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NYC Transit Boss Unveils Sweeping 10-Year Subway Modernization Plan (nbcnewyork.com)

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Wednesday unveiled a sweeping plan to modernize the city's subway system over the next 10 years. From a report: The proposal, which new New York City Transit President Andy Byford called "Fast Forward," centers on overhauling the mass transit network's signaling system -- some of which dates back to the early 20th century -- 30 years sooner than current Subway Action Plan.

But it won't come without a good bit of pain: sources told News 4 that Byford's plan would require entire lines to be taken out of service during overnight and weekend hours for extended periods. Byford -- who took over the task of running the city's subways and buses earlier this year -- said in an MTA meeting Wednesday that the work would be split into two five-year chunks. Over the first five years parts or all of the 4,5, 6, E, F, M, R, A, C, E and G lines would receive modern signaling systems. That would include the entirety of the Lexington Avenue line, which carries the 4, 5 and 6 trains and is the most-used mass transit line in the United States.

63 comments

  1. In soviet Russia... by JoeDuncan · · Score: 0

    Ten year plan unveils YOU

    1. Re:In soviet Russia... by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 1

      . . . and the taxi companies increase rates along the closed subway lines . . .

      . . . oh, wait . . . that's Über!

      --
      Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
    2. Re:In soviet Russia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      . . . and the taxi companies increase rates along the closed subway lines . . .

      . . . oh, wait . . . that's Über!

      show us all that you are too stupid to understand that they run buses when the subways are down for repairs

    3. Re:In soviet Russia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      . . . and the taxi companies increase rates along the closed subway lines . . .

      . . . oh, wait . . . that's Über!

      show us all that you are too stupid to understand that they run buses when the subways are down for repairs

      Shows that stupidity is contagious because taxis do stand to profit as a result. Unless you think
      everyone is going to be content with the bus.

    4. Re: In soviet Russia... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shuttle buses are not always available. They operate on express lines usually. I have to take uber once in a while when local lines are closed.

  2. BACK TO THE FUTURE.... by Zorro · · Score: 0

    Trains just like good old 1899.

    1. Re:BACK TO THE FUTURE.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      no elon am gonna come and maek nyc taxi sled under earf

    2. Re:BACK TO THE FUTURE.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So? The alphabet is way older than that, I guess you think we should just dump it too and get something more chic?

    3. Re:BACK TO THE FUTURE.... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 2

      Cars still have four wheels just like the Model T in 1908... not like the trains are running on steam/coal power directly.

  3. will this be automatic signalling by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The original long term mta plan was to go with a driverless signaling. I'd be worried that they're not going to do that with this plan.

  4. Extended Periods? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    "Byford's plan would require entire lines to be taken out of service during overnight and weekend hours for extended periods."

    Every time I've visited NYC on the weekend, a line is down, or a station, or a platform, or a train, or *something*, pretty much everywhere. How would this be different?

    1. Re:Extended Periods? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It would be more extended periods and each one will last longer.

    2. Re:Extended Periods? by fafalone · · Score: 2

      Full line closures are very rare. They usually shut down small sections, or one direction, or run everything on the local or express side.

  5. For a smoother ride... by Applehu+Akbar · · Score: 1

    I have an idea: replace the existing octagonal wheels with ten-sided wheels!

  6. 25Hz power? by QuietLagoon · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Does the NYC subway still use 25Hz power for lighting in some stations ? I remember when I use to take the subway to school that I could see the incandescent lights flicker due to the 25Hz power being supplied to them.

    1. Re:25Hz power? by Beat+The+Odds · · Score: 1

      Does the NYC subway still use 25Hz power for lighting in some stations ? I remember when I use to take the subway to school that I could see the incandescent lights flicker due to the 25Hz power being supplied to them.

      More like 25 HURTS

    2. Re:25Hz power? by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      No idea, but all DC-NYC trains and a sizable chunk of commuter rail systems in that area are still 25Hz/11,000 volt. Though I think they have inverters or M-G sets on the actual trains to provide 60hz power to the lights and outlets.

