Wondering Where Your Train Is? A New Clock May Help You Figure It Out

In the never-ending annals of the never-ending plans for New York’s vastly complicated transportation system comes some (potentially) good news: Countdown clocks will be arriving at several subway stations by the end of next month, with others to follow. An announcement was made Monday that subway riders on the number 6 train will be the first to utilize the countdown clocks. Three stations in the Bronx will lead off, followed by the rest of the 6 line and all other lines by the end of 2010 or beginning of 2011. Nearly 150 other stations along the 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 lines will be rolled out in addition to the 6 line. Wondering about the 7 line? It was supposed to get the clocks as part of a separate project that was due to be completed in 2006. It’s now (obviously) many years overdue, and the original price tag of $170 million is now projected at closer to $200 million--just for that line. The separate $200 million project for the other lines has encountered a number of snafus, including a serious flaw in the software that was discovered a year into the project. At the moment, countdown clocks can be found only on the L and the 34th Street bus corridor. Bus riders, take heart--clocks are due to be installed at the 50th Street route as well—but no launch date (surprise, surprise) has been set.