so what happens when it's really cold? if these display systems cannot take extreme temperatures we've got a big problem on our hands

What's the difference, they never work well anyway....I've noticed many times that when they say a train will be arriving in "four minutes," they stay that way for ten minutes or so, because I had been timing it on my watch.

I don't think the countdown clocks at columbus circle have worked since they were installed.

The clocks aren't the only things that quit, so did the MTA chief, Jay Walder, who is heading for Hong Kong.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/l...

79th Street's Downtown sign has been out for months.

I got an idea for cleaning the stations. It is called Rikers Island. Talk about plenty of labor just sitting around.

It is called unions. Talk about plenty of labor just sitting around.

I would have preferred that they spend money on painting and repairing rundown stations ratther than these. A train arrives when it arrives. I don't see how much a difference it makes whether or not you know that a train is a couple of stations away or not. I see the time clocks as a gimmick to placate impatient riders.

the MTA has been doing stations over for years now, all the stations in the bronx on the 2 4 5 6 and the 1 have been done over and still more they are planning to do now, all over the city stations are done over that coast the MTA billions its the people that live here that keep messing things up.

These clocks have been incredibly useful.  It isn't at all about being impatient. Now I can make an informed decision as to taking the most direct route, and indirect route, or walking instead of waiting. Saving me time and aggravation.

What is annoying though if the unnecessary announcements that a train is arriving in the station.  Well, duh we can tell that because the countdown clock reads 0 minutes and we can see the train arriving.

Does it really matter? These signs are pretty useless when they do work. The whole project was a waste of millions.

I disagree. They're a great investment, and work shockingly well, at least on the 1 train. Remember, they're still under development, so they're not going to be 100%. But they're already pretty good.

I would rather see that money go to cleaning the subways and have the trains run on time and more often. 

Seems silly to me that they put the money into letting us know when the train will arrive, instead of investing in other options. 

The "millions" spent on those signs is but a mere drop in the bucket. It would pay for maybe one cleaning of all 400+ stations. Now, we have a system in place that will provide useful information for years.

Remember, the signs are just the last, final, cheapest stage of a signal modernization project that has been going on for years.

1 cleaning of all 400 stations is all anyone is asking for

And how long will it be before someone throws chicken bones underneath a bench to start the cycle over again?

I am thinking more along the lines of removing 15 years' worth of soot from ceilings and beams. Maybe clean up the oozing rust puddles.

So you want something purely cosmetic instead of actually functional.

Ceilings that crumble will lay waste to your precious overrated countdown clocks and the magnificent signal upgrades. But stay positive Tio Roberto..

86th and Broadway quit last week. I can't decide if this makes us slackers or trend-setters.