New York City Transit - History and Chronology

New York City Transit - History and Chronology Private companies originally managed rapid transit routes and surface lines. Abraham Brower established New York City's first public transportation route in 1827, a 12-seat stagecoach called "Accommodation" that ran along Broadway from the Battery to Bleecker Street. By 1831, Brower had added the "Sociable" and "Omnibus." The next year, John Mason organized the New York and Harlem Railroad, a street railway that used horse-drawn cars with metal wheels and ran on metal track. By 1855, 593 omnibuses traveled on 27 Manhattan routes and horse-drawn cars ran on street railways on Third, Fourth, Sixth, and Eighth Avenues. Toward the end of the century, electricity led to the development of electric trolley cars, which soon replaced horses. Trolley bus lines, also called trackless trolley coaches, used overhead lines for power. They first served Staten Island in the 1920s and were part of Brooklyn's surface transit for three decades, beginning in 1930. However, motor buses had completely replaced New York City public transit trolley cars and trolley buses by 1956 and 1960, respectively. The city's first regular elevated railway service began on February 14, 1870. The El ran along Greenwich Street and Ninth Avenue in Manhattan. Elevated train service expanded and dominated rapid transit for the next few decades. DID YOU KNOW? The IRT was not New York City's first subway. Alfred E. Beach created a 312-foot tunnel under lower Broadway and ran a subway car from 1870-1873. The train was operated by "pneumatic pressure" - blown by a giant fan. On September 24, 1883, a Brooklyn Bridge cable-powered railway opened between Park Row, New York City, and Sands Street in the city of Brooklyn. New York City's first official subway system opened in Manhattan on October 27, 1904. The Interborough Rapid Transit Company (IRT) operated the 9.1-mile long subway line that consisted of 28 stations from City Hall to 145th Street and Broadway. IRT service expanded to the Bronx in 1905, to Brooklyn in 1908, and to Queens in 1915. The Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company (BRT) began subway service between Brooklyn and Manhattan in 1915. The Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation (BMT) took over the BRT a few years later. Private companies also operated the city's earliest motor buses. The Fifth Avenue Coach Company began passenger service between Washington Square and 90th Street with gasoline-powered buses and open-top double-deckers on July 13, 1907. In 1932, the city's Board of Transportation completed construction of the Eighth Avenue line and created the Independent Rapid Transit Railroad (IND), the first city-run subway service. When the city purchased the BMT and IRT in 1940, it became the sole owner and operator of all New York City subway and elevated lines. In addition to BMT bus and trolley routes, the city acquired three other bus companies in the late 1940s that had operated in Queens and Staten Island. On June 15, 1953, the New York State Legislature created the New York City Transit Authority (now MTA New York City Transit) as a separate public corporation to manage and operate all city-owned bus, trolley, and subway routes. Page 1 of 10

Passengers originally paid for a subway ride with a ticket (City Hall station, 1904). Turnstiles were introduced in the 1920s, and fare payment methods evolved through coins and tokens to MetroCard. Key Events: June 15, 1953 The New York City Transit Authority (commonly called "the TA") is created and establishes headquarters at 370 Jay Street, Brooklyn. July 25, 1953 Tokens debut in the subway. DID YOU KNOW? Subway customers bought tickets to pay their fare until May 10, 1920. Coin-operated subway turnstiles took nickels and then dimes when the fare became ten cents. Tokens replaced coins in 1953, when the fare rose to 15 cents, since turnstiles couldn't handle two different coins. October 30, 1954 A track connection between Brooklyn's Church Avenue and Ditmas Avenue stations establishes single-route service (on the ) from the Bronx at 205th Street to Brooklyn's Coney Island. May 12, 1955 The Third Avenue El, last elevated line in Manhattan, closes. December 1, 1955 NYC Transit opens a track connection between the 60th Street tunnel and the Queens Boulevard line, to link former BMT and IND lines in Long Island City, Queens. June 28, 1956 Subway service to Rockaway Park and