Is this Any Way to Run a Subway?

In New York's subway, stations are not the only historic parts of the 113-year-old system. Essential communications infrastructure responsible for keeping the trains running belongs in a museum, explaining the cause of many recent delays.

2 minute read

May 4, 2017, 10:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


New York Subway

Francesco Ferrarini / Shutterstock

New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the state agency that operates New York's subway, may be ready for open gangway subway cars, but the more pressing question is, how long will it take to replace the subway's aging signal system?

"After a long period of improvement, the system’s reliability has dropped significantly, with delays more than doubling over the last five years, according to a review of data from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority," wrote The New York Times transit reporter, Emma G. Fitzsimmons in February.

A top reason for the delays is aging equipment that "dates back to the 1930s." The signal network, which controls when trains can move down the tracks, lies at the heart of the subway's latest operating woes, is explored by Fitzsimmons in this indepth piece on May 1.

But the rollout of a new signal network is unfolding at a glacial pace even as the subway system is straining under the demands of a booming ridershipTwo decades after the agency began its push to upgrade signals, work has been completed on just one line.

New York's signaling equipment is so antiquated that it is "not supported by the rail industry; we are fully self-sufficient and self-sustaining," using their own signal shop, explains the narrator in this MTA video that makes the case for replacing the ancient equipment with modern communications-based train control (CBTC).

"At the current pace, transforming every subway line could take half a century and cost $20 billion," adds Fitzsimmons.

That may be an optimistic forecast, though. A November 2015 post, one of three by Planetizen editor James Brasuell on train delays and lack of modernization plaguing the subway, claims that at "the current pace of installation, the subway system as a whole won’t be converted to CBTC for another 175 years."

Also see the Regional Plan Association video on CBTC and New York's subway system.

Fitzsimmons next transit assignment was across the pond in the world's oldest, yet by New York's standards, also one of the most modern: the London Tube. "It was like being dropped into an alternate universe where people actually like their subway," she reported.

Hat tip to Mark Boshnack.

Monday, May 1, 2017 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

5 hours ago - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

6 hours ago - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

7 hours ago - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA