and a level of staffing of 79,832 people (staff compensation totaled $ 6.762 billion). It collects revenue from passenger fees and from
14276-541: The Richmond Valley stop on the Staten Island Railway would be rebuilt for $ 15 million. Five stations on the Metro-North Railroad were added to the plan in December 2017, as were sixteen stations on the Long Island Rail Road , which were proposed in several phases. Updates included cellular service, Wi-Fi, charging stations, interactive service advisories and maps, improved signage, strip maps for
14442-687: The SIR. This package would have included Flushing Avenue and Classon Avenue on the IND Crosstown Line , and Van Siclen Avenue , Kingston–Throop Avenues , and Clinton–Washington Avenues on the IND Fulton Street Line . The sixth package would have included stations in the eastern and northern Bronx, comprising Pelham Parkway on the IRT Dyre Avenue Line , as well as Third Avenue–138th Street , Brook Avenue , East 149th Street , and Westchester Square–East Tremont Avenue on
14608-501: The aboveground stations so they could also get Wi-Fi capabilities. As the first batch of Bluetooth-enabled B Division countdown clocks was installed in September 2017, there were some passenger complaints about the location of the clocks. Although the MTA places the clocks at the middle of each platform, as well as offers train arrival data on its Subway Time app, riders noted that these clocks were not always placed near locations where
14774-449: The administration of Mayor Lindsay. This included Lindsay's Linear City plan for housing and educational facilities, and the projected construction of several Interstate Highways , many of which had originally been proposed by Robert Moses. On March 1, 1968, the day after the release of the Program for Action, the MCTA dropped the word "Commuter" from its name and became the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). The MTA took over
14940-461: The aftermath of Hurricane Sandy , created and awarded contracts to his own engineering firm staffed with friends with few formal qualifications in engineering. After deleting thousands of company emails, Patel pleaded guilty to obstructing federal bid rigging and fraud investigations in March 2020. In 2022, construction manager Ramnarace Mahabir was found to have provided jobs for family members through
15106-432: The agency $ 4.5 million in annual advertising revenue. The tobacco advertisements were removed once the advertising contracts expired. They were removed from subways, buses, and bus shelters by the start of 1993, from the commuter rail lines by the start of 1994, and from Long Island Bus vehicles by the start of 1997. The MTA refused to display an ad in the New York City Subway system in 2012, which read: "In any war between
15272-520: The app was released. The MTA announced plans to integrate all three apps in 2017. The combined app, which was scheduled for release in 2018, would include real-time arrival information for all subway and bus routes, as well as weekend service changes and travel planners. In April 2018, the MTA started testing MYmta , which provides arrival information for MTA railroad, subway, and bus routes; escalator and elevator outage information; and real-time service changes. The app also includes an improved version of
15438-499: The automated technology using Siemens 's Trainguard MT CBTC system, as it was a self-contained line with none of the route interlining seen elsewhere around the system. The CBTC project was first proposed in 1994 and approved by the MTA in 1997. Installation of the signal system was begun in 2000. Initial testing began in 2004, and installation was mostly completed by December 2006, with all CBTC-equipped R143 subway cars in service by that date. Due to an unexpected ridership increase on
15604-661: The center and front of the platforms visible to the train operator and conductor. In June 2018, the $ 30 million for the platform edge door pilot program was diverted to another project, and the pilot program was postponed until sufficient funding could be found. Stations constructed as part of the Second Avenue Subway's Phase 2 may receive platform screen doors depending on the results of studies being conducted for their installation elsewhere. The MTA announced another PSD pilot program at three stations in February 2022:
15770-571: The chairman/CEO are directly nominated by the Governor of New York , while four are recommended by New York City's mayor . The county executives of Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties nominate one member each. Each of these members has one vote. The county executives of Dutchess , Orange , Rockland , and Putnam counties also nominate one member each, but these members cast one collective vote. The Board has six rotating nonvoting seats held by representatives of MTA employee organized labor and
15936-682: The civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man. Support Israel. Defeat Jihad ." The authority's decision was overturned in July 2012 when Judge Paul A. Engelmayer of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that the ad of the American Freedom Defense Initiative is protected speech under the First Amendment , and that the MTA's actions were unconstitutional . The judge held in
