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New Capital Program Plan Includes $2B In Cuts

Posted by
on July 20th, 2011 at 5:38 pm

Earlier today, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) revealed its new push to acquire funding for its current 5 year Capital Program. The agency plans include generating $4 billion in savings which includes $2 billion via cost reduction. Here is their press release:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced plans to generate a total of $4 billion in savings for the current five-year Capital Program while maintaining the benefits of a program that protects the safety and reliability of trains and buses, expands the system and creates billions in economy activity across New York State. The savings measures are detailed in a new report, “Making Every Dollar Count: Capital Program,” which is attached.

Last April, the State’s Capital Program Review Board approved the MTA’s revised 2010-2014 Capital Program, which called for $26.3 billion of investments over five years. The program included a $2 billion cost reduction that was achieved by reducing rolling stock costs, shifting to a component-based station rehabilitation program, and sharing shop space across agencies. Today’s announcement details a series of strategies that will allow the MTA to save an additional $2 billion, reducing the cost of the program to $24.2 billion.

“The critical importance of the MTA’s Capital Program to protecting the transportation system and creating New York jobs doesn’t excuse the need to implement it as efficiently and effectively as possible,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Jay H. Walder. “We cut $2 billion from our Capital Program last year by planning our program more effectively. Today I’m committing the MTA to doubling the savings we’ve achieved in our Capital Program to $4 billion, not by deferring vital projects but instead by finding better ways of delivering benefits.”

The MTA is working internally to reduce its costs and externally to help its contractors to do the same. The report details actions underway to reduce administrative costs, eliminate cumbersome processes, leverage new technologies and ensure that management of the program is as efficient and effective as possible:

• Slash Administrative Costs ($150 million savings): The MTA will reduce administrative payroll expenses by 15%, just as was done with the MTA’s annual Operating Budget.

• Create Project Approval Gates ($800 million savings): The MTA will review every capital project through approval gates at each stage of its development to ensure that the agency is moving forward at the lowest cost. This strategy, combined with a softer construction market, has already delivered savings of $800 million.

• Make Changes to Track Work ($300 million savings): The MTA and its agencies are taking steps to overhaul the way employees and contractors perform work on tracks, saving more than $300 million.

• Change Rolling Stock Acquisition and Maintenance ($300 million savings): The MTA is reducing costs of buying and maintaining trains and buses by changing design specifications, increasing competition among suppliers, getting more life out of existing units, and embracing new technologies. These changes will save $300 million.

The MTA is also working to become a better business partner with the contractor community, reducing red tape on our end and helping to find productivity improvements and cost reduction strategies on their end.

“We recognize that there’s no appetite for new taxes in New York today, and that makes it all the more important that we find ways to make these investments as efficiently and effectively as possible,” Chairman Walder said. “At the same time, we continue to pursue innovative and pragmatic ways to move investments forward with our federal, state and local partners, because we can’t afford to eliminate or defer any of these critical projects.”

Click here to read the complete Capital Program plan pdf.

I don’t always see eye to eye with the agency but do on this issue. It is refreshing to see that they are continuing to look for legitimate ways to reduce costs in these dire financial times. While on paper it seems like riders are losing out in a way, in reality it is the best way to go about things.

Will canceling out probable inconveniences at the potential risk of shutting down Capital Project programs really be worth it? The answer is obviously no unless you are completely selfish.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Pigs On The LIRR

Posted by
on July 19th, 2011 at 2:07 pm

Normally I am not one for taking pictures of people to post them online & talk negatively about them. I don’t see a point in doing so to comment on someone who dresses in a way you don’t like or does not seem attractive to you. On the other hand, if it is to expose technical wrongs on mass transit, that is a whole different ball game which leads me to this:

Pig on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) who threw her trash on the floor.
Pig who threw her trash on the floor of a LIRR train.

This past Friday night, I went to see a dear friend of mine perform in Brooklyn. A few hours later, I called it an early night (by my usual standards) & decided to catch the LIRR home around 3 AM. As I expected for an early Saturday morning train, it was filled with the typical obnoxious pricks who make up a high percentage of ridership during the late night hours. Most times I will see a good number of riders board with food that was purchased from inside Penn Station with it usually being either McDonald’s or pizza.

