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MTA Decision Cost Taxpayers Nearly $3 Million

Posted by
on September 20th, 2010 at 1:54 am

The MTA’s well known slogan is “If You See Something, Say Something” & it is one that their Inspector General Barry Kluger continues to live by. His latest scathing report focuses on how the MTA’s decision during an arbitration process cost taxpayers nearly $3 million. Tom Namako of the New York Post has more:

Top MTA brass repeatedly bungled negotiations with their largest union, committing basic errors of common sense that resulted in bloated legal fees and cost taxpayers up to another $3 million, according to a scathing report released yesterday.

A lawyer representing arbitrator John Zuccotti in 2009 contract talks charged $700 an hour even though the MTA is entitled to a nonprofit rate, and included $11,295 for “business meals.”

MTA Inspector General Barry Kluger pinned the blame on agency officials, who failed to get a written price for Zuccotti’s team before the talks began.

“These are public funds,” said deputy IG Michael Boxer. “No one hires a lawyer without asking what it’s going to cost them.”

MTA officials scrambled to get a rate out of Lawrence Baer, Zuccotti’s counsel during the arbitration, but he repeatedly refused to answer e-mails.

The final bill for Zuccotti’s team was $288,469 — including $117,320 for Baer — to be paid equally by the MTA and the Transport Workers Union. The nonprofit rate is 20 percent less — about $58,000 in savings, Kluger said.

MTA officials froze payments to Zuccotti, while Kluger calls for an itemized bill.

Click here for the complete report.

I browsed the Inspector General’s website & could not find the report or I would have linked it. Regardless of what the rest of the report contains, this snafu is just one of the many things the MTA needs to clean up. Poor choices that cost themselves & taxpayers are inexcusable.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

Service Diversions 09-18-10

Posted by
on September 18th, 2010 at 4:48 am

I just updated the “Service Diversions” page with the latest diversions for this weekend, next week, & beyond in some cases. The next update will be sometime after 5:01 AM Monday when all of the weekend diversions are removed & the ones for the week move up the list.

Also for riders in Northern Manhattan & the Bronx who depend on the 1 Train, please read this entry with information on the start of a $47M major renovation project that will last until 2012.

I suggest you print out a copy of the page to carry with you or use any mobile device to access the phone-friendly version of Transit Blogger. Everyone have a wonderful weekend & as always stay safe!

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4

$47M #1 Train Line Construction Project Begins

Posted by
on September 18th, 2010 at 4:46 am

In the middle of July, I wrote an entry about the MTA’s announcement of a major renovation project on the 1 line that would affect 5 stations & last until 2012. Flash forward to today as work on that project has officially begun. A couple of days ago, MTA NYC Transit issued an updated press release with complete information:

This weekend MTA NYC Transit will begin a $47 million project to rehabilitate Inwood’s historic Dyckman Street station and conduct stair and platform improvement work on five No. 1 Line elevated stations from 207th to 242nd Street in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

This, and two other major construction projects, will require 1 line service to be suspended from end to end this weekend, replaced by a combination of 2, 3 and A train service and shuttle buses.

This weekend, track panel installation at 215th Street and abatement work at 242nd Street will necessitate the closure of subway stations above 168th Street. Signal cable replacement north of 96th Street will force the closure of stations between 168th and 96th Streets. In addition, Port Authority will be doing work on the “box” that carries the #1 line through the WTC site which will affect the tracks between Chambers Street and South Ferry.

2 and 3 trains run local and replace the 1 between 96th and Chambers Sts. (Please note that downtown 2 and 3 trains skip 86 and 79 Sts.) When possible, customers are encouraged to use the A Line.

Shuttle buses run in four sections making station stops along the 1 line:

1. On Broadway between 242nd and 215th Sts, then connecting to the 207th Street A train station.

2. On St Nicholas Av between 191st and 168th Sts.

3. On Broadway between 168th and 96th Sts (express and local service).

4. In Lower Manhattan between Chambers St and South Ferry.

Normal 1 Line service is scheduled to resume at 5:30 a.m. Monday. This same service pattern will also be in effect the weekend of September 24 beginning at 11:30 p.m. on Friday the 24 and continuing until 5:30 a.m. on Monday the 27.

Please note that on Saturdays, September 18, 25, October 2, 9 and November 13 between 11:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., free shuttle buses will available to Baker Field Columbia University from the 207th Street A Station, located on Broadway at Isham St.

Dyckman Street Undergoes Major Rehabilitation:

Opened in 1906, the Dyckman Street Station is a design unique in the system and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The outdoor station situated just north of the Fort Washington Tunnel portal has two side platforms above a masonry head house. The fare control area is located in the station building below track level.

The general scope of work includes repairing the stairs from the sidewalk into the station, restoring the concrete station wall along Hillside Avenue, replacement of the stairs connecting the control area to the platforms, repairing and painting the ceiling, and repairing damaged tiles.

At train level, we will demolish and reconstruct the north and southbound platforms, demolish and reconstruct the platform structure and canopy, install new platform windscreens and repair the guardrails. We will also take this opportunity to replace the track along the entire station length.

“We are rehabilitating this station with the goal of improving the structural aspects and customer amenities while retaining the unique architectural features that have made this station so visually special,” said NYC Transit President Thomas F. Prendergast. Additionally, we are making improvements to stations north of Dyckman on the 1 Line.”

During the initial phase of the Dyckman St. station work, from October 18th, 2010 to June 2011, the northbound platform will be out of service for a little more than eight months. Phase Two will begin in July 2011 and continue through August 2012, at which time the southbound platform will be out of service.

During each phase there will be 14 weekend closures for station component work at 207th, 215th, 225th, 238th, and 242nd Streets. Stations from 242nd Street to 181st Street will be closed. A free shuttle bus will be in operation from 242nd Street to the 207th Street A station. In addition, the M3 bus will allow free boardings between the 191st Street 1 station and 168th Street 1, A station.

The station component work at the five stations north of Dyckman Street will include the demolition and reconstruction of stairs from the sidewalk into the station at 207th and 225th Streets. All five stations will receive new platform edges and the installation of edge warning strips.

Canopies and platform structures will be demolished and reconstructed. At 238th and 225th Streets there will be a one-month bypass during northbound platform demolition and a one-month bypass for the southbound platform demolition.

NYC Transit apologizes for any inconvenience to our customers while this vital work is being performed.

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0

NYC Transit Announces Changes To M3 & M100

Posted by
on September 18th, 2010 at 4:39 am

Late Thursday afternoon, MTA NYC Transit announced changes to the M3 & M100 bus routes in Washington Heights due to changes implemented by the NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT). Here are the complete details courtesy of the press release I received:

MTA New York City Transit announced changes to the M3 and M100 routes which began Sunday, September 12 in Washington Heights due to new pedestrian plazas, roadway reconfigurations, and street directional changes. The NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) introduced these changes at the intersection of St. Nicholas Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue between West 160th Street and West 163rd Street.

The southbound M3 travels the regular route on St. Nicholas Avenue, then goes south on Amsterdam Avenue, east on W. 155th Street, then resumes the regular route south on St. Nicholas Avenue. New southbound stops are on Amsterdam Avenue at W. 161st Street and at W. 158th Street, and on West 155th Street at St. Nicholas Avenue. Southbound stops on St. Nicholas Avenue at W. 160