16102-542: The clocks on the Broadway and Astoria Lines are not in use as of 2016. The announcements are voiced by former radio traffic reporter Bernie Wagenblast and Carolyn Hopkins . In 2012, real-time station information for the "mainline" IRT, comprising all the IRT services except the 7 train, was made available to third party developers via an API , through MTA's Subway Time mobile app and as open data . In early 2014, data for
16268-470: The countdown clocks was deferred to beyond 2020, with 323 out of 472 stations having countdown clocks by then. This was attributed to the rate of installation of Wi-Fi and 3G systems in subway stations, which, among other things, makes countdown clocks viable. The B , D , and N were expected to get countdown clocks in 2016; the B and D would get the PA/CIS along their shared IND Concourse Line stations,
16434-417: The crisis; rather, it was an accumulation of small cutbacks and maintenance deferments. The MTA funds were described as a "piggy bank" for the state, with the issuance of MTA bonds benefiting the state at the MTA's expense. By 2017, a sixth of the MTA's budget was allocated to paying off debt, a threefold increase from the proportion in 1997. The city's $ 250 million annual contribution to the MTA budget in 2017
16600-546: The current New Technology Trains , which lack these features. Some lines, like the IND Eighth Avenue Line , would get communications-based train control as part of a larger plan to automate the system. These measures are all projected to help reduce overcrowding on the subway, which is prevalent. In 2003, the MTA signed a $ 160 million contract with Siemens Transportation Systems to install digital real-time message boards (officially Public Address Customer Information Screens , or PA/CIS ) at 158 of its IRT stations to display
16766-642: The customer just using the MasterCard PayPass debit or credit card. However, this trial was the debut of having a rider use the VISA PayWave debit or credit card to enter the system, which started on August 1, 2010. The trial continued for six months. In 2016, the MTA announced that it would begin designing a new contactless fare payment system to replace the MetroCard. The system would probably use phone- and bank card-based payment systems like Apple Pay and Android Pay . On October 23, 2017, it
16932-591: The different agencies were part of one agency. Surveys found that a majority of riders did not know that the MTA owned the Long Island Rail Road or the Metro-North Railroad. As part of the changes, the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority was renamed MTA Bridges and Tunnels; Staten Island Rapid Transit was renamed MTA Staten Island Railway; Metropolitan Suburban Bus Authority was renamed MTA Long Island Bus. The New York City Transit Authority
17098-465: The eTix functionality, as well as make it easier for Access-A-Ride customers to view when their vehicle will arrive at a certain point. In October 2020, the MTA unveiled a new digital map providing real-time arrival estimates and service updates. It was developed pro bono by technology and design company Work & Co . The subway, buses, and Staten Island Railway charge a single flat fare for each trip, regardless of time or distance traveled. From
17264-411: The efficiency of an air conditioning system. The Grand Central–42nd Street station is a major exception, since there is a large cooling plant for Grand Central Terminal immediately above the platforms that are air-conditioned; the plant was installed in 2000. According to The New York Times , it would cost $ 4.8 billion to install air-conditioning units in all other below-ground stations. In September 2023,
17430-470: The end of 2016. Other plans call for making extensive renovations to 30 subway stations , allowing mobile ticketing by cellphone or bank cards, and adding security cameras on buses, charging stations for electronics, and more countdown clocks. Roughly $ 3 billion will be spent to improve bridges and tunnels. During the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City , following a 50% to 90% drop in ridership on all of
17596-491: The existing CBTC signal system. At these two stations, existing track will be replaced. To ensure riders can exit trains in the case of an emergency, emergency exit doors with push bars will be installed in the three stations, and to prevent riders from being trapped between the PSDs and train doors, door entrapment sensors will be installed. A PSD storage room and a PSD control room will be constructed in each station. The doors are planned to be installed starting in December 2023 at
17762-413: The first and last cars of every train. If the test was successful, the remaining 269 B Division stations would receive the new LCD countdown clocks. The MTA was able to speed up the test by using Bluetooth receivers and wireless data in stations. As opposed to the countdown clocks on the numbered lines, the system calculates when the trains will pull into their next stop based on when trains enter and leave
