You might be able to finally use your non-Verizon cell phone in Metro tunnels. Just don’t hold your breath.

Metro’s finance board voted and gave the OK on a preliminary measure to solicit proposals for lining all stations and underground tracks with a wireless system that would allow for customers to use their phones underground, regardless of carrier. The new system would also provide wireless internet and fix Metro’s broken radio system – which they’ve been having intermittent issues with dating all the way back to 2006. Additionally (and for certain, a more useful part of this proposal), the system would allow Metrorail cars to be outfitted with information-sharing flat screens – imagining the ability to find out, while riding an Orange line train, exactly how long the wait is to transfer to a Red line train at Metro Center makes us pretty giddy. The flat-screens would also become a bright, new source of advertising revenue for an organization that’s actively searching for some. Considering that Metro only received $28,000 in usage fees from Verizon last year – which could jump to between $200,000 and $2 million per year with a new system – it’s probably a sound financial investment.

The downside to this would certainly be the lengthy work that would be required. Officials estimate that the installation of a new system, which would take place only after the system closes at night, would take somewhere between 18 months and four years to complete. With all the other urgent, basic work that needs to be done (see our report post-jump), should this upgrade be taking a back seat?

After the jump: a new Transit Police Chief, and said vital infrastructure issues.

Photo by Aziz Y.