MTA Plans for Safety Upgrade to Brighter LED Lighting in Every Subway Station

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has announced a plan to convert all 150,000 fluorescent light fixtures across the subway system to LED lighting by the middle of 2026. This project will brighten every subway platform and mezzanine, increasing safety system-wide and enhancing the customer experience. The new LED light fixtures will also enhance illumination for 15,000 security cameras in the subway system, further increasing safety in the transit system.

“By upgrading the lighting at each of our 472 subway stations, we are not only making our stations brighter and safer for customers but also reducing our costs and emissions,” said New York City Transit President Richard Davey. “It’s simple: a brighter station is a safer station. Transit crews have already upgraded the lighting at every station where we’ve completed a Re-NEW-Vation, and customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Soon, these benefits to the customer experience will be felt systemwide as we supercharge LED deployments in 2024.”

“Increasing safety and enhancing the customer experience in stations remains a top priority for the MTA – by switching over to LED lighting, we are providing a brighter and safer look and feel to station environments for customers and transit workers,” said MTA Chief Customer Officer Shanifah Rieara. “Riders should rest assured that every subway station will have this brightened makeover.”

“We’re delivering on our promise to upgrade and modernize every New York City subway station,” said New York City Transit Senior Vice President of Subways Demetrius Crichlow. “I want to thank the dedicated transit workers who have been diligently installing these new highly efficient LEDs in stations across the system, which will make our system even safer for customers and more sustainable.”

This project began in late January 2024 at Bergen St ​​, followed by Carroll St ​​, and most recently at Lafayette Av ​, where New York City Transit officials unveiled the new station lighting. The project will also generate an estimated $5.9 million in annual recurring energy and material cost savings. It follows on the footsteps of the Authority’s Re-NEW-Vation project, which includes station-wide repairs, enhancements, and deep cleanings across the subway system. 

Since the beginning of the Re-NEW-Vation project, 63 stations have been upgraded. In October of 2023, NYCT celebrated its accomplishment of completing a promised 50 Re-NEW-vated stations before the end of 2023. In all, 53 stations were renovated in 2023, the first full year of the program. NYCT will complete upgrades, repairs, and deep cleanings at 13 more subway stations in the first quarter of 2024.