17928-545: The following March, with the MCTA taking over the operations of the LIRR, NYCTA, TBTA, New Haven commuter services, New York Central commuter services, and the Staten Island Rapid Transit Railway . Initially, the TBTA was resistant to the MCTA's efforts to acquire it. Moses was afraid that the enlarged MCTA would "undermine, destroy or tarnish" the integrity of the TBTA, One source of contention
18094-603: The implementation of MetroCard, though they originally accepted tokens. They are manufactured in Tennessee by Cubic Corporation . Some of the waist-high turnstiles date to the late 20th century, when tokens were used to pay fares; as such, they still have token-return compartments. Metropolitan Transportation Authority The Metropolitan Transportation Authority ( MTA ) is a public benefit corporation in New York State responsible for public transportation in
18260-521: The largest commercial steam system in the world (larger than the next nine combined). The organization within Con Edison responsible for the system's operation, known as Steam Operations , provides steam service to over 1,700 commercial and residential customers in Manhattan from Battery Park to 96th Street uptown on the west side, and 89th Street on the east side of Manhattan. Roughly 27 billion pounds (12,000,000 t) of steam flow through
18426-590: The legislature chartered the Metropolitan Commuter Transportation Authority (MCTA) to take over the operations of the LIRR. Governor Rockefeller appointed his top aide, William J. Ronan , as chairman and chief executive officer of the MCTA. In June 1965, the state finalized an agreement to buy the LIRR from the PRR for $ 65 million. The MCTA made a down payment of $ 10 million for the LIRR in December 1965, and it completed
18592-456: The likelihood of passengers falling onto the tracks. The barriers consist of low yellow fences, spaced along the length of the platform; there are no sliding platform screen doors between the barriers. The barriers have since been installed at additional stations including Fifth Avenue , Bedford Avenue , and Morgan Avenue . All subway trains have been air-conditioned since 1993, but most stations do not have any form of air conditioning. Seven of
18758-422: The line with compatible rolling stock. This order consists of new cars and retrofits of existing R142A cars for CBTC. However, the CBTC retrofit date was later pushed back to 2017 or 2018. The installation is being done by Thales Group . Siemens and Thales successfully conducted tests on one of the IND Culver Line 's tracks to determine if their CBTC systems were compatible, thus allowing installation of CBTC on
18924-432: The list of 25 most-used stations in 2016. Compared to stations that would only be "renewed" under this Capital Plan, i.e. with less comprehensive improvements performed under partial closures, the average ESI station could be 2 to 2.5 times as expensive as the average non-ESI station. The CBC wrote that the MTA had added $ 857 million to the ESI's original $ 64 million in funding, and that the cost of extensive renovations offset
19090-525: The list was suitable because these stations were in need of structural improvements. He said that the MTA's decision to not add elevators was reasonable because the work involved would have delayed many of the projects for several years, and in some cases, other nearby stops already had or were getting elevators. The ESI packages were put back for a vote in February, and the two contracts were ultimately approved, with three city representatives dissenting. In April 2018, Lhota announced that cost overruns had forced
19256-493: The mid-2000s, the popular name has also been used for legal documents related to contract procurements where the legal name was used heretofore. Both are listed below. The Office of the MTA Inspector General (OIG), founded in 1983, is the independent Office of Inspector General specific to the MTA that is responsible for conducting monitoring and oversight of MTA activities, programs, and employees. The MTA
19422-402: The monthly MetroCard fare from $ 116 to $ 132. Each fare raise was met with increasing resistance by MTA customers, and many are beginning to find the fare increases prohibitive. 2010 also saw heavy service cuts for many MTA subsidiaries. Fewer trains spaced farther between resulted in heavy overcrowding beyond normal rush hours, leading to frustration for many subway and bus riders. In 2013,
19588-536: The name " Metropolitan Transportation, a Program for Action " alternatively called the "Grand Design". The city had already intended to build subway extensions in all four boroughs, so that most riders would need at most one transfer to get to their destination. The Program for Action also called for upgrades to the Penn Central railroads and area airports. The Program for Action was put forward simultaneously with other development and transportation plans under
19754-447: The network, could theoretically be fitted with platform screen doors. Between those, only 41 such stations would be able to theoretically receive such doors in 2019 due to mismatches in door positions between different rolling stock, and it would take ten years to have a uniform door position among all rolling stock. Of the infeasible stations, 154 stops could not receive platform doors because the resulting platform would be too narrow under
