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MTA Rejects Free Shuttle Bus Plan

Posted by
on January 23rd, 2012 at 5:50 pm

This past weekend was the first of 11 consecutive weekends where 7 Train line riders were without service between Manhattan & Queens due to multiple projects ongoing. Part of the alternate travel plans for riders included a free shuttle bus offering riders a connection to other subway lines heading into Manhattan.

However one of the major issues with their shuttle bus plan was the roundabout way riders would have to go through to get to Grand Central. This prompted City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer to propose paying for a free shuttle bus service that would take riders from Long Island City to Grand Central throughout the weekend outage. Much to his surprise, the MTA rejected the idea. Jennifer Fermino of the New York Post has more in this exclusive report:

MTA officials have proven again that they excel — at taking service away from desperate riders.

Brass at the cash-strapped agency have incredibly rejected an offer of a free shuttle bus — financed in full by a local lawmaker — for 7-train riders slammed by 11 straight weekends of service outages.

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer offered to pay for the $250,000 direct, no-transfer bus from Long Island City to Grand Central while the MTA worked on the signal system under the East River. The money would have come out of his own discretionary funds.

But the agency wasn’t interested and opted for its own three-transfer plan.

“The commute that used to take 10 minutes now takes an hour at least,” the pol fumed.

MTA chiefs balked at his idea, Van Bramer said, because they worried that if they offered it to 7 riders, they’d have to do the same for other communities that deal with serial service outages, like those along the L line.

An MTA spokesman said the agency looked into the plan but found its own meandering route faster.

“It would not save customers time and could actually make their commute longer depending on traffic conditions,” the spokesman said.

Click here for the complete report.

The MTA dropped the ball big time on this. For starters, their long winded way of getting to Grand Central is not faster. The only way it would be is if the Queens Midtown Tunnel had extreme traffic backups. Secondly, their reason of saying it would lead to them having to do the same for other areas is so asinine, it boggles my mind.

The councilman was offering to pay for it so the MTA is not exactly “offering” it to riders. If other areas complained, they should direct them towards their local officials & not the transit agency. Also if they really wanted to make that argument, why not let us take it to the extreme. Since some stations are getting rehabilitated, why not cancel those since they would have to do the same for others even if it was not needed or possible at that time. I am sure you can see how asinine that sounds after reading it.

The MTA should be ashamed of itself for not taking advantage of a rare time when local officials are actually looking to legitimately help their transit constituents. Also for an agency now being run by a CEO who wants to focus on positive press, they sure did miss a golden opportunity for a rare showing of it.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA & TWU Still Far Apart On New Contract

Posted by
on January 23rd, 2012 at 5:15 pm

As I noted a week ago, it came as no surprise to see the contract between the MTA & TWU Local 100 expire without a new deal in place. I also opined how for the sake of everybody, I hoped a deal would be reached as soon as possible. However that seems to be wishful thinking as the two sides are still far apart. Christine Haughney of the New York Times has more:

One week after the expiration of a labor contract between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Transport Workers Union Local 100, there is no shortage of evidence that the two sides are far apart on a new deal.

Talks in Manhattan were halted on Thursday, after the union accused the authority of bad-faith negotiations by revealing its proposals in the news media; neither side seemed hopeful that a new deal was imminent.

But the atmosphere seems far less charged than in past negotiations; there is certainly no suggestion that the union could go on strike, as it did in 2005. The current economic climate is making it hard for most unions to reach agreements without accepting huge concessions, so both sides appear to be taking their time.

The biggest negotiations seem to involve how the authority can balance its budget while agreeing to any raises. On Jan. 9, shortly after Mr. Lhota was confirmed by the Senate, the agency sent the union a 19-point list of proposed cuts: it included slashing vacation time for workers who had been on the job less than 10 years and offering overtime only after employees had completed a 40-hour work week, not an 8-hour workday.

Union officials have said they do not want to bear the brunt of the agency’s cost-cutting measures and suggested a three-year contract with cost-of-living increases that keep pace with inflation. Over the past week, union officials have come back with a range of suggestions to meet its goal.

“The M.T.A. has taken a position that any raises in the life of a contract, whether it’s three years or five years, would have to be paid solely by productivity concessions, which I reject,” Mr. Samuelsen said. “We need to have more money in this contract than the state has thus far allotted.”

Click here for the complete report.

I expect the posturing between the two parties to go on for awhile at the rate they are going. Hopefully it does not lead to a prolonged arbitration process which is sure to get nasty as it has in the past. I will continue to follow this as time goes on.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA Prepares For Winter Storm

Posted by
on January 20th, 2012 at 2:05 pm

Just a few minutes ago, the MTA sent out word on their preparation for the first winter storm of the season:

The MTA is preparing for this weekend’s anticipated snow storm, forecast to bring up to six inches of snow to parts of the metropolitan area. Personnel are being deployed, snow-fighting equipment is being prepared to keep rails free of ice and snow, and chains are being put on bus tires. All preparations are being made to ensure safe travel across the region.

We expect to run normal Saturday service on all MTA services tomorrow morning, but please monitor www.mta.info as well as media reports for the latest service update. Customers are also urged to utilize the MTA’s new Winter Weather Guide that explains possible service adjustments for all MTA agencies during inclement weather. This service poster is available for viewing online and posted in subway and rail stations.

