MTA Launches $1.9 Billion Signal Upgrade on A and C Lines

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Thursday the start of a $1.9 billion, six-year project to replace nearly century-old analog signals on the A and C subway lines through Brooklyn and Queens. The work covers 42 miles of track and 23 stations between High Street in Brooklyn and Ozone Park–Lefferts Boulevard in Queens, serving approximately 350,000 daily riders. The project will install Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) technology, already running on the L, 7, and parts of the E lines. MTA Chair Janno Lieber called signal failures the number-one cause of subway delays. The project is funded entirely by congestion pricing revenues. Comparable upgrades on other lines have shown significant gains: the 7 line's on-time performance rose from 68% to 91% after CBTC installation, and the E line achieved a 10% speed increase. Governor Kathy Hochul said the investment would shorten waits and slash delays for hundreds of thousands of daily riders.