Wavecrest (Beach 25th Street) in Queens begins. October 31, 1956 NYC Transit discontinues its last two trolley lines, along Brooklyn's McDonald Avenue and Church Avenue. DID YOU KNOW? One of the original names of the Brooklyn Dodgers was the Trolley Dodgers, because fans had to cross trolley tracks to get to the ball field. January 16, 1958 Subway service extended to Far Rockaway-Mott Avenue in Queens. July 26, 1960 The last trolley buses end service on five Brooklyn routes. March 19, 1962 The New York State Legislature forms the Manhattan and Bronx Surface Transit Operating Authority (MaBSTOA), a non-civilservice subsidiary of New York City Transit, to take over bus service for the bankrupt Fifth Avenue Coach Company and Surface Transit, Inc. routes. November 21, 1964 Page 2 of 10

Bus service starts between Brooklyn and Staten Island via the Verrazano Bridge. November 3, 1965 NYC Transit creates the first express bus route (the R-8X, since discontinued) to link Staten Island with downtown Brooklyn. January 1-12, 1966 Bus and subway service shuts down for 12 days when unionized employees strike. September 11, 1966 Although a few air-conditioned buses were in service previously, air-conditioning becomes a regular NYC Transit bus feature with the arrival of 682 vehicles known as the 8000 series. July 19, 1967 The first successful train of air-conditioned subway cars, composed of ten R38 cars, goes into service on the line. On June 24, 1975, two air-conditioned 10-car IRT trains enter service, the first air-conditioned IRT trains since the subway system opened nearly 70 years previously. This caps more than two decades of work to produce air-conditioning units small enough to fit IRT cars and powerful enough to handle a large number of customers traveling during rush hours. More than 1,300 IRT Redbird subway cars are retrofitted with air-conditioning until 1982. In 1983, new air-conditioned subway cars begin arriving. The entire fleet of 5,800 cars now has air-conditioning. November 26, 1967 The Christie Street connection opens, enabling BMT lines that cross the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges to stop at Broadway-Lafayette (an IND station). The Grand Street station also opens to serve trains using the Manhattan Bridge. March 1, 1968 The New York State Legislature creates the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to oversee transportation operations in 12 counties. The MTA becomes New York City Transit's parent agency. July 1, 1969 NYC Transit introduces reduced-fare on buses and subways for senior citizens. August 31, 1969 All buses require exact fare as payment from this day onward, and bus operators no longer make change. July 1, 1971 The city purchases the Staten Island subsidiary of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and creates the Staten Island Rapid Transit Operating Authority (now called Staten Island Railway or SIR) to operate NYC Transit-managed rail service on Staten Island. August 2, 1971 Queens express bus service starts. The X18 operates from Hillside Avenue to Manhattan. April 29, 1973 Bx55 bus service replaces the Bronx's Third Avenue El, which ceases operation. September 2, 1975 Reduced-fare introduced for people with physical disabilities. July 1, 1976 The Transit Exhibit (now called the New York Transit Museum) opens in the former Court Street shuttle station in Downtown Brooklyn. April 1-11, 1980 A strike shuts down bus and subway service for 11 days. August 5, 1981 The first General Motors RTS Advanced Design buses, which are equipped with wheelchair lifts, go into service on the B17 route in Brooklyn. Jan. 1, 1982 NYC Transit begins the first of its five-year Capital Improvement programs. Page 3 of 10

April 5, 1986 Buses introduce electronic fareboxes. December 11, 1988 The Archer Avenue line opens, consisting of three stations and linking the Jamaica and Queens Boulevard lines in Queens. Six southeast Queens bus routes are rerouted to serve the city's first modern intermodal (bus-rail) transfer facility at the new Jamaica Center (Parsons-Archer) station. May 12, 1989 NYC Transit establishes graffiti-free bus and subway fleets. September 10, 1989 The Gun Hill bus depot opens in the Bronx. It is the first NYC Transit facility to use solar energy. Solar panels on the roof generate roughly 40 percent of the energy the depot needs on a daily basis. October 29, 1989 Service begins to the 63 rd Street Extension's three new stations: Lexington Avenue, Roosevelt