All 472 subway stations in New York City are officially equipped with security cameras.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the milestone Monday after officially installing the final camera at the Broadway Station on Sept. 11.

The initiative to expand security camera cover was accelerated last year by Interim President of New York City Transit Sarah Feinberg, the MTA says, who identified a new class of cameras that could be deployed faster and at a lower cost than traditional cameras.

Within the last year, 200 stations gained security camera coverage.

"Thanks to our incredible workforce who continue to deliver for our customers and credit to Sarah Feinberg, who from the top of New York City Transit got this program accelerated," says Craig Cipriano, acting president of MTA New York City Transit. "We have delivered on Sarah's commitment to accelerate the camera roll-out as we look to restore confidence in the system. We recognize safety and security are top concerns for our customers, as they return to our system, and this is a significant tool in our effort to enhance rider safety."

There are two versions of cameras in subways - some that broadcast in real time to the subway's security center, and those that record locally and from which footage can be retrieved quickly.

Local politicians and community advocates spent much of this year advocating for increased security measures in subways after a spree of assaults within the transit system.

But the latest statistics provided by the New York City Police Department show a decline in major felonies of 20.6% through Aug. 31, and a 28.6% increase in arrests in the transit system over the same time period, according to the MTA.

Real-time cameras were first installed in the city's busiest transit hubs in 2010, as part of the NYPD's post-9/11 Lower Manhattan Security Initiative. The MTA says the new cameras installed offer similar abilities, including being able to spot suspicious packages and other activities that might require a response. 

The MTA will continue to expand the placement of cameras throughout the system, aiming to optimize coverage of stations.

"We at the MTA, together with the NYPD, are driven to deliver a safer and more high-level quality of life experience in the subway system and these cameras are a big part of that," says MTA Chief Safety Officer Patrick Warren. "If you are a criminal who preys on those who use our system, you will have your image captured and be put on the express track to justice. The image will be delivered to the police, and the police will use it to find you. The NYPD has been aggressively investigating every crime in the subway, which is why crime is way down this year."