    3. Re:25Hz power? by kriston · · Score: 2

      First, on the IRT, now called the "A" Division of the NYC Subway, the feeders are 11,000 at 60 Hz which is converted to 120 volts AC and also to 600 volts DC. The lights in stations are 120 volts. The lights in the tunnels run on 600 volts DC. Near ticket booths, stairways, and other critical areas, there are lamps lit from the 600 volt DC track circuit.

      All of the Northeast Corridor south of New York Penn Station is 25 Hz. So is SEPTA, but the former Reading Railroad side of SEPTA which has its own converter. There is an ongoing project to unify both formerly separate SEPTA systems because they're slightly physically incompatible.

      Most of the NEC is now powered by static frequency converters and there is a declining number of motor-generators still in use. A large part of the southern portion uses power generated by a 25 Hz water turbine at Safe Harbor Dam.

      --

      Kriston

  7. How many billions? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The New York Times reports the proposal could cost more than $19 billion, but Byford said in an MTA meeting Wednesday that that figure wasn't accurate. He wouldn't reveal the agency's estimates for the plan.

    This is going to be an insane runaway cost by then. I can only imagine how much the unions will bleed from NYC, which will likely get assistance from the federal government, which will then be cycled back into the political machines that the unions power to repeat it.

    I would be stunned if this doesn't cost at least $30 billion given the [refuted] estimate.

    1. Re:How many billions? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We could have Hyperloop for that kind of cabbage.

    2. Re:How many billions? by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      NYC subways basically are Musk's (non hyper) loop with longer vehicles. Interesting idea would be to run shorter trains more frequently. This is possible with the right signaling especially if a driver and conductor aren't needed.

    3. Re: How many billions? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Informative

      By unions 'bleeding' you mean people get fair pay and humane working conditions for a hard job? How about we take away the cars, limousines and helicopters from wealthy 1% in Manhattan and see how quickly the MTA gets fixed. It's a really fucking busy system that got deluged by a hurricane not that long ago. The narrative that the MTA is a financial sinkhole is a conservative lie. Millions of people depend on it daily, and while sure, it isn't perfect, it's been underfunded for decades and STILL works.

    4. Re:How many billions? by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 1

      The standard rule of thumb for public projects is that the final cost will be three times the initial approved budget, and the schedule will slip by a factor of two. Unfortunately, we are "locked in" to this system of unrealistic lowballing. If the actual cost was used in the initial proposal, people would would assume the "real" cost was three times that, and the project would never get approved.

      So if the public is being told 10 years and $19B, the final outcome will likely be about 20 years and $57B.

    5. Re: How many billions? by Software · · Score: 2
      No, GP is referring to articles like this one which show why additions to the NYC subway costs so much. TLDR: people who have no reason to care about costs get to dictate staffing levels.

      Also, only a few lines of the subway was deluged, and those are being repaired over the next few years. The changes discussed in TFA are separate.

    6. Re: How many billions? by fafalone · · Score: 1

      Building the entire first section of the IRT line in Manhattan cost about $8 million; adjusted for inflation that's $230 million, a fraction of the cost to upgrade the signals. It took less time to build from City Hall to 145th St. (nearly the whole length N-S) then it will take to update the signals. This is *pathetic*. While I'm generally pro-union, that's a large part of why it's gotten so bad-- like the report that exposed things like a 2 person job having 5 more guys paid to just stand around, and out of control overtime. It absolutely is a giant sinkhole.

    7. Re: How many billions? by Dorianny · · Score: 1

      The upgrade could easily and cheaply be done if you just shut off the system for 6 months. The problem is that it is being done on a system that continues to run 24/7. When you are working in tunnels with live wires and incoming trains, you need people to "stand around" doing nothing more then ensuring safety

    8. Re: How many billions? by Joey+Vegetables · · Score: 1

      NYC is the one U.S. city that is completely and totally dependent on subways. It would not continue to function normally if even a single important line were shut down for a nontrivial period of time. Night/weekend closures, though they aggravate me (I'm rarely in NYC *except* on weekends), are about the most that can be done without inflicting total chaos.