Island (Manhattan) and 21 st Street (Long Island City, Queens). September 13, 1992 New M60 interborough bus service between Harlem and LaGuardia Airport gives Manhattan residents a one-seat ride to and from the airport. January 6, 1994 Automated Fare Collection (AFC) turnstiles go on-line at the Wall Street and Whitehall Street stations. September 22, 1994 Construction begins on the 63 rd St. Connector to link the 63 rd Street tunnel to the Queens Boulevard line in Long Island City, Queens. March 8, 1995 NYC Transit's bus fleet becomes 100 percent accessible to customers with disabilities. September 28, 1995 NYC Transit buses in Staten Island begin to accept MetroCard. All NYC Transit buses take MetroCard by year's end. September 19, 1996 Two MetroCard buses travel to community centers, shopping centers, and other locations to promote the fare card and help senior citizens and people with disabilities get or replenish the Reduced-Fare MetroCard. May 14, 1997 The entire subway system accepts MetroCard. All subway turnstiles accept MetroCard, including this high entrance/exit model. Page 4 of 10

July 4, 1997 MetroCard Gold debuts, allowing customers to transfer free from bus to subway, subway to bus, or bus to bus. January 1, 1998 A new MetroCard feature lets customers get 11 rides for the price of 10. July 4, 1998 First sales day for the Unlimited-Ride 7-Day MetroCard and the 30-Day MetroCard, which let customers take as many trips as they want for a fixed price. Sept 1, 1998 Hybrid-electric buses enter passenger service. NYC Transit pioneered the use of hybrid-electric buses and now has the largest fleet in North America. More than 200 are on order; we expect to have 550 by the end of 2006. Oct. 12, 1998 Lenox Avenue Invert is completed in less than eight months. The $82 million project rebuilds the flooded invert (floor) of the Lenox Av and line between 110th and 116th Streets and restores the 116th Street station. January 1, 1999 An unlimited-ride, 1-day MetroCard, the Fun Pass, is introduced. January 25, 1999 The MetroCard Vending Machine (MVM) debuts in two subway stations. By the end of the year, 347 MVMs are in service in 74 stations June 7, 1999 A compressed-natural-gas (CNG) fueling station opens at the Jackie Gleason Depot to fuel CNG buses. The new station can fuel a bus seven times faster than the station it replaced. October 18, 1999 The Franklin Avenue Shuttle reopens after a $74 million rehabilitation, three months ahead of schedule. The 15-month major reconstruction of the 1.4-mile line rebuilds the Franklin Avenue and Park Place stations virtually from scratch and restores the Prospect Park and Botanic Gardens stations. January 3, 2000 Articulated buses begin service on the M79 route in Manhattan. They are 60 feet long (The average bus length is 40 feet), have 22 more seats than standard buses and can carry almost twice as many customers. They are called "articulated" because the accordion-like bend in the middle lets this bus turn corners. An articulated bus manages turns because it bends in the middle. June 1, 2000 Clean Fuel Bus program established. Its goal is to make the NYC Transit bus fleet one of the cleanest in the world. July 10, 2000 The New Millennium R142A subway car enters service on the line. Features include digital information boards and strip maps. The cars provide a smoother, quieter ride and consume 25 percent less energy than current subway cars. Page 5 of 10

maps. The cars provide a smoother, quieter ride and consume 25 percent less energy than current subway cars. October 21, 2000 The first "Subway Series" (World Series between two New York City baseball teams) since 1956 begins between the New York Yankees (Bronx) and the New York Mets (Queens). July 4, 2001 The New York Transit Museum celebrates its 25 th anniversary. May 14, 2001 The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) presents its 2000 Gold Award to the NYC Transit Department of Buses for having the best customer-safety record among transit agencies with more than 30 million customers annually. September 11, 2001 NYC Transit responds to the destruction of the World Trade Center by mobilizing 3,500 employees and five blocks of heavy equipment to Ground Zero within a few hours of the disaster. Buses take people to safety and medical assistance. Rapid Transit Operations and Operations Planning staff develop plans to restore disrupted subway service line by line. October 2, 2001 