19920-402: The number of minutes until the arrival of the next trains. Payments to the company were stopped in May 2006 following many technical problems and delays and MTA started to look for alternative suppliers and technologies. In January 2007 Siemens announced that the issues had been resolved and that screens would start appearing at 158 stations by the end of the year. In 2008, the system-wide roll-out
20086-472: The old LED screens. The new countdown clocks show the date and time, current weather, next trains, advertisements, other media, and service changes, unlike the old countdown clocks, which can only show the date and time and the next train arrivals. The LCD clocks also use data from the Bluetooth receivers installed at the end of each platform in the stations, which connect with Bluetooth receivers installed on
20252-410: The older "M" logos survive on existing cube-shaped lamps on station lampposts dating to the 1980s, though such lamps have been updated with more modern spherical lamps over time. Today, each of these Related Entities has a popular name and in some cases, a former legal name . Since 1994, the legal name has only been used for legal documents, such as contracts, and have not been used publicly. Since
20418-469: The ones on the A Division and across scattered parts of the B Division, or new multicolor LCD display like the ones on the Broadway Line. The R was the first mainline B Division route to receive countdown clocks along its entire length in July 2017. Under the MTA's rollout schedule released in July 2017, the countdown clocks on other routes would be enabled in stages through December 2017, including on
20584-470: The operations of the other New York City-area transit systems. Moses was let go from his job as chairman of the TBTA, although he was retained as a consultant. The construction of two proposed bridges over the Long Island Sound was put under the jurisdiction of the MTA. Moses stated that TBTA construction projects would reduce the MTA's budget surplus through to 1970. Chairman Ronan pushed for
20750-490: The outside of a steam pipe. The vapor is often vented out through 10-foot (3.0 m) orange-and-white funnels in the street, known as stacks. Over the years, the stacks have been depicted in numerous TV shows and films. Steam provides heat and cooling to many buildings in New York. The steam system also provides humidity to art museums, steam cleaning for restaurants to clean dishes, and other uses. Approximately 30% of
20916-429: The pilot in order to determine the feasibility of adding such doors citywide. The PSDs would have been approximately 54 in (140 cm) high and would have been coordinated with the location of the subway car doors when a train was in the station. To ensure that the subway cars were precisely lined up with the doors, a wayside-only berthing system would be installed. Emergency egress gates would be installed in between
21082-488: The preliminary 2011 budget, MTA forecasted operating revenue totaled at $ 6.5 billion, amount to only 50% of the $ 13 billion operating expenses. Therefore, the MTA must rely on other sources of funding to remain operational. Revenue collected from real estate taxes for transportation purposes helped to contain the deficit. However, due to the weak economy and unstable real estate market, money from these taxes severely decreased; in 2010, tax revenue fell at least 20% short of
21248-428: The program. Some executives had pointed out that improving subway service was more important than renovating stations that were used by relatively few people. In response, MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said that these stations had been selected because ESI was a "pilot" program, and thus, the renovations would be tested on smaller stations first. NYCT Chairman Andy Byford looked over the list of ESI stations and concluded that
21414-477: The projected value. Beyond this, steadily reducing support from city and state governments led to borrowing money by issuing bonds, which contributed heavily to the debt. This budget deficit has resulted in various problems, mainly concentrated in New York City . New York City Subway fares have been increased four times since 2008, with the most recent occurring August 20, 2023, raising single-ride fares from $ 2.75 to $ 2.90, express service from $ 6.75 to $ 7.00 and
21580-473: The proposed MCTA and the existing Connecticut Transportation Authority would contract with New York Central to operate the New Haven Line to Grand Central Terminal . A September 1965 joint report from both agencies, recommended that the line be leased to New York Central for 99 years, with the MCTA and CTA acting as agents for both states. In October 1965, the MCTA found that the New Haven Line's stations and infrastructure were even more decrepit than those of
21746-470: The rails. Trains equipped with CBTC have a transponder interrogator antenna beneath each carriage, which communicates with the fixed trackside transponders and report the trains' location to a wayside Zone Controller via radio. Then, the Controller issues Movement Authorities to the trains. This technology upgrade will allow trains to be operated at closer distances, slightly increasing capacity; will allow