“Our goal is to provide service as long as it is safe for our customers, employees and equipment,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Joseph J. Lhota. “Our dedicated employees are set to work hard throughout the weekend in order to minimize service disruptions, but customers should utilize our website and media to learn about any potential impacts on service.”

NYC Transit Subways and Buses:

Additional personnel will be brought in for snow fighting duty, the Incident Command Center will be up and running, and Local Storm Fighting Centers will be manned and activated.

Some weekend work has been canceled, however, the critical capital work being performed in the Steinway Tube will continue as planned, so 7 line riders should be mindful that planned service diversions remain in effect, meaning that N and Q line service is the best way to travel from Queens Plaza to Manhattan and shuttle bus service will be making the connection between Vernon-Jackson and Hunters Point Ave. stations and Queens Plaza.

The subway system’s fleet of snow fighting equipment has been fueled, prepped and deployed near outdoor locations historically vulnerable to heavy snowfall. In order to minimize the number of cars that will have to be stored over the weekend, full-length trains will operate on all lines. To the extent possible, out of service subway cars will be stored in underground locations throughout the system which may impact express service on certain lines.

Personnel will be putting chains on bus tires on overnight service, and tomorrow, deploy a combination of chained standard and articulated buses while substituting articulated with standard buses where appropriate. The Department of Buses will also be deploying snow crews and snow fighting equipment, and opening our situation room and satellite desks. We will be monitoring conditions as the storm progresses, to make ongoing route-by-route assessments about service.

Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad:

The railroads will activate switch heaters, treat switches and third rails with anti-freeze agents and will have personnel stationed at key locations. Snow fighting material is dispatched to stations and crews will be positioned to be ready to clear platforms and stairways.

The railroads will also operate electric trains equipped with special scraper shoes to help reduce icing on the third rail and ensure that electric trains can draw their power properly. Employees are also spraying door panels with anti-freeze and purging air brake lines of moisture to prevent them from freezing. LIRR station waiting rooms will be kept open around-the-clock to provide shelter for customers waiting for trains.

Bridges and Tunnels:

MTA Bridges and Tunnels has prepared and put into position its fleet of 102 snow-fighting trucks and other pieces of heavy equipment. In addition, MTA Bridges and Tunnels uses a system of technologically-advanced weather sensors to help keep motorists safe. All seven MTA bridges use small, rocket-like atmospheric weather sensors that deliver highly-accurate weather information, including wind velocity, wind direction, humidity and precipitation, via wireless communication. Other sensors are embedded in the roadway and on the snow-fighting trucks to monitor icing conditions on the roadways.

We urge all of our customers to take extra care when traveling during the storm. Stay clear of the platform edges, use handrails on staircases and walk carefully when entering or exiting stations and boarding or leaving trains and buses. Please allow extra time for travel during and immediately after the storm.

Something tells me that too much of a big deal is being made about this storm, mainly stemming from the fact it is the first one of the 2011-2012 winter season.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions 01-20-12

Posted by
on January 20th, 2012 at 12:48 pm

I have just received breaking news from MTA NYC Transit. All scheduled diversions for this weekend are cancelled except for the ones on the 7 Train. Here is a list of the diversions that remain in effect:

1 Train

At all times until summer 2012, 1 trains bypass the downtown platform at Dyckman Street due to station rehabilitation. Customers wishing to travel downtown are advised to take the uptown 1 train from Dyckman Street to 207th Street and use a free MetroCard transfer to the downtown side.

7 Train

From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, January 21 to 5 a.m. Monday, January 23, there are no 7 trains between Times Square-42nd Street and Queensboro Plaza due to track panel installation and CBTC work south of Queensboro Plaza, ADA work at Court Square and station renewal at Hunters Point Avenue.

F Train & G Train

At all times until spring 2012, F and G trains skip Smith-9th Sts. in both directions due to station rehabilitation. Customers may use the B61 for connections between Smith-9th Sts. station and 4th Avenue-9th Street station, where F, G and R trains are available. Customers may also use the B57 bus for connections between Smith-9th Sts. station and Carroll Street station, where F and G trains are available.

At all times until spring 2012, Brooklyn-bound F and Church Avenue-bound G trains skip 15th Street-Prospect Park and Fort Hamilton Parkway due to Culver Viaduct rehabilitation. To get to these stations take the Brooklyn-bound F to Church Avenue and transfer to a Manhattan-bound F or Queens-bound G. Leaving these stations, customer should take a Manhattan-bound F or a Queens-bound G to 7th Avenue and transfer to a Brooklyn-bound F.

Please pass on this information to everyone you know, thanks!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions 01-19-12

Posted by
on January 19th, 2012 at 4:01 pm

I have just updated the Service Diversions with the latest planned work for the upcoming weekend, next week & beyond in some cases.

7 line riders, please remember that this Saturday marks the beginning of 11 consecutive weekends with no service between Manhattan & Queens due to continuing upgrade & modernization of the line & its stations. Click here for complete details.

If I see or hear anything interesting or noteworthy, I will post it on Twitter so don’t forget to follow @TransitBlogger which can easily be done by clicking the button in the sidebar.

The next service diversions entry update will be Monday at 5:01 AM when all of the weekend work is wrapped up.

As always, stay safe & have a wonderful weekend.

P.S. If you or anyone you know is into independent music, check out Surge FM which is up & running.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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