The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) presents its yearly Outstanding Achievement Award to MTA NYC Transit as "the most efficient and effective transit system" in North America. December 4, 2001 New Technology R143 subway cars enter service on the line. The R143 is considered the most advanced NYC subway car to date, featuring Communication-Based Train Control (CBTC). When CBTC becomes fully operational, the signaling system will be able to identify a train's exact location. December 16, 2001 The 63 rd Street Tunnel Connector opens after more than seven-and-a-half years of work. The $645 million project completes a 1,500-foot link to the Queens Boulevard line, allowing a 20 percent increase in train service and the creation of a line between the 71 st Avenue station in Queens and the Second Avenue station in Manhattan. March 5, 2002 NYC Transit's Department of Buses receives a Clean Air Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). April 10, 2002 A poetry reading in Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, celebrates the 10 th anniversary of NYC Transit's Poetry in Motion program. The event draws 600 attendees. September 15, 2002 The subway line reopens for service. Nearly 1,400 feet of infrastructure between Liberty and Barclay Streets caved in or filled with rubble when the World Trade Center collapsed the year before. The contractor and NYC Transit Inspection forces work around-the-clock, six to seven days a week, and finish two months ahead of schedule. April 13, 2003 - Last day tokens accepted on subways after nearly 50 years in use. Buses continue to accept tokens as fare through the end of the year. June 15, 2003 - The New York City Transit Authority (now called New York City Transit) began operating on this date 50 years ago, replacing New York City's Board of Transportation as the agency in charge of all subway and elevated lines and city-owned bus and trolley lines. August 14, 2003 - Largest power failure in US history hits New York City. Although subway closes, buses enable hundreds of thousands of people to get home. City Hall honors NYC Transit workers on August 18 for extraordinary service during the blackout. September 7, 2003 - West Farms Depot opens in the Bronx, replacing the old Coliseum Depot, which closed in 1995. West Farms is the second depot created to fuel compressed natural gas (CNG) buses. The Jackie Gleason Depot in Brooklyn was the first. In Manhattan, the 100th Street Depot also opens. Page 6 of 10

September 16, 2003 - The New York Transit Museum reopens in Brooklyn Heights after a two-year renovation. Improvements include air-conditioning, brighter lighting, and enhanced electrical systems and fire protection. November 3, 2003 - Last day of service for R36 "redbird" subway cars. The cars were first rolled out for the 1964 New York World's Fair. They received their nickname when they were overhauled in the 1980s and painted a bright red color. The last train of R36 redbird subway cars leaves Queensboro Plaza. The R36 cars, introduced for the 1964 New York World s Fair, ran for nearly 40 years, becoming redbirds when they were overhauled and painted red with silver roofs in the 1980s (Photo from Jeff Erlitz collection). Dec 17, 2003 - JFK AirTrain begins service. This 8.1-mile light rail system goes to JFK International Airport connecting with the train at Howard Beach; at Sutphin Blvd/Archer Avenue and Long Island Rail Road's Jamaica Station. Feb 22, 2004 - Full subway service returns to the Manhattan Bridge for the first time since 1986, following extensive bridge repairs by the New York City Department of Transportation. The restoration of all four tracks means more trains can run over the bridge. Route modifications are implemented, affecting more than 500,000 subway customers. April 21, 2004 - NYC Transit celebrates Earth Day by signing a charter on "Sustainable Development in Mobility" initiated by the International Union of Public Transport (UITP). Click on " NYC Transit and the Environment " on the menu page to learn about projects that help the earth. May 21, 2004 - The newly renovated Stillwell Avenue Terminal reopens. and train service returns to Coney Island after a 21-month hiatus during construction. The terminal has a number of special features. As part of NYC Transit s efforts to help the environment, a new 76,000 square feet train shed incorporates a photovoltaic roof with solar panels that generate 165 Kwh of electricity. Customers who use wheelchairs can now enter