NEW YORK, NY February 02, 2007 —The city's fiscal watchdog says subway riders will have to wait 20 more years before the system's aging signals and tunnel lights are completely overhauled. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

The MTA's top priority is to keep its trains and buses in what it calls a "state of good repair." But Comptroller Bill Thompson says vast sections of the infrastructure still have a long way to go. For example, more than a third of the fans which remove smoke from subway tunnels in a fire are not in a state of good repair and won't get there until the year 2028. Tunnel lighting, stations and subway signals are also waiting for modernizations.

Thompson claims the city's transit system is in far worse shape than the commuter rails. He says that's because New York City Transit only gets 75% of MTA capital funds even though it has more than 90% of the riders. The comptroller is pushing for a greater share now that there's a new governor and a new MTA head. The authority says it will study his report. For WNYC, I'm Beth Fertig.