Brighter Stations, Better Service: NYMTA Completes Systemwide Subway Refresh

For millions of New Yorkers, the daily transit experience begins—and often ends—on a subway platform. In 2025, New York City Transit made that experience markedly better. The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYMTA) has completed a sweeping, systemwide refurbishment program that has transformed all 472 subway stations with brighter lighting, cleaner environments, and refreshed finishes—demonstrating how focused investment in core infrastructure can deliver immediate benefits for riders.

At the center of the effort is the full conversion of fluorescent lighting to modern LED fixtures across the entire subway system. More than 181,000 fixtures were replaced or converted beginning in January 2024, completing the initiative well ahead of its original mid-2026 target. The LED program, launched as part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s five-point subway safety plan, is expected to save the agency approximately $5.9 million annually while significantly improving visibility and perceptions of safety for nearly 4 million daily riders.

“NYC Transit is committed to providing safe and reliable service, and that effort starts right when customers enter the system with brighter and cleaner stations,” said New York City Transit President Demetrius Crichlow. “With historically high on-time performance, new ridership milestones, and a continued emphasis on reviving stations, 2025 was a great year to be a subway rider.”

Lighting upgrades were only one piece of a broader station renewal campaign. Over the course of the year, crews repainted more than 1.1 million square feet of station space and installed or replaced nearly 9,700 square feet of tile. Behind the scenes, communications rooms received new lighting, paint, flooring, and deep HVAC cleaning—work that supports both day-to-day operations and long-term system reliability.

The cleanup effort was equally ambitious. Crews removed more than 1,460 tons of bagged garbage from stations and cleared nearly 700 tons of debris from track areas between stations. These efforts not only improve cleanliness and aesthetics but also contribute to safer operations and more resilient infrastructure.

The LED conversion delivers additional benefits beyond cost savings. Brighter, more consistent lighting enhances the quality of images captured by more than 15,000 subway security cameras, strengthening safety and security systemwide. And the work is not finished: New York City Transit continues to replace fluorescent lighting in other areas of the system, including onboard trains and in AC-powered tunnels. Today, 73 percent of subway cars are already equipped with LED lighting, with further conversions planned.

For the public transportation industry, NYMTA’s systemwide refresh underscores the value of investing in foundational improvements that riders immediately see and feel. Cleaner, brighter, and better-maintained stations reinforce public confidence, support ridership growth, and demonstrate how targeted capital and maintenance programs can yield outsized returns.

As agencies nationwide grapple with aging infrastructure and rising rider expectations, New York’s experience offers a clear takeaway: improving the basics—lighting, cleanliness, and station condition—remains one of the most effective ways to improve the transit customer experience.