NYC Transit Chief Vows Improvements By Year’s End

New York City Transit President Andy Byford said Sunday night that subway riders can expect to see improvements to the system by the end of the year.

Byford discussed the system in a segment aired on WCBS. He said the improvements will be costly and require riders’ patience as lines are shut down for upgrades.

“I’ve said in the past that’s what we have to do,” he said. “Not to tweak this system. That it needs way more than that. It needs to be a comprehensive, top to bottom modernization of every aspect of our operations. Why shouldn’t we be on a par with London, with Hong Kong, with Shanghai, with Singapore? This is New York, for goodness sake.”

Byford previously proposed a “Fast Forward” plan to overhaul the system in 10 years instead of the initial 40-year estimate. His proposal includes new signaling, new subway cars and a new fare payment system.

Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both Democrats, have yet to agree on who should pay for the improvements and how much.

“My message to New Yorkers is,” Byford said, “there’s no gain without a bit of pain. This will be worth it.”