Whenever I find myself in a train station that isn’t on my regular route with some time to kill, I start looking closely at the station. On Saturday night, I had a few minutes to spare at 14th St. and later at 23rd St. along the West Side IRT, and at both stations, I found a few MTA signs that have long since stopped serving their purpose.
The first sign I found that raised an eyebrow was at 14th St. This one discussed a construction project the MTA had been engaged in that would improve service. I’ve seen similar signs throughout the system, but lately, I’ve noticed more and more of them are out of date. The ones along the 53rd St. tunnel talk of improving E and V service and have completion dates that the MTA simply missed.
Anyway, this one was, um, older:
As you can see, the MTA has not found a way to remove a sign announcing a project that was due to wrap up 15 years ago. In November 1996, the Yankees had just won their first World Series since 1978; America had just reelected Bill Clinton to his second term; and the Unlimited MetroCard wasn’t yet a thing. The fares, by the way, were a $1.50.
This sign isn’t in a particularly hard-to-miss location. If you enter the 14th St. station on 7th Ave. and walk toward the fare control area, it’s hanging on the left in front of the walkway between 6th and 7th Aves. It’s not in bad shape either; it’s just a sign of another era in New York City history.
That’s now, however, the only relic I saw on Saturday night. On my way back from dinner, I had to wait in the 23rd St. station for a five minutes, and while examining the neighborhood map next to the now-shuttered station booth on the southbound side, I saw that the 9 train lives. This photo below is an excerpt from the neighborhood map at 86th St., but it shows the same problem:
This neighborhood map must be from at least 2005 when the 9 train made its last trip. For the West Side IRT, the presence of the 9 doesn’t matter because it doesn’t materially impact service, but the 9 train isn’t the only relic. The map at 23rd St. still featured the V and W trains, and I’ve seen remnants of the Manhattan Bridge service changes at various places throughout the system. More recently, I’ve noticed how the Rockefeller Center entrances still think the V is going to stop there.
On their own, these various mistakes and mishaps aren’t too damaging to the MTA. The sign from 1996 might as well be a permanent part of the station at this point, and few people are going to be confused by the presence of a 9 train on a map whose purpose is to guide straphangers above ground. But on another level, these anachronisms show a certain level of neglect. The MTA does not have the capacity to keep its extensive signage up to date. It can’t afford to spend the money to do so, can’t find the manpower to make the changes or some combination of both. And so the end result are signs warning us of construction projects from 15 years ago or urging us to take trains that no longer run.
As I said just a few weeks ago, the MTA posts signs for the benefit of its customers. If the signs are wrong, people either get lost or lose faith in the trustworthiness of the post information. It’s these little things that make it tougher for the MTA to gain public support at a time when political backing is sorely lacking.
12 comments
Was the above map a true MTA map? There are a bunch display ads in stations for Mamma Mia on Broadway that include an outdated subway map. Although it’s not there to guide passengers, it often gets used that way and I’m sure confuses a lot of people.
The map was a true MTA map. It was one of those full-sized neighborhood maps that are at every exit in the system. For example, here is a PDF of the Astoria neighborhood map.
Not every exit – just most. 116th does not have one; the only MTA Morningside Heights neighborhood map I’ve seen is displayed at Columbia’s student housing office.
Those Mamma Mia ads are confusing, but I’m assuming that was a campaign devised by and approved by MTA. They should really be updated as well as they are often the only map in parts of the stations.
I think all the neighborhood maps along the F or J/M in Manhattan still show the V and old M.
I use that 14th Street station on the West Side IRT a lot — it’s the quickest way from work to my gym — and the whole thing is really a mess. The other night there was a pile of trash on the south part of the platform which rats were jumping off of as trains pulled into station. The exit at 13th and 7th is a mini homeless encampment which regularly features an old used couch that someone has dragged down there.
We talked about what TOD planning could do for NYC. Figuring out how via station area plans and intensified zoning near stations can fund station improvements would be a major part of that. The plans to replace the old St. Vincent’s site could include a height variance with station repair and enhancement funding. That’s the kind of thing that Transit Oriented Development planning can help with.
Well um not to be picky Ben but the Yankees last World Series win prior to 1996 was 1978. They only appeared in it in the early 80s. 😉
My favorite was the Vignelli system map hidden in a corner of the 57th St Station on the IND 6th Ave line. It was there until just a few years ago (much the worse for wear, of course). And there are always a few signs like the one at the PATH station at 33rd Street, pointing riders toward the “Street and BMT.” I love that stuff!
I think there’s a difference between historic signage (although at this point that early 90s sign is looking pretty historic) like those that point to the H&M tunnels at 6th and 14th and what supposed to be work-related temporary signage like the one shown above.
Christopher, thanks for correcting me. It’s critical that we get everything just right on the SAS blog, because we’ll be tested on all this later on 😮
I think it’s also interesting to note that some of this is due to people who, on top of tagging stations and other such vandalism, rip the black tape off of the overhead signage. The 9 train is actually alive and well at the 6 Av station on the L, with signs pointing to its availability upstairs. You can find it overhead in the middle of the Manhattan-bound size of the L platform.
it’s amazing how confusing some of these signs can be, they need to be updated!