    9. Re: How many billions? by torkus · · Score: 1

      By unions 'bleeding' you mean people get fair pay and humane working conditions for a hard job? How about we take away the cars, limousines and helicopters from wealthy 1% in Manhattan and see how quickly the MTA gets fixed. It's a really fucking busy system that got deluged by a hurricane not that long ago. The narrative that the MTA is a financial sinkhole is a conservative lie. Millions of people depend on it daily, and while sure, it isn't perfect, it's been underfunded for decades and STILL works.

      You really have no clue...or are a union shill.

      The MTA hemorrhages money yet every time something doesn't work because they failed to modernize it 30+ years ago they come with their hand out for more money. Also, they are a private agency so their books are closed and no one can examine them to see what they're actually paying/spending.

      A living wage, sure. I support that. $100k+ for someone who can't even make clear announcements on the newer PA systems? Yeah, nope. Or how about the countless examples of work crews of a dozen or more (plus another half dozen down the track as a 'warning crew' for trains despite the track not being energized) with MAYBE two people doing actual work adjusting a signal or similar?

      No. You won't sell a fairy tale about the MTA providing reasonable compensation for a reasonable job to anyone who actually lives in/around NYC and sees the ridiculous corruption, huge waste, enormous over-payment, endless overtime/disability abuse, and scam contracts etc. that go on and on and on with the MTA.

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
    10. Re: How many billions? by torkus · · Score: 1

      Yeah? How about when they DO have a line shut down and STILL have warning crews (apparently 3 people on either side) doing nothing? Well, there's technically one guy holding the orange flag so that counts as doing something until they inevitably wedge it somewhere and go back to doing completely nothing.

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
  8. 10 years, Yeah RIGHT by CharlieG · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The CBTC (aka the signal improvements) on the 7 train, which were supposed to take 7 years (chosen because it was the 2nd easiest line to do) has taken 10 years (aka 3 years late) and STILL not working
    The 7 train extension, started in 2007, supposed to be finished in 2013 had one station dropped, and STILL took till Sept 2015 (aka about 50% over)
    We won't talk about the fact that the Second Ave Subway took 99 YEARS from when it was first proposed till when it opened, and was "fully funded" by bond issues at least 3 times

    NOTHING gets done in 10 years by the MTA
     

    --
    -- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso
    1. Re:10 years, Yeah RIGHT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      NOTHING gets done in 10 years by the MTA

      bullshit, the metrocard system was 2 years from rollout to full implementation

      the MTA repaired all damage from 9/11 in three years

      you're a blowhard loser iiar

    2. Re:10 years, Yeah RIGHT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Just fire everyone and outsource it to the Japanese.

      Fuck the current employees. They had their chance.

    3. Re: 10 years, Yeah RIGHT by CharlieG · · Score: 1

      Approval for rollout 1991, last turnstyle 1997, sounds like 6 years to me, and that doesn't count buses

      --
      -- 73 de KG2V For the Children - RKBA! "You are what you do when it counts" - the Masso
    4. Re:10 years, Yeah RIGHT by Daralantan · · Score: 1
      My first thought when I saw this was how terrible the NCDOT is with roads. I live in Charlotte. I485 goes around the city and took over 40 years to complete. Heck, even just finishing the North Eastern..... maybe 1/5 of the road? Took them 3 years of nothing, 1-2 years of work, and then they had to get help from a private company to finish it because they ran out of money and only finished it due to a contract for future work.

      Meanwhile, for the past 7ish years, the exact same section of I85 has been "under construction." (it looks almost exactly the same.....)

      Yay for our transportation departments?

    5. Re:10 years, Yeah RIGHT by Joey+Vegetables · · Score: 1

      IIRC there is still damage from Hurricane Sandy that's yet to be repaired more than 5 years later. Of course, Sandy was truly nasty . . . it blew roofs of houses where I am, more than 800km inland, but the eyes of the storm passed very near NYC.

  9. And then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It will be de-modernize quickly by tons of graffiti.

    1. Re:And then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You've either never been to NYC, or haven't it quite some time.

    2. Re:And then by Joey+Vegetables · · Score: 1

      Manhattan and much of Brooklyn have been cleaned up obviously, and Staten Island was never too bad. But bits of the S,. Bronx, Flatbush, East New York, etc. are still as lawless as ever.