21912-419: The refusal was again challenged in court, and the MTA again lost in court and was ordered by a federal judge to display the ad. The ad, paid for by the American Freedom Defense Initiative, showed a man with a scarf covering his face, with the caption "Killing Jews is Worship that draws us close to Allah ", which was attributed to " Hamas MTV," and then stated: "That's His Jihad . What's yours?" The ad included
22078-408: The regular doors to allow people to exit in the case of an emergency. The platform edges and topping would be removed and replaced so that they align with the sills of the train doors and to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 . To ensure that people do not get trapped in between the subway car doors and the PSDs, sensors and CCTV cameras would be installed with monitors at
22244-416: The remaining balance. The budget deficit of the MTA is a growing crisis for the organization as well as for New York City and State residents and governments. The MTA held $ 31 billion in debt in 2010 and it also suffered from a $ 900 million gap in its operating budget for 2011. The capital budget, which covers repairs, technological upgrades, new trains, and expansions, is currently $ 15 billion short of what
22410-633: The remaining three stations in upper Manhattan and the southwest Bronx: 145th Street on the IRT Lenox Avenue Line , and 167th Street and 174th–175th Streets on the IND Concourse Line . It was originally the eighth of eight planned packages. The 145th Street station was closed between July and November 2018, while the Concourse Line stations was closed from August 2018 to December 2018. An additional package included
22576-468: The rest of the B Division . In 2016, Siemens and Thales were awarded a contract to install CBTC on the IND Queens Boulevard Line from 50th Street/8th Avenue and 47th–50th Streets–Rockefeller Center to Kew Gardens–Union Turnpike . Planning for phase one started in 2015 and was complete by February 2016, with major engineering work following in November 2016. Funding for CBTC on the IND Eighth Avenue Line from 59th Street–Columbus Circle to High Street
22742-600: The rest of the payment the next month. In February 1965, Rockefeller and Connecticut Governor John N. Dempsey jointly suggested that operations of the New Haven Line , the New Haven Railroad 's struggling commuter rail operation, be transferred to the New York Central Railroad as part of a plan to prevent the New Haven Railroad from going bankrupt. If the operational merger occurred,
22908-475: The riders would actually wait, such as the stairs to the platforms or the station entrances. Sometimes, the clocks were hidden behind signs or located far away from the station entrances. Riders also reported instances where the clocks froze, displayed the wrong information, projected wildly fluctuating arrival times, or forgot to display upcoming trains. All of the system's 472 stations had countdown clocks by New Year's Day 2018. The last route to get countdown clocks
23074-401: The routing of $ 18 million in bus depot contracts. At one 2018 board meeting, an MTA executive explicitly noted the sentiment that the authority is willing to assign jobs to contractors with prior histories of corruption. The MTA collected $ 707 million from advertising on its trains and buses in 2018. In June 1992, the MTA banned tobacco advertising on subways, buses and commuter rail, costing
23240-634: The same time, many new buses were retrofitted with GPS -enabled automatic vehicle location systems. In October 2010, the developers of the buses' GPS devices implemented the MTA system's first bus-tracking app, which monitored buses along the M16 and M34 routes. This evolved into the current web app, which originally tracked buses along the B63 route in Brooklyn when it started in February 2011. By January 2012, every local and express bus in Staten Island
23406-498: The savings afforded by using design–build contracts for ESI projects. The ESI program has also been criticized for the full station closures that entails, which force riders to walk to the next station and add extra time to their commute. Some transit advocates have also pointed out that the Enhanced Station Initiative does not include improvements, such as elevators, that would make the stations compliant with
23572-524: The speed and starting and stopping of subway trains. The CBTC system is mostly automated and uses a moving block system – which reduces headways between trains, increases train frequencies and capacities, and relays the trains' positions to a control room – rather than a fixed block system. This will require new rolling stock to be built for the subway system, as only newer trains can use CBTC systems. Trains using CBTC locate themselves based on measuring their distance past fixed transponders installed between
23738-406: The stations into states of good repair. Passenger amenities included next-train countdown clocks and neighborhood wayfinding maps at the exterior of each entrance; digital maps, MetroCard vending machines, and station agent booths situated in a central location in the mezzanine; and digital next-train information and service change notices at platform level. One additional station, Richmond Valley of
