At the East 180th Street maintenance shop in the Bronx, where the 2 and 5 trains are serviced, vegetation is sprouting from holes in the roof. Water drips onto electrical equipment below. A tarp has been spread out to funnel the runoff into buckets.

The conditions at that facility, along with similar problems at the 240th Street yard where the 1 train is repaired, are documented in an audit the MTA’s Office of the Inspector General released Monday. The report flags multiple issues, many of them longstanding, that it says endanger workers on site and threaten to disrupt or slow the city’s subway network.

“It is unacceptable that these roofs have been allowed to deteriorate so severely that vegetation is growing and major cracks are visible, despite years of requests for critical repairs,” MTA Inspector General Daniel Cort said in a statement.

At East 180th Street, Cort’s office found “a significant number of leaks above the electrical equipment, allowing water to infiltrate the machinery,” a situation that could put workers at risk and cause power outages on the trains themselves. In some cases, the report said, the damage was “clearly not recent.” A workaround for water leaks near an elevator at the shop involved a hose and a bucket.

The 240th Street yard presents its own set of hazards, according to the audit. Investigators found that concrete had fallen through the ceiling, and workers avoid the roof out of fear it could collapse. Because of its low ceiling, the site cannot take in the newest subway cars. Gothamist visited that yard last year and documented deteriorating conditions there.

The audit found that many of the problems persisted at least in part because there was no clear path for reporting them to the authorities who could start an improvement plan.

The MTA’s latest capital plan is aimed at addressing long-standing issues across the system. It sets aside nearly $2 billion over five years to upgrade some of its 70 train yards, including the one at 240th Street.

In a statement responding to the audit, MTA spokesperson Michael Cortez said New York City Transit created the Division of Facilities to prioritize needed repairs and build in-house teams to carry them out, with employee safety central to that work. “Its dedicated roof team has completed seven repairs,” Cortez wrote, “and a new capital construction team will address additional roof and structural deficiencies across shops, yards and other facilities.”

The findings were first reported by Gothamist.

Frequently Asked Questions

What did the MTA Inspector General find at the East 180th Street shop in the Bronx?

The audit found vegetation growing through holes in the roof, water leaking onto electrical equipment below, and a tarp used to funnel runoff into buckets. Investigators said some of the damage was clearly not recent.

Which MTA train yards were included in the Inspector General’s roof audit?

The audit covered the East 180th Street maintenance shop in the Bronx, which services the 2 and 5 trains, and the 240th Street yard, where the 1 train is repaired.

Why are workers avoiding the roof at the 240th Street yard?

Concrete has fallen through the ceiling, and workers fear the roof could collapse. The low ceiling also prevents the yard from accommodating the newest subway cars.

How much money has the MTA set aside to upgrade its train yards?

The MTA’s latest capital plan sets aside nearly $2 billion over five years to upgrade some of its 70 train yards, including the 240th Street yard.

What did the MTA say it is doing in response to the audit?

MTA spokesperson Michael Cortez said its dedicated roof team has completed seven repairs and that New York City Transit created a Division of Facilities and a new capital construction team to address the remaining roof and structural deficiencies.

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