Technology of the New York City Subway

The BMT Canarsie Line (L service) was the first line to implement 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.[24] The CBTC project was first proposed in 1994 and approved by the MTA in 1997.[23] Installation of the signal system was begun in 2000. Initial testing began in 2004,[25] and installation was mostly completed by December 2006, with all CBTC-equipped R143 subway cars in service by that date.[24] Due to an unexpected ridership increase on 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.[24] The R143s and R160s both use Trainguard MT CBTC, supplied by Siemens.[26]

The next line to have CBTC installed 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.[27] The R188 cars were ordered in 2010 to equip the line with compatible rolling stock.[28] This order consists of new cars and retrofits of existing R142A cars for CBTC.[29] However, the CBTC retrofit date was later pushed back to 2017[30] or 2018.[31] The installation is being done by Thales Group.[32]

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 the rest of the B Division.[33] 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.[26] Planning for phase one started in 2015 and was complete by February 2016, with major engineering work following in November 2016.[34][35] Funding for CBTC on the IND Eighth Avenue Line from 59th Street–Columbus Circle to High Street is also provided in the 2015–2019 Capital Program, along with the modernization of interlockings at 30th and 42nd Streets.[36] 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.[36]

As of 2014, MTA projects that 355 miles (571 km) of track will receive CBTC signals by 2029, including most of the IND, as well as the IRT Lexington Avenue Line and the BMT Broadway Line.[20] 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.[21]

Additionally, the New York City Subway uses a system known as Automatic Train Supervision (ATS) for dispatching and train routing on the A Division[37] (the Flushing line, and the trains used on the 7 and <7>​ services, do not have ATS.)[37] 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.[37] Dispatchers can hold trains for connections, re-route trains, or short-turn trains to provide better service when a disruption causes delays.[37]

In 2017, 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 the New York City Subway § Cellular phone and wireless data) that only provides cellphone signals within the stations.[38][39]

A sample fare control area (left) and platform level (right) of 53rd Street, a station rebuilt under the 2015–2019 modernization plan

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 a complete overhaul and would be entirely closed for up to 6 months at a time.[83][84] 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 the Richmond Valley stop on the Staten Island Railway would be rebuilt for $15 million.[85] Five stations on the Metro-North Railroad were added to the plan in December 2017,[86] as were sixteen stations on the Long Island Rail Road, which were proposed in several phases.[91]

Updates included cellular service, Wi-Fi, charging stations, interactive service advisories and maps, improved signage, strip maps for the subway routes, subway countdown clocks, service alerts, On-The-Go Informational Dashboards, neighborhood maps, new art, and improved station lighting.[92][93][note 6] 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.[93] Concrete repairs, new platform edges, waterproofing, most tile patching, and structural steel repairs got the stations into states of good repair.[95] 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.[96] One additional station, Richmond Valley of the Staten Island Railway, was also overhauled, without being closed.[95]

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.[95] The first package consisted of the Prospect Avenue, 53rd Street and Bay Ridge Avenue stations along the BMT Fourth Avenue Line in Brooklyn, for which the contract was awarded on November 30, 2016.[97] From March to June 2017, these stations closed for construction,[98] reopening from September to November 2017.[99] 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,[100] and entailed renovating these stations on a staggered schedule from October 2017 to February 2019.[101][102] Originally, this package entailed renovating one platform at a time since the stations are all consecutive, unlike in other packages,[103] but the plan was later amended so two sets of two non-consecutive stations would be completely closed at once.[101]

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 the Capital Program.[104] 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.[105] These stations were closed on a staggered schedule between March and June 2018, and reopened between September and November 2018.[106] The fourth package of stations consisted of stations in midtown Manhattan, and included 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.[95] These stations, except the two 34th Street–Penn Station stops, were closed between July and December 2018.[107] The fifth and final package for the New York City Subway included 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.[95] The 145th Street station was closed between July and November 2018, while the Concourse Line stations was closed from August 2018 to December 2018.[108] An additional package included the Metro-North Railroad stations at White Plains, Harlem–125th Street, Crestwood, Port Chester, and Riverdale.[86]

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.[109] The fifth package of stations would have been in northern and eastern Brooklyn, along with Richmond Valley of 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.[95] 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 the IRT Pelham Line.[95] The seventh package would have included three stations on the IND Queens Boulevard Line: Northern Boulevard, 67th Avenue, and Parsons Boulevard.[95]

In July 2017, after Package 1 had been assigned,[97] 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 the list of 25 most-used stations in 2016.[110][111] 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.[110] 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 the savings afforded by using design–build contracts for ESI projects.[110] 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 the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.[112]