23904-435: The stations. The new Bluetooth clocks performed accurately 97% of the time. In November 2016, the MTA declared the Broadway Line countdown clock test successful. All B Division stations would get countdown clocks by March 2018 (several years ahead of schedule), using the same Bluetooth technology as the clocks in the Broadway Line stations. The countdown clocks would use either existing and new Siemens tricolor LED displays like
24070-468: The steam pipes or by leaks in the steam system itself. At least twelve steam pipe explosions have occurred in New York City since 1987. The most recent major incident was the 2018 steam pipe explosion which occurred in the Flatiron District and forced the evacuation of 49 buildings. The explosion released concrete, asphalt, " asbestos -containing material" and mud into the air. The asbestos
24236-465: The subway had the highest ridership since 1947. MTA employees also suffered due to the budget issues. By mid-July 2010, MTA layoffs had reached over 1,000, and many of those affected were low-level employees who made less than $ 55,000 annually. As of 2015 , the MTA was running a $ 15 billion deficit in its $ 32 billion 2015–2019 Capital Plan. Without extra funding, many necessary construction and renovation projects would not be performed. In October 2015,
24402-540: The subway routes, subway countdown clocks, service alerts, On-The-Go Informational Dashboards, neighborhood maps, new art, and improved station lighting. Cables and conduits were decluttered, simplifying the stations' wiring. The stations also included glass barriers near fare control areas (rather than the metal fences that separate the paid and unpaid areas of the stations), as well as new tiled floors that are easy to clean. Concrete repairs, new platform edges, waterproofing, most tile patching, and structural steel repairs got
24568-485: The system every year. The steam is produced at four plants in Manhattan and one each in Brooklyn and Queens; the primary plant is between 14th and 15th streets on Manhattan's east side. These plants boil water from the New York City water supply system , making Con Edison one of the largest users of the municipal water supply system. Steam vapor can be caused by a leak in Con Ed's steam system or by cooler water contacting
24734-403: The track on which the train is arriving and the number of stops the train is from the station, are used at 40 stations. This includes 13 stations on the IND Queens Boulevard Line , 19 stations on the IND Eighth Avenue Line (including four that also have next-train displays that show this information), three stations on the BMT Broadway Line , and five stations on the BMT Astoria Line ; however,
24900-481: The trains used on the 7 and <7> services, do not have ATS.) ATS allows dispatchers in the Operations Control Center (OCC) to see where trains are in real time, and whether each individual train is running early or late. Dispatchers can hold trains for connections, re-route trains, or short-turn trains to provide better service when a disruption causes delays. In 2017,
25066-576: The tunnel from 96th Street to Central Park North–110th Street & Lenox Avenue , used either rock or concrete-lined tunnels. About 40% of the subway system runs on surface or elevated tracks, including steel or cast iron elevated structures , concrete viaducts , embankments , open cuts and surface routes. All of these construction methods are completely grade-separated from road and pedestrian crossings, and most crossings of two subway tracks are grade-separated with flying junctions . The sole level junctions of two lines in regular revenue service are
25232-401: The work on the 19 subway stations will cost $ 850 million. The remaining $ 86 million will be used for subway accessibility projects. The 13 stations without funding will be pushed back to the 2020–2024 Capital Plan. Minor component work, such as station signage, tiling, and lighting, would also be performed at over 170 other stations as part of the plan. The MTA would also begin designing OMNY ,
25398-628: The work. The foundations of tall buildings often ran near the subway construction, and in some cases needed underpinning to ensure stability. This method worked well for digging soft dirt and gravel near the street surface. However, tunnelling shields were required for deeper sections, such as the Harlem and East River tunnels, which used cast-iron tubes. Segments between 33rd and 42nd streets under Park Avenue , 116th Street and 120th Street under Broadway, and 145th Street and Dyckman Street (Fort George) under Broadway and Saint Nicholas Avenue as well as
25564-405: The world. The GAO planned to devote special attention to the MTA's transit costs. The MTA has long struggled to control costs due to contracting fraud and corruption. In 2012, MTA executive Mario Guerra attempted to secure a job with train manufacturer Bombardier while evaluating their bid for a $ 600 million project. Paresh Patel, an MTA manager responsible for the oversight of repair contracts in
25730-485: The year, 12 corridors scheduled during 22 weeks in 2015, and 13 corridors scheduled during 21 weeks in 2016. As part of an $ 836 million program to resolve the subway's 2017–2021 state of emergency , MTA Chairman Joe Lhota announced the expansion of the FASTRACK program in order to fix critical infrastructure faster. The 2015–2019 MTA Capital Plan included funds for the Enhanced Station Initiative (ESI), under which thirty-three stations in all five boroughs would undergo