and exit via ramps and elevators. As part of preventive maintenance, engineers built an open-deck steel viaduct to reduce the risk of water-related structural damage. In addition, a 370-foot-long glass-brick wall depicts people, elements, and activities that are part of Coney Island s history. Robert Wilson created this pictorial panoramic, entitled My Coney Island Baby, as part of the MTA Arts for Transit program. A section of the 370-foot glass wall panoramic artwork at Stillwell Avenue Terminal, Coney Island, Brooklyn. Art by Robert Wilson. Commissioned and owned by MTA Arts for Transit. Oct. 27, 2004 - New York celebrates the 100th anniversary of the subway's opening in 1904. NYC Transit employees, dressed in turn-of-the-century costumes, greet a crowd in City Hall Park, and a barbershop quartet sings period songs. New York City Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, calls the subway "the finest in the world" and proclaims October 27, 2004 "Subway Centennial Day." Page 7 of 10

Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, calls the subway "the finest in the world" and proclaims October 27, 2004 "Subway Centennial Day." The program includes a ceremony in the original City Hall Station in Manhattan, where 300 guests, including Mayor Bloomberg; MTA chairman Peter S. Kalikow; MTA Executive Katherine N. Lapp, NYC President Lawrence G. Reuter; New York State Lieutenant Governor of New York State, Mary O. Donohue, and other dignitaries ride a vintage train of restored 1917 and 1924 IRT subway cars to Grand Central Station as part of a reenactment of the 1904 inaugural trip. This and other restored vintage trains are placed in passenger service throughout the system during the day and at other times during the remainder of 2004 to show subway customers a glimpse of history. May 29, 2005 -The train returns to full service, stopping at the Stillwell Terminal at Coney Island station. The extensive rehabilitation at Stillwell Avenue-Coney Island means the and are able to provide full service to a more attractive, energy - efficient, and structurally improved transit hub. Also on this day, skip-stop service is replaced by local service at all times. The photovoltaic roof at the Stillwell Avenue Terminal captures solar energy. January 17, 2006 Two Communications-Based-Train-Control (CBTC) trains begin test runs on the line. A computer-based signaling system oversees all train operations. This allows a greater number of trains to run and makes sure that they maintain safe distances between them. January 30, 2006 The MTA and New York City Transit in cooperation with MasterCard and Citibank announce a contactless payment fare card, PayPass, which will test at 30 subway stations in The Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. When a customer taps a PayPass on select turnstiles, PayPass deducts the fare and charges it to the customer's debit or credit card. The initial success of the first trial period results in an extension into 2007 and allows certain customers with Citibank mobile phones to participate as well. February 11, 2006 The New York Daily News reports that 2005 subway ridership was 1.45 billion, the highest in more than 50 years. June 16, 2006 TransitTrax, NYC Transit s podcast service, debuts on the MTA s webpage at www.mta.info. TransitTrax, available in downloadable mp3 and wave formats, offers information on a variety of topics, including subway service diversions, customer safety, MetroCard promotions, bus operations, and much more. August 17, 2006 The R160 subway car begins test runs on the line. One particularly notable new feature is FIND, the Flexible Information and Notice Display. The FIND allows Transit personnel to update digital messages and maps easily, which means R160 cars can travel on different subway routes and dispatch new information. September 26, 2006 NYPD announces subway crime is at its lowest rate in 37 years. December 15, 2006 MTA New York City Transit initiates Trip Planner, a web-based service from that gives directions about how to get from one place to another using New York s subways and buses. Trip Planner also provides service alerts and advisories. The pilot program becomes permanent on January 1, 2007. April 12, 2007 New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer, MTA Executive Director Eliot Sander, and other government officials and MTA executives break ground for the construction of the Second Avenue subway. The first phase of the