HOYLMAN QUESTIONS MTA CHAIRMAN & CEO ON DELAYED ADOPTION OF SYSTEM-WIDE SUBWAY COUNTDOWN CLOCKS

NEW YORK – During a Joint Budget Hearing on Transportation yesterday, State Senator Brad Hoylman (D-Manhattan) questioned Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Chairman & CEO Thomas F. Prendergast on the slow adoption of countdown clocks throughout the New York City subway system, particularly on lettered lines.

Video footage from the hearing with Senator Hoylman and Chairman Prendergast can be found HERE.

During his questioning, Senator Hoylman, whose district encompasses a number of subways that lack clocks, noted that other cities like “London, Paris, Madrid [and] even Boston are far ahead of New York City in having countdown clocks.” Hoylman said that such devices give straphangers “a sense of confidence they are going to make the commute on time.” In his response, Chairman Prendergast called the 2019 or 2020 dates for system-wide implementation – set in the latest 5 year capital plan – “unacceptable” and committed the MTA to an expedited adoption timeframe.

During the hearing Senator Hoylman also emphasized the importance of bringing in new funds for the MTA. Senators Hoylman and Martin Dilan introduced legislation earlier this year that would dedicate a portion of the sales tax revenue generated through Transportation Network Companies (TNC) such as UBER and Lyft to bolster dedicated public transit aid throughout New York State.