  10. How typical of a Londoner... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... to bring the annoyance of weekend engineering works to another cityâ(TM)s subway.

  11. Wall Street by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is classic NY subway design: prioritize the trip from the commuter rail (at Grand Central Station) to Wall Street (also on the 4-5-6).

    1. Re:Wall Street by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      About 80% of the subway lines in NYC pass through Wall Street. G train is included in phase 1, and it doesn't even pass through Manhattan. The F is also included, and it's a feeder to Queens.

  12. Overdue and not enough by gaiageek · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Compared to Europe, Australia, and I imagine most developed countries, riding the subway in New York feels like you're in a 3rd world country. I get that "cars are king" for most of the US, but in New York City, where there's an obvious need for mass transit, and insanely expensive real estate above those tracks, it's shocking that the state of mass transit below ground seems stuck in the 20th century.

    1. Re:Overdue and not enough by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 1

      Unlike many European/Asian countries, the subway runs 24/7/365. It may not be perfect or modern, but it basically works.

    2. Re:Overdue and not enough by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 1

      Unlike many European/Asian countries, our subways weren't bombed during the unpleasantness about 75 years ago.

      While it may seem counter-intuitive, being bombed is one of the better ways to get your infrastructure modernised....

      --

      "I do not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it"
    3. Re:Overdue and not enough by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "...third-world country..."
      You been talkin' to joe Bidet again? (biden?)

    4. Re:Overdue and not enough by fafalone · · Score: 2

      riding the subway in New York feels like you're in a 3rd world country

      If only. Even the 3rd world has nicer subways than we do.

    5. Re: Overdue and not enough by Malc · · Score: 1

      Sorry, but thatâ(TM)s bullshit. Londonerâ(TM)s hid in the Tube because it was safe from the bombing. Itâ(TM)s the oldest system in the world, but it makes NYCâ(TM)s system look antiquated. For example, WTF is it with having to still use physical tickets, or why isnâ(TM)t the ride from Hoboken to Manhattan (1 stop) integrated in to the same system?)

    6. Re:Overdue and not enough by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      European countries? Like the system in Moscow that runs 24/7/365, and carries far more passengers, on a system that's similar in age. Moscow puts NYC to shame.

    7. Re:Overdue and not enough by Dorianny · · Score: 1

      Subways in 3rd world countries are built for the benefit of the elite. Nobody is riding the Pyongyang Metro line to get to their minimum wage job

    8. Re:Overdue and not enough by mjwx · · Score: 1

      Compared to Europe, Australia, and I imagine most developed countries, riding the subway in New York feels like you're in a 3rd world country. I get that "cars are king" for most of the US, but in New York City, where there's an obvious need for mass transit, and insanely expensive real estate above those tracks, it's shocking that the state of mass transit below ground seems stuck in the 20th century.

      Australian trains aren't that good, but most Australians will not travel on them because they live nowhere near a station. Its relatively easy to run a train network no-one uses.

      --
      Calling someone a "hater" only means you can not rationally rebut their argument.
    9. Re:Overdue and not enough by Joey+Vegetables · · Score: 1

      It basically almost works now, but at greatly reduced capacity, and increased cost, due to DECADES of just-short-of-barely-adequate maintenance, lower speed limits due to outdated signaling and safety systems, and problems caused by disasters such as Hurricane Sandy that have yet to be fully fixed (IIRC). But just as most of us here are familiar with the concept of technical debt in software, the NYC subway system faces a version of the same thing, as does much of the rest of the infrastructure of the United States. We've deferred it for so long that it is *not* going to get better until/unless we become willing to invest in fixing it, and even then, it will get much worse before it starts to get better.

    10. Re:Overdue and not enough by torkus · · Score: 1

      Another person who doesn't live in NYC explaining to everyone 'how things work'.

      Yah, they run 24/7/365 ... except when they don't. Except for the dozen or more closure, re-route, skipped station, etc. posters you see in every announcement area. Except for trains that run every 20-30 minutes on a modified route that requires 2 or 3 train changes to get where one direct train normally would during the late hours of that '24'. So that 45-60 minute trip can become 2+ hours at night. It's literally faster to ride a bicycle. Much faster.