project, slated to open in 2013, will run from 96th Street to 63rd Street, have three stations, and serve 200,000 weekday customers. September 10, 2007 NYC Transit celebrates the 75th anniversary of the opening of the A line with a ceremony at the Inwood- 207 St station in Upper Manhattan and a ride in a train made of six pre- World War II subway cars to Chambers St in Lower Manhattan, its original terminals. The route ran 12 miles in 1932. Today it is the longest subway line in the world: 31 miles. The was the first subway route operated by New York City as part of the Independent (IND) subway system. It s also the inspiration for a hit song, Take the Train by Billy Strayhorn, a Duke Ellington standard. Page 8 of 10

May 22, 2008 The MTA board approves expanding Access-A-Ride paratransit service into Nassau and Westchester counties. Previously, New York City Transit Paratransit Division carried customers only within New York City s five boroughs. June 29, 2008 Select Bus Service (SBS) starts in the Bronx on the Bx12. SBS speeds bus service by requiring customers to pay their fare at a bus shelter with a MetroCard or cash and get a receipt prior to boarding. Passengers can also enter through front and rear doors. July 27, 2008 Service increases on the line provide around-the-clock service between Times Square-42nd Street and Harlem-148th Street in response to increasing Harlem ridership. August 11, 2008 The green escalator pilot program installs 35 sleep-mode escalators in four subway stations in Manhattan and Queens. The reprogrammed escalators are equipped with a variable-frequency drive and sensors so that they slow down when not in use and speed up as customers approach them. If successful, energy savings may be $1,800 a year per escalator. December 22, 2008 New R160 subway cars start service on the lines to replace 45-year-old trains. as part of a 1,662-car replacement rolling out on lettered February 3, 2009 MTA New York City Transit announces a new online Lost & Found web page to enable customers to report and track items lost on subways or buses, 24 hours a day. The new system also makes it more efficient for employees at the Lost & Found office to trace reported items on a database. February 20, 2009 Annual subway ridership in 2008 increased 3.9 percent over 2007 to 1.62 billion, the highest annual figure since 1950. Combined bus and subway ridership was the largest since 1965. June 29, 2009 NYC Transit introduces the EcoSaver IV hybrid-electric bus. The EcoSaver IV has fewer engine parts than standard diesel buses, is quieter and has lower emissions than other buses. June 29, 2009 Weekday 5 midday subway service is extended to Brooklyn. Previously service terminated at Bowling Green in Manhattan between 10:30 a.m. and 3 p.m. July 5, 2009 Line subway service extends to Church Avenue in Southern Brooklyn for approximately four years during extensive rehabilitation of the Culver Viaduct. April 21, 2010 Using a formula created by APTA, the American Public Transportation Association, the MTA determines that passengers who use the MTA network of subways, buses and commuter trains, keep 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gases (carbon) out of the atmosphere each year. The MTA also receives significant support from the New York Power Authority (NYPA) and New York State Energy Research & Development Authority (NYSERDA) to realize this level of efficiency. May 14, 2010 As part of Phase I of the Second Avenue Subway construction project, the MTA introduces a 485-ton, 450-footlong tunnel boring machine designed to dig through 50 feet of bedrock each day. June 3, 2010 A solar thermal system, mounted on the rooftop of NYC Transit s Coney Island Overhaul Shop and Maintenance Facility in Brooklyn, begins operations. The system, financed with help from the New York Power Authority and a grant from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, heats hot water to wash subway cars by using solar energy. NYC Transit expects to save $94 million a year in power and avoid production of 87 tons of CO2 emissions. June 28, 2010 Major NYC Transit bus and subway changes implemented. New orange service replaces the, and and service replace the discontinued route in Manhattan and Queens. Bus service reductions in all five boroughs include discontinuing or combining routes, as well as reducing hours of service or eliminating weekend service on a number of other routes. October 10, 2010 The M15 bus in Manhattan adds Select Bus