MTA ‘new’ tech from ’80s: gov

Signal technology rolling out on New York’s subways is too far behind the curve, Gov. Cuomo gripes.

“There’s better technology out there” than the communications-based train control system at the center of NYC Transit President Andy Byford’s plan to upgrade the subway, Cuomo said Thursday to a room of Manhattan bigwigs at an Association for a Better New York lunch.

Cuomo wants the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to more aggressively pursue ultra-wideband technology, a higher-tech communications-based control system he hopes is more efficient.

The tech has been tested over the past year, and the state budget requires the MTA to explore its feasibility.

Lower-tech versions of communications-based train control are already installed on the L and No. 7 subway lines. It gives dispatchers more precise locations of trains than the current system, and could even allow trains to run without train operators.

The technology — transit officials refer to it by its initials, CBTC — is a big improvement from the century-old signaling system that limits subway operations.

Cuomo wants to go all-in on the even newer ultra-wideband tech.

“Vendors are installing technology they designed in the ’80s,” said Cuomo. “If you can figure out how a car can fly… you have to be able to have technology where on train can tell you where the other train is.”

But MTA officials, including NYC Transit President Andy Byford, are more cautious.

“CBTC is a proven, mature product,” he said Wednesday. “If ultrawideband proves to be what we think it is and it’s complimentary to CBTC, we can do this resignaling even more quickly.”

“Our issue with CBTC is that essentially it’s a global duopoly,” said MTA Vice Chairman Fernando Ferrer. “We’ve got to find a way to do it better, to do it faster. Ultrawideband shows promise.”