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.[113] 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 the program. Some executives had pointed out that improving subway service was more important than renovating stations that were used by relatively few people.[114][115] 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.[116] NYCT Chairman Andy Byford looked over the list of ESI stations and concluded that 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.[117] The ESI packages were put back for a vote in February, and the two contracts were ultimately approved, with three city representatives dissenting.[118][117]

In April 2018, Lhota announced that cost overruns had forced 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, 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.[109]

Minor component work, such as station signage, tiling, and lighting, would also be performed at over 170 other stations as part of the plan.[83] The MTA would also begin designing OMNY, a new contactless fare payment system to replace the MetroCard (see § Contactless fare trials).[119][120]

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,[121][92][93] unlike the current New Technology Trains, which lack these features.[122] Some lines, like the IND Eighth Avenue Line, would get communications-based train control as part of a larger plan to automate the system.[123] These measures are all projected to help reduce overcrowding on the subway, which is prevalent.[92][93]

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[124]) at 158 of its IRT stations to display the number of minutes until the arrival of the next trains.[125] Payments to the company were stopped in May 2006 following many technical problems and delays[126] and MTA started to look for alternative suppliers and technologies.[125] 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.[127] In 2008, the system-wide roll-out was pushed back again, to 2011, with the MTA citing technical problems.[128][129]

An in-house simpler system developed by MTA for the L train was operational by early 2009[125][130] 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.[131] Siemens signs were in operation in 110 A Division stations by March 2011[132][133][134][135][136][137] and in 153 IRT mainline and 24 Canarsie Line stations by late 2011.[124] Simpler countdown clocks, which only announce 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,[124] 19 stations on the IND Eighth Avenue Line (including four that also have next-train displays that show this information),[124][138] three stations on the BMT Broadway Line,[124] and five stations on the BMT Astoria Line;[139] however, the clocks on the Broadway and Astoria Lines are not in use as of 2016.[124] The announcements are voiced by former radio traffic reporter Bernie Wagenblast[140] and Carolyn Hopkins.[141]

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.[142] In early 2014, data for the L train were also given to developers.[143] 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.[144]

Displays at 267 B Division stations were funded as part of the 2015–2019 capital program.[145] Upon the October 2015 approval of funding for the 2015–2019 capital program, full installation of the countdown clocks was deferred to beyond 2020, with 323 out of 472 stations[note 7] having countdown clocks by then.[146] 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.[147] 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, the D along the BMT West End Line, and the N along the BMT Sea Beach Line.[147][148] Meanwhile, the IRT Flushing Line (7 and <7>​) was to get the clocks in 2018, a delay from an earlier announced date of 2016.[147]

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 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 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.[149] 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 the stations.[150] The new Bluetooth clocks performed accurately 97% of the time.[151]

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 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.[152] 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,[153][151] including on the L train, where the existing LED clocks would be upgraded to use the new LCD displays.[151] 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.[152]

The countdown clocks for the rest of the B Division were to be installed as part of the Integrated Service Information and Management – B Division (ISIM-B) project, which would upgrade signal towers and connect track circuits to a central database.[154] The project was called the Beacon Train Arrival System, and all 268 underground stations would have it installed by the end of 2017.[97] In each of the remaining 269 stations without countdown clocks, there would be two displays for each platform, as well as 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.[152] 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 the aboveground stations so they could also get Wi-Fi capabilities.[152]

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 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.[155][156] Riders also reported instances where the clocks froze, displayed the wrong information, projected wildly fluctuating arrival times, or forgot to display upcoming trains.[157][158] All of the system's 472 stations had countdown clocks by New Year's Day 2018. The last route to get countdown clocks 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.[159]

RFID trial on the IRT Lexington Avenue Line

Access to the paid area is by turnstile. Starting in 1992, MetroCards made by Cubic Transportation Systems replaced 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.[160] 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.[161] Customers had to sign up at a special MasterCard website and use a MasterCard PayPass credit or debit card/tag to participate.[162] Originally scheduled to end in December 2006, the trial was extended into 2007 due to "overwhelming positive response".[163] 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 the customer just using the MasterCard PayPass debit or credit card.[164][165][166][167] 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.[168] The trial continued for six months.[169][170]

In 2016, the MTA announced that it would begin designing a new contactless fare payment system to replace the MetroCard.[119] The system would probably use phone- and bank card-based payment systems like Apple Pay and Android Pay.[120] On October 23, 2017, it 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.[171][172] The OMNY system was rolled out starting in 2019, though support of the MetroCard is slated to remain until 2023.[172] The fare system was criticized because the new turnstiles could be hacked, thereby leaving credit card and phone information vulnerable to theft.[173][174]