Signal Woes Ruined Almost Every August Morning Commute: Review

NEW YORK — Maybe the "Summer of Hell" never really ended. New York City straphangers encountered subway signal problems during every morning rush hour last month but one, proving the continued need for a major transit overhaul, advocates say.

Some 22 of the 23 weekday morning commutes in August were roiled by signal problems, with mechanical problems also arising some days, according to a report the advocacy group Riders Alliance released Sunday.

The widespread delays impacted all trains except the L, the only line where modern signals have been fully installed, the group said. The D and R lines tied for the worst performance last month, the analysis found — each experienced signal delays 11 times and mechanical delays five times.

Thursday, Aug. 23 was the only day when signal and mechanical issues didn't hinder New Yorkers from getting to work, the report says — though B, Q, 4 and 5 trains still suffered delays for other reasons that morning.

"Every one of those signal malfunctions throws thousands of people's daily lives into chaos," John Raskin, Riders Alliance's executive director, said in a statement. "In a functional transit system, that would be a rare event that merits an apology. In 2018 New York, it has become routine."

The hellish month came more than a year after Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the state-controlled Metropolitan Transportation Authority. His appointed chairman, Joe Lhota, unveiled an $836 million Subway Action Plan in July 2017 to stabilize the ailing system.

Those stopgap measures have not replaced the more pressing need to fully modernize the subway system, advocates said. They called on state lawmakers to fund New York City Transit President Andy Byford's multibillion-dollar "Fast Forward" plan, which would install modern signals on every subway line within 10 years.

"It's been well over a year since the MTA released its Subway Action Plan. What riders need is assurance that subway service is getting better, not worse," said Jaqi Cohen, a campaign coordinator for the Straphangers Campaign, another advocacy group.

Advocates stood by their support for congestion pricing, a proposal to fund the MTA by tolling vehicles entering central and lower Manhattan. Cuomo, a Democrat, supports the idea but it has gained little traction in the state Legislature.

Riders Alliance said its findings were based on a count of MTA delay alerts issued from 6 to 10 a.m. on each weekday in August — a methodology the transit authority said lacked context.

MTA spokesman Jon Weinstein called report the report "more of a stunt than an actual serious look at service," saying it ignored progress under the Subway Action Plan that has "stopped a steep decline in service and resulted in a series (of) vital improvements."

"The complete modernization of New York City Transit, in particular the upgrading of our signal system, is essential to providing safe and reliable subway service, which is why a predictable, sustainable source of funding is vital to making the full Fast Forward plan a reality," Weinstein said in a statement.

(Lead image: Photo from Shuttertstock)