MTA watchdog finds Bronx, Manhattan train yards hazardous

MTA watchdog finds Bronx, Manhattan train yards hazardous

Two major MTA train yards, East 180th Street (servicing the 2 and 5 lines) and 240th Street (servicing the 1 train), are in such advanced disrepair that plants are growing out of their roofs and concrete is falling from ceilings, according to a damning audit from the MTA Inspector General released Monday. Water leaks onto electrical equipment in the East 180th Street yard, placing both workers and subway operations at risk, while at the 240th Street yard, fallen debris and an unstable roof prevent proper maintenance and limit the types of subway cars the site can accept.

This crisis is rooted in years of deferred maintenance and unclear internal channels for reporting critical structural issues, the report says. Despite the city’s largest-ever capital plan designating nearly $2 billion over five years for repairs at dozens of yards, including 240th Street, longstanding hazards remain, in part due to muddled responsibility and persistent delays in executing repair plans.

The audit confirms that while the MTA has created a Facilities Division to triage and address these failures, it has not yet resolved the underlying bottleneck in critical repairs, leaving worker safety and the reliability of subway service exposed. MTA leaders say improvements are coming, but the timeline for addressing severe and chronic roof damage is not resolved in the audit. NYC Daily TL;DR reads today’s audit as proof that without enforced deadlines for repairs and accountability on spending, the most urgent fixes, even those posing danger, will continue to lag.

→ Who actually pays for this?: How the MTA Is Funded

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