By Joseph Morales

  The Fulton Line(A,C) is a critical subway line that runs through the heart of Brooklyn. One of only two east-west lines in the borough, the Fulton Line runs across Fulton St in Brooklyn from Jay St-MetroTech to Euclid Ave before entering Queens and traveling to the Rockaways. In Brooklyn, the line connects several of the borough’s most densely populated neighborhoods, such as East New York, Bedford-Stuyvesant, and Downtown Brooklyn. The line also provides riders with access to various parts of Manhattan and Queens. In addition, riders can make connections to many other subway and bus routes. This includes some of Brooklyn’s busier bus routes, such as the B44-SBS(Bedford/Nostrand Ave), B46-SBS(Utica Ave), and the B60(Rockaway Ave).

                 Unfortunately, the Fulton Line is also one of Brooklyn’s least reliable subway lines. An article from the Brooklyn Eagle in December says that A and C Trains in Brooklyn arrived on time only 72% of the time. This level of reliability makes it much harder for straphangers to get where they need to go reliably. According to data from the NYC Department of City Planning, only 30-42% of households in community districts near the Fulton Line have access to a car. Hence, the line is critical for the residents to get around daily, as many do not have other options. Additionally, many neighborhoods along the Fulton Line, such as Crown Heights and Brownsville, have and/or are projected to see substantial growth in the coming years. Therefore, quality public transit is essential to ensuring more people can commute seamlessly into and out of neighborhoods along the Fulton Line.

                   For these reasons, the MTA plans to install Communications Based Train Control or CBTC signaling on the Fulton Line in Brooklyn. 

                   The current signal system, a fixed block system, separates tracks into open, buffer, and closed blocks and mandates trains stay in open blocks to remain a safe distance apart. This fixed block system is also the signal system used in most of the NYC Subway. With fixed block signaling, the MTA does not know the exact location of trains or speed, allowing them to run fewer trains regardless of ridership. This system also experiences more malfunctions due to the high amount of old trackside infrastructure needed for this system to operate. The complex, antiquated infrastructure is why signals cause so many delays and are among the leading causes of delays on the NYC Subway.

                   Enter Communications Based Train Control or CBTC signaling, which can help solve all of these issues. Unlike the current system, CBTC is a moving block system that centralizes control of trains through wireless communications. This provides the MTA with precise information on the exact location and speed of trains, enabling them to run faster, closer together, and more frequently in response to ridership demand. The reduced infrastructure required for CBTC also simplifies maintenance, leading to fewer signal-related delays on CBTC-enabled lines. In short, CBTC is not just an upgrade; it’s a game-changer for the Fulton Line. 

                   The success of CBTC is demonstrated in its track record. MTA statistics show weekday on-time performance rose consistently to near or above 90% on both the L and 7 Trains following CBTC installation. Trains on these lines are also extremely frequent, which is critical given how crowded they are at all times of the day. This frequency has allowed for those subway lines to support continued population growth and development along them. For these reasons, the MTA also has CBTC projects on the Crosstown Line(G), Culver Line(F, G), and Queens Blvd Line(E,F,M,R). Hence, it is likely that CBTC will benefit Fulton Line rides and their communities immensely once fully enabled.

                  The MTA plans to complete the CBTC project by awarding a design-build contract to a pair of companies preapproved by their Construction & Development(C&D) department. Companies have included global infrastructure giants AECOM and Tutor Perini and America’s leading electric contractor, E-J Electric Installation. Design-build contracts help the MTA save time and money by consolidating responsibility for the design and construction of projects to a smaller group of entities. Design-build serves its purpose as it makes it easier for the MTA to hold contractors accountable as the project progresses. Overall, design-build has saved the MTA $244 million and four months off project durations in 2022. As CBTC projects often cost hundreds of millions to complete, the savings that design-build contracts could bring on are critical.

                The only major thing holding this project back is that congestion pricing in the Manhattan Central Business District has not yet begun. Congestion Pricing is the MTA’s plan to charge most motorists a $15 toll when driving in Manhattan below 60th St to raise funds for its capital plan. As the MTA considered congestion pricing money when making the plan, several projects were put on hold as congestion pricing was continuously delayed. The Fulton Line CBTC project was one of them. There has been constant debate about whether or not congestion pricing should be implemented for a plethora of reasons. However, it is without question that projects like this will ease motorists’ pain by giving more people a faster, more reliable, and affordable way to get into Manhattan instead of driving. Now that congestion pricing has been put on hold indefinitely, how this and many other projects will be funded is now a major question.

                   Installing CBTC is a massive undertaking for the MTA and private contractors. As a result, there will likely be service shutdowns of some sort once work starts. The gravity of these shutdowns likely depends on the state of the project, as the MTA is primarily doing weekend shutdowns on the Culver Line(F, G) but will conduct full 24/7 shutdowns on parts of the Crosstown Line(G) for work on installing CBTC. While they may be frustrating for riders, they are critical to the MTA in installing CBTC in a timely manner. In an MTA video regarding CBTC, Resident Engineer for the 7 Train CBTC project Andrew Lubrano explained what happens during a shutdown, saying, “…the only time you can get real work done you have to have a shutdown”. Lubrano also said, “…there’s a lot of work that’s happening at the present time; we have power cable work, we have track department out here doing rails, we’re wiring, grounding, flowing conduits with testing, we’re also doing stationing.” Given the potential benefits of CBTC, riders will likely want to see the MTA get the work done in the most efficient manner possible. 

                      As CBTC on the Fulton Line nears, the line is being set for a transformation that will undoubtedly change how many travel across Brooklyn and into Manhattan or Queens. Hopefully, the project will run smoothly so that riders can reap the benefits of faster, more frequent, and reliable service that CBTC provides.

Works Cited

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