Kensington Subway Station Upgrade Is 7 Years Behind Schedule, Report Says

KENSINGTON, BROOKLYN — A project to repair and upgrade signaling at the Church Avenue subway station in Kensington is seven years behind schedule, the city's Independent Budget Office said.

Work on the station was supposed to be finished in August of 2014, according to the letter, written by IBO Director Ronnie Lowenstein. Completion is now targeted for 2021, the letter said.

That finding was part of a broader review of upgrades to subway signaling, which on most lines dates back to 1904. Only one line — the L train — uses a newer, communications-based signal system. The 7 train is finishing up upgrades to that system.

The budget office reviewed the three most recent MTA capital plans with a focus on signal upgrades and repairs.

"Although nearly half of the signal-related spending in the current plan is for a new communications-based control system, most of the funding is directed towards repair of the legacy signal network — a system so antiquated that NYC Transit must itself fabricate some replacement parts," the letter says.

You can read it in full below:

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