Gov. Andrew Cuomo seems to be leaning more heavily toward an unproven technology called Ultra-Wideband Radio for subways. Photo Credit: Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.

The MTA has been testing ultra-wideband radio as a means of better tracking trains, while also providing cell service to riders inside subway tunnels. Photo Credit: Craig Ruttle

 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the MTA’s transit chief disagree on how to modernize the city’s subway system.

The two seem at odds over new subway signal technology — the centerpiece of NYC Transit President Andy Byford’s highly regarded Fast Forward plan to improve subway, bus and accessibility services. Byford’s plan hinges on the installation of common modern signal technology that Cuomo thinks are out of date.

“Vendors are installing technology they designed in the ’80s. I believe there is better technology out there,” Cuomo said at a Cipriani’s luncheon hosted by the Association for a Better New York. “If you can figure out how a car can fly and you can get in a car that drives you by itself to Southampton, you have to be able to have technology where one train can tell you where the other train is on a closed system.”

Just a day earlier, Byford described the same signal equipment, known as Communications-Based Train Control, as “proven” and “mature.” The subway’s signal system is essentially the traffic lights of the subway and helps determine how frequently trains can run, which directly impacts subway capacity.

Cuomo seemed to be leaning more heavily toward an unproven technology called Ultra-Wdeband Radio, in the hopes that it could be used instead of CBTC to bring about signal modernization more quickly and without the significant service disruptions otherwise needed for an upgrade.

The MTA is preparing to test out Ultra-Wideband Radio, or UWB, this fall. Ultra-Wideband Radio would allow the agency to directly locate trains on their tracks, which would facilitate more trains running more closely together on each subway line. The tech would also have the added benefit of allowing commuters to use cellphones inside subway tunnels.

Byford says he’s pushing on with CBTC which is being installed over all the world by very high quality metro systems.