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Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit Interim President Demetrius Crichlow started his Friday morning with the Train Project Czar Hugo Zamora at the Myrtle-Willoughby Avs subway station, distributing informational pamphlets informing customers about the upcoming phase of the communications-based train control (CBTC) project that will impact riders starting Friday evening.
Crichlow and Zamora handed out fliers to customers detailing the full scope of the signal modernization work and service changes coming to their station. Starting tonight, until Monday, Aug. 12, trains will only operate between Bedford-Nostrand Avs and Church Av. The planned shutdown between Court Sq and Bedford-Nostrand Avs is being conducted while ridership is at its lowest during the summer to minimize the number of outages at stations including Myrtle-Willoughby Avs.
“All that we are about is great customer service, so we felt it was important to get out here and talk to customers directly about the impacts to their commute,” said NYC Transit Interim President Crichlow. “The future of signaling is CBTC. We have it on the and on the , our best performing lines, so this work will be to get the train in the same vein as those lines.”
“As the Train Czar one of the things I wanted to focus on with this project was on the customer experience,” said NYC Transit Train Project Czar Zamora. “The work is important, but the most important part is making sure the customers get to where they are going as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
Today was the latest example of the robust outreach the MTA has done on this project. In the months and weeks leading up to the start of the first phase of work, officials met with community members, posted station signage, played announcements on trains and in stations, reminding customers of upcoming service changes. In June, Zamora was named the Train Project Czar, who will focus on the customer experience for the duration of the project.
The Crosstown Line still has its original signal system from when it opened over 90 years ago. This system is now past the end of its useful life. Over the next several weeks, the MTA will install modern CBTC signals. A more modern, reliable signal system means more reliable service for the 160,000 riders who take the each day.
The project requires suspending service 24/7 in three phases because this will allow crews to complete the work faster than working only overnights and weekends and reach the project goal of an upgraded signal system on the by 2027.