The next time your subway train is delayed, the odds are that it’s because the MTA just can’t keep its signals straight.
A report issued Tuesday by the Straphangers Campaign has found that defective signals and other equipment problems cause a whopping 65% of delays in the Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s aging, 468-station system.
“Our findings show the MTA is right to make replacing signals a top priority,” said the Straphangers Campaign’s Gene Russianoff. “The signal systems on some lines date back to 1932. The levers look like the controls on the Titanic.”
Sick passengers, police investigations and other “uncontrollable” incidents account for 35% of delays, according to the Straphangers analysis of data from last year.
The MTA isn’t surprised by the analysis. “We agree with the Straphangers’ assessment that signal issues contribute to delays,” the agency said in a statement. “That is why signal upgrades remain a top priority and are a crucial part of our capital program.”
“It’s always delayed,” said Esther Bristol, 14, a high school student from Brooklyn, griping about the J train. “One time I was an hour late for school because I had to change trains. The whole thing was crazy.”
But even so, Mike Felix, 45, a Manhattan marketing executive, said the subway is generally reliable.
“We have the largest subway system in the world,” he said. “It could be a lot cleaner, but it’s not too bad.”
The report is the first analysis of email and text alerts the MTA started sending in November 2008 to riders who request them. Last year, the authority issued more than 4,500 mass alerts — about 13 a day.
The MTA informs riders of incidents that will result in a “significant service impact” expected to last at least eight minutes, the report said.
Each incident can cause many trains to be thrown off schedule. In February, for example, 21,520 weekday trains failed to arrive at the end of the line on time, according to the MTA’s latest monthly performance report.
According to the MTA, 85.5% of weekday trains were on time.
Because the MTA has changed how it measures on-time performance and delays, it doesn’t do full year-to-year comparisons.
The current five-year capital plan allocates $2.154 billion for signal upgrades and repairs.
According to the report, the No. 2 line had the most equipment-related delay alerts last year, with 251. The No. 5 line came in close at second, with 247. The G line had the fewest such incidents, with 45.
With Marty Twelves
pdonohue@nydailynews.com
