The MTA has admitted that only 46% of the city's 4,100 subway cameras are hooked up to working recording devices, and that installing 910 more will end up costing them over $21 million—exactly the amount they saved by firing all those station agents! The four-year project faced problems because of tech glitches and software failure from TAP Electrical, who were hired to build a network to store the information from all 910 new cameras. That combined with different types of cameras with different hookups installed under different branches of the MTA has lead to an expensive and possibly dangerous security failure. more ›

Investigators have few leads in their search for a man who fatally stabbed two men and injured another during a fight on the No. 2 train early Sunday morning. Yesterday cops continued canvassing the Greenwich Village area, handing out fliers and looking for witnesses. But they have no description of the attacker, who is only described as Hispanic. Part of the challenge facing investigators is that the Christopher Street station, where the man is believed to have fled the subway, has no surveillance cameras. more ›

The MTA says its biggest security overhaul in history "is taking too long, costing too much" and now it's running out of money. The agency has only $59 million left in the bank for the program—not nearly enough for the installation of motion sensor cameras and other high-tech gadgets at every subway station. more ›

It's been more than seven years since the attacks of September 11th inspired the MTA to beef up security in the transit system, but a massive effort to improve surveillance underground is still incomplete. Back in 2005, the authority sealed a $212 million deal with Lockheed Martin to install 1,000 video cameras and 3,000 motion sensors, as well as enable cellphone service in 277 underground stations. Today the Times reports that large parts of the project are not "scheduled" to be completed until September, and that estimate doesn't even include parts of the under-river tunnels used by the subway and the Long Island Rail Road. The project was supposed to be done last August. more ›

Mayor Bloomberg returned from London convinced more than ever that NYC needs to emulate the British capital's "Ring of Steel" surveillance system, which places cameras throughout the city to observe and help identify people in real time. He said that the danger of terrorism necessitated a similar system in New York, where plans are underfoot to install thousands of cameras and license plate readers in downtown Manhattan. "In London, they have two or three cameras on every single subway car, they have two or three cameras on every single bus." more ›

a crime), but it can be upgraded for live video transmissions. Also, the Transit Authority hopes to use video footage to disprove accident claims. And we're sure there are a number of driver-bus rider altercations. The MTA hopes they will be able to roll out the program to all of its 4500+ buses, but we wonder if they'll put in bodega-style dummy cameras to deter crime. more ›

It's not just Grand Central being secured these days. Oh no, the MTA wants in on that action too. They may not want bomb-proof garbage cans (sorry Weiner!) but that doesn't mean they don't want security, or at least the image of it. more ›

The City Council took the MTA to task for not moving quickly on security upgrades yesterday. You see, though there was a big $200+ million deal that the MTA signed with Lockheed Martin last summer, you know, three years after the MTA got about a $1 billion to spend on anti-terror initiatives, nothing has really happened since then. Sure, Lockheed Martin has been testing a "protoype artificial intelligence system" but installation won't be complete until 2008. The MTA claims that testing will be done soon, but that's just not soon enough: City Council members complained that the subways don't feel any safer than before September 11 and that the MTA should move quickly, as the attacks were like an "act of war." Gothamist thinks we all could have predicted that things would move like molasses with the MTA and security. There are 468 stations and unions to deal with - and it's the MTA. But when it comes to fining people for putting bags on empty seats, that's fast. more ›

On the top of our list of things we like to know but then wish we didn't know: The London Underground as announced that they rejected the subway surveillance system that the MTA will be putting into our subways. Hmm, that makes our new hi-tech deal seem, well, not that special. The NY Post says that the London Underground felt that things like the "intelligent video cameras" which are supposed to notice unattended bags don't work as well as "standard cameras and human observation." Well, Gothamist supposes that having cameras and humans to observe would be the first thing the MTA would need - the MTA's employees and resources seem to be spread way too thin. The article does address what was our first question: "And while the [London Underground's] extra manpower and cameras couldn't prevent July's terrorist attacks, they did help identify suspects within hours." What's interesting are the stats: There are 6,000 closed-circuit cameras on both train cars and in the stations on the Underground, and almost all of London's 8,000 buses are wired, whereas our buses are far from wired and all subway stations will get cameraas by 2008 (though 1,000 cameras are being installed shortly at key locations). more ›

Ah, there's nothing like Clyde Haberman taking on cell phone service in the subways in his NY Times column:

Say goodbye to some of the last refuges from the endless, witless yakking on cellphones that is epidemic in this city. more ›

The MTA unveiled it's $212 million security deal with Lockheed Martin yesterday, showing off what the NY Times calls an "ambitious plan" to "saturate the subways with 1,000 video cameras and 3,000 motion sensors and to enable cellphone service in 277 underground stations - but not in moving cars - for the first time." Stations with more traffic will get first priority for the important bells and whistles, so think the bigger transit hubs with 2 or more subway lines running through them. Newsday adds that in order to these security measures be as effective as possible, the MTA will also be looking for "detectors capable of spotting biological, chemical or nuclear materials". The NY Times has a description of the cameras:

At the center of the effort will be a dense network of cameras that can zoom, pivot and rotate, all while transmitting and recording images of sensitive areas, from dark tunnels under the East River to bustling subway platforms in Midtown. Each camera will capture distances up to 300 feet and will cost about $1,200. A selected location could have 2 to 30 cameras.

The MTA has asked Lockheed Martin to help install various security devices on its train and bus systems in a $200 million deal. The MTA weather criticism earlier this year when it was revealed it had only spent a tiny bit of the nearly $1 billion it said would be allocated towards security. Gothamist wonders what's more annoying - designing tanks for the feds or security systems for the city. We also think it's funny how in all the reports, whether print or broadcast, there's a mention of how surveillance installations won't prevent terrorism but it's a step in the right direction, as if to remind everyone that we can't pin our hopes on a tiny camera. more ›