The two ladies who ended up sitting across from me had chosen pizza this particular morning. While we were creeping along, I was enjoying my music when I happened to catch the woman sitting in the aisle seat had just finished her slice. After doing so, I noticed that she waited for about 10 seconds as she was deliberating what to do with the paper plate. After the time elapsed, she decided to just toss it in the aisle. So I decided to just snap a picture & expose her on Twitter (@TransitBlogger) for being the pig she is.

I was disgusted by this & just shot her a look for being such a pig. Was it such a big deal for you to hold your plate until you got off? It sure was not for her friend who threw her plate out into a garbage receptacle at Hicksville when they both got off.

Unfortunately this was not the end of the pig train as when I got off, I noticed more trash laying around as seen below:

I just walked off in anger as I thought of a few things. For starters, why should I or any other respectable passengers have to put up with this? I pay double digits to go to & from Penn Station regardless of when I travel. It is bad enough it is overpriced, I should not have to put up with dirty cars. Also, would these pigs like it if I went to their house & tossed my trash on the floor? I doubt it…..

xoxo Transit Blogger

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A Photographic Look At 07-16 Weekend Work

Posted by
on July 19th, 2011 at 1:34 pm


Old track panel being removed from the West Farms Sq.-E. Tremont Av station on the 2 Train & 5 Train in the Bronx.

Once again, MTA New York City Transit has issued a press release & photos taking a look back at some of the construction work that led to service diversions this past weekend:

MTA New York City Transit restored normal rush hour service this morning after a weekend in which workers fanned out throughout the system to maintain and rehabilitate tracks, elevated structures and station components on multiple subway lines.

Photos of the weekend work can be found here: http://t.co/qT2ArFd

The photos show workers continuing to replace segments of elevated track on the 2/5 Line in the Bronx, where they installed track panels, and contractors replaced cables along the L Line in Brooklyn.

Elsewhere on the 2 Line, workers repaired the platform edge at Bergen Street in Brooklyn, and made structural repairs to the tunnel south of Atlantic Avenue. Workers also rehabilitated track south of 77th Street on the 4/5 Line and north of Hoyt-Schermerhorn on the G Line, painted the structure of the N/Q Line in Astoria and installed tactile tiles and platform tiles on the N/R Line’s Cortlandt St. station in Lower Manhattan.

While these jobs pose some inconvenience for customers, weekends are the only time when complicated track, signal and electrical projects can be performed due to the necessity for workers to have access to tracks without having to be concerned about passing train traffic. Other types of jobs, such as station rehabilitation platform edge replacement also require suspension of train service.

Here is another photo:

Wilson Ave Conduit
Workers cutting off support brackets in the conduit on the south end of the L Train‘s Wilson Ave station in Brooklyn.

These photos are courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Leonard Wiggins

For the complete set, visit the MTA’s Flickr account by clicking here.

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Service Diversions 07-18-11

Posted by
on July 18th, 2011 at 5:01 am

I have just updated the Service Diversions by removing all of the weekend work that wrapped up by a minute ago. The planned work for this week & beyond in some cases has been moved to the forefront.

I suggest printing out a copy before heading to your destination. If you have an internet capable handheld device, you can use it to access the mobile version of this site.

The diversions will have minor updates as scheduled ones drop off. Any minor updates will take place on the page as it is updated daily but will not be noted in an entry. The next complete update will be sometime on Thursday after I received the planned weekend diversions from the MTA directly.

While out traveling, if I notice or hear any changes, I will update them on the twitter feed so don’t forget to follow @TransitBlogger today which you can do by clicking the button in the sidebar.

As always, stay safe & have a wonderful week.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions 07-15-11

Posted by
on July 15th, 2011 at 3:27 am

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

For those who plan on riding the 2 Train or the 5 Train in the Bronx, please be aware that service is suspended between between 149th Street-Grand Concourse & East 180th Street starting this & every following weekend in July. Click here for complete information.

Riders of the M86, please note that the route is subject to overnight detours for the rest of the month. Click here for complete information.

I suggest printing out a copy before heading to your destination. If you have an internet capable handheld device, use it to access Transit Blogger’s mobile site.

While out traveling, if I notice or hear any changes, I will update them on the twitter feed so don’t forget to follow @TransitBlogger today which you can do by clicking the button in the sidebar.

The next full update will be at 5:01 AM Monday when all weekend work will be removed. Any minor updates will take place on the page as it is updated daily but will not be noted in an entry.

As always stay safe & wonderful weekend!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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