25896-572: Was Rockefeller's proposal to use TBTA tolls in order to subsidize the cheap fares of the NYCTA, since Moses strongly opposed any use of TBTA tolls by outside agencies. In February 1968, Moses acquiesced to the MCTA's merger proposal. New York Central and the PRR merged in February 1968, forming the Penn Central Transportation Company . In February 1968, the MCTA published a 56-page report for Governor Rockefeller, proposing several subway and railroad improvements under
26062-411: Was a quarter of the contribution in 1990. David L. Gunn , who helped end a transit crisis when he led the NYCTA in the mid-1980s, described the 2017 crisis as "heartbreaking". In December of the same year, the Times reported that the $ 12 billion East Side Access project, which would extend the LIRR to Grand Central Terminal upon its completion, was the most expensive of its kind in the world, with
26228-422: Was announced that the MetroCard would be phased out and replaced by OMNY , a contactless fare payment system also by Cubic, with fare payment being made using Apple Pay , Google Wallet , debit/credit cards with near-field communication enabled, or radio-frequency identification cards. The OMNY system was rolled out starting in 2019, though support of the MetroCard is slated to remain until 2025. The fare system
26394-405: Was criticized because the new turnstiles could be hacked, thereby leaving credit card and phone information vulnerable to theft. The New York City Subway primarily employs two types of turnstiles : a waist-high turnstile, and a full-height turnstile known as a High Entry-Exit Turnstile (HEET). The waist-high turnstiles, the most prominent in the system, were installed beginning in 1993 along with
26560-415: Was equipped with the system. The M34 corridor began using the system on April 6, 2012 with nearly every Bronx bus route using the system by the end of 2012. All five boroughs of the city used the system by March 2014, and a mobile app was released in 2015. In 2011, the MTA began to look at ways of displaying service disruptions due to weekend engineering works in a visual format. On September 16, 2011,
26726-557: Was pushed back again, to 2011, with the MTA citing technical problems. An in-house simpler system developed by MTA for the L train was operational by early 2009 and the first three displays of the larger Siemens system became operational at stations on the IRT Pelham Line ( 6 and <6> trains) in the Bronx in December 2009. Siemens signs were in operation in 110 A Division stations by March 2011 and in 153 IRT mainline and 24 Canarsie Line stations by late 2011. Simpler countdown clocks , which only announce
26892-590: Was re-appointed in 2017 and resigned on November 9, 2018. The MTA considers itself to be the largest regional public transportation provider in the Western Hemisphere. As of 2018 , its agencies serve a region of approximately 15.3 million people spread over 5,000 square miles (13,000 km ) in 12 counties in New York and two in Connecticut. MTA agencies now move about 8.6 million customers per day (translating to 2.65 billion rail and bus customers
27058-547: Was renamed MTA New York City Transit to seem less authoritarian, Metro–North Commuter Railroad was renamed MTA Metro-North Railroad to recognize the increase in non-commuter ridership. The MTA logo was changed from a two-toned "M" logo, to a blue circle with the MTA initials written in perspective, as if they were rushing by like a train. The large "M" logos on trains and buses were replaced with decals that state MTA New York City Bus, MTA New York City Subway or MTA Staten Island Railway, eliminating inconsistencies in signage. Today,
27224-490: Was scrapped in 2012 because of high installation and maintenance costs; rolling stock door placement; the need to provide a suitable signal interface between the train and platform; and the potential delay in operations that would result from the operation of such doors. The MTA is also interested in retrofitting platform screen doors on the Canarsie Line , along the L train, and on the IRT Flushing Line , along
27390-501: Was the 7, which received Bluetooth-enabled clocks in December 2017 because of issues with the installation of communications-based train control on the Flushing Line. By the 2020s, the countdown clocks were also being used to display advertisements; the MTA earned $ 170 million a year from these advertisements. Access to the paid area is by turnstile . Starting in 1992, MetroCards made by Cubic Transportation Systems replaced
27556-526: Was the pre-existing IRT Flushing Line and its western extension opened in 2015 (served by the 7 and <7> trains). The Flushing Line was chosen for the second implementation of CBTC because it is also a self-contained line with no direct connections to other subway lines currently in use. The 2010–2014 capital budget provided funding for CBTC installation on the Flushing Line, with scheduled installation originally set for completion in 2016. The R188 cars were ordered in 2010 to equip
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