Service to its route. The successful introduction of Select Bus Service on the Bronx Bx12 route in 2008 resulted in increased trip speed and an increase in ridership. The M15 Select Bus Service on the M15 features fare machines outside the bus to speed boarding; longer buses that allow customers to enter through the front, middle, and rear doors; limited stops, and dedicated bus lanes. Cameras installed along the route photograph license plates of vehicles illegally riding or parked in bus-only lanes so police can issue summonses. October 14, 2010 Bus Time launches on the M16 and M34 routes in Midtown Manhattan, allowing customers to determine estimated arrival times of buses at a specific stop by using a computer, mobile phone, Smartphone or PDA. February 1, 2011 The Bus Time program begins in Brooklyn, installed on 30 buses along the B63 route, which means Page 9 of 10

February 1, 2011 The Bus Time program begins in Brooklyn, installed on 30 buses along the B63 route, which means customers can find out a B63 location online, via text message, and on Smartphone in real time. Working in collaboration with a non-profit civic group, OpenPlans, MTA can now expand Bus Time to other bus routes more quickly because of reduced software and contractual costs. March 17, 2011 The 23 St-Ely Av subway station in Queens becomes Court Square-23 St in anticipation of a new, free transfer connection between the and lines. The new connection creates a unified station complex, consisting of the Queens Blvd E, M, the Flushing, and Crosstown lines. April 15, 2011 The Help Point station communications system begins a pilot program at the 23 St and Brooklyn Bridge stations on the Lexington Avenue Line in Manhattan. Designed to be highly visible and easy to use, Help Point has a control panel that contains a red emergency button and a green information button along with a speaker and microphone. Emergency calls go to the subway Rail Control Center while information calls reach a subway station agent. June 14, 2011 MetroCard efix, a new processing system, allows Transit customers to correct MetroCard problems quickly and easily via the Internet. Some of the issues efix addresses include lost or stolen reduced-fare MetroCards; transfer problems; a MetroCard not returned by a bus farebox, and certain MetroCard Vending Machine incidents. September 19, 2011 The On the Go! Travel Station pilot program begins at the Bowling Green, subway station. On the Go! kiosks feature a large colorful display, that offer customers information about planning transit trips; real-time service status; escalator & elevator status; local neighborhood maps, shopping, dining and other places of interest. The pilot program soon expands to include information kiosks in Atlantic Avenue - Pacific St, and Jackson Heights /Roosevelt Avenue subway stations, the Penn Station MTA Long Island Rail Road area, and the Grand Central Terminal MTA Metro-North rail station. January 9, 2012 The new FASTRACK program debuts. FASTRACK means work proceeds more efficiently, and at less cost, in many cases taking days to complete tasks that would normally take weeks. For four straight weeknights, New York City Transit workers perform more than 300 maintenance tasks in stations and tunnels along a segment of the Lexington Avenue, and Line stretching between Grand Central-42nd Street and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. During this time, 15 stations close and no trains run in the work area in both directions. January 23, 2012 Thirty new MV-1 vans replace older Access-A-Ride paratransit vans. The new vans, built to meet ADA vehicle guidelines, carry both ambulatory and mobility impaired customers, seat up to four passengers, have a dedicated space for a wheelchair or scooter situated next to the operator, a low step-in for easy entry, and a fully integrated power ramp with a 1,200-pound capacity. March 23, 2012 The 100th Street Bus Depot in Manhattan becomes The Tuskegee Airmen Bus Depot in honor of WW II African-American military pilots and support personnel who made up the famed flight-training program at Tuskegee Army Air Field. June 10, 2012 - Because of fully integrating Communications-Based Train Control on the run more trains each hour, New York City Transit adds 98 weekly round trips to the line, which provides the ability to train schedule. Early Transportation Methods New York El Photos Historic Subway Photos Trolley Photos Historic Bus Photos Back to top Page 10 of 10