      Oh, and rush hour where trains come often...except when they don't or get stopped - or stuck! Delays are rampant to the point that people are frequently late for work despite leaving what should be plenty of leeway. Traffic is more consistent than the MTA.

      Oh, and I've ridden the tube plenty in london. Their night time trains still run MUCH more frequently (granted with fewer stops, but they cover the core of london pretty well). Coming from NYC I was amazed at how much easier it was to get around on the tube. Same for Hong Kong.

      Oh...and NYC subway platforms, stations and generally everything but the new cars are disgustingly filthy. Even just the dust and dirt on the ceiling (much less tracks) is appalling and simply not present on any other subway/train system i've been on around the world.

      The MTA doesn't get a pass on fucking up everything just because they keep a few trains running vaguely where they should be with huge delays 24/7/365

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
  13. Can we fix BART also? by BLToday · · Score: 1

    (n/t)

  14. Will take 25 years to complete by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And the actual payback will be something like 50-75 years...

    At which time, they'll modernize again...

  15. what can you do? by AndyKron · · Score: 1

    If you take your car you hit construction zones and if you take the subway you hit construction zones. Why can you do?

    1. Re:what can you do? by torkus · · Score: 1

      Ride a bike because it's often faster.

      Except who has a gym to shower off in their office when real estate is so expensive businesses are building 'open seating plans' under the outright lie that employees favor that when it's simply an excuse for higher density seating? Bicycle 'parking' in a garage/secure place is about $200/month. Offices don't have bike parking...and if you leave a nice bike chained up for a day it's not unusual to have it stolen or at least damaged significantly...even in heavily populated areas.

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
  16. Think of the costs by Headw1nd · · Score: 1

    Next you're going to propose that all the sides should be equilateral.

  17. Hey, I remember this guy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This is Andy Byford, formerly of the TTC. He actually spearheaded loads of things to modernize the system, even when it hurt in the pockets or in time taken, but he put those things as priority one and may as well have said: "So we're going to do things with twice the money and do them twice as fast! It's never been done before? I don't bloody care, get to it!" (Nice guy, though, he just makes people work hard.)

    He couldn't turn every bad thing around on the TTC, but aside from putting more vehicles on the road (which is happening slowly), or automating subways (which is still ongoing), there wasn't a lot left to be done during his tenure.

    You New Yorkers are lucky. Byford will do things you thought were impossible if you can take the pain of ponying up the cash and downtimes. He's a fixer-upper kind of guy, that's why he's decided to work on the oldest transit system in the world.

    Maybe he'll even take the subways and buses like he did in Toronto?

    1. Re: Hey, I remember this guy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Andy has never owned a car so I guarantee he will take the mta

    2. Re:Hey, I remember this guy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is not a knock against Byford, but there was a lot left undone at the TTC. You can thank Toronto Council and Queen's Park's meddling for that. Byford was only around for 6 years, which is not long enough to reform something as hidebound as the TTC.

      Toronto is spending more on new transit infrastructure than most cities globally outside of China, but much of it is wasted on pricey political trinkets rather than on productive projects. 40 years of neglect will take at least 40 years to fix.

    3. Re:Hey, I remember this guy... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Even if he couldn't repair everything, Byford was the first guy to stand up to those governments and not meekly stand down when they said they wouldn't give the TTC money. He pushed for the TTC because it's a decaying system that needed upgrades, and he tried to do what he could.

      So I'll remember Andy Byford. He fought for TTC, no one else in my lifetime did it as consistently and genuinely, so it's good that it was government funding that stopped him instead of his own desire to stay in a cushy position. He didn't put aside asking for funding for years because it might make him unpopular.

      Can you name any other person who headed the TTC who tried as hard in the last 40 years of neglect?

      The sad part is the people trying hardest for transit in Toronto now are Metrolinx, and they're provincially funded, probably coming in to fix part of the mess Toronto made for itself with city transit. (Now if only Metrolinx could only get the Presto fare machines to consistently work and stop bleeding away TTC cash by being broken so much... *sigh*)

  18. So that's why the CIA has been funding ISIS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So that's why the CIA has been funding ISIS. It's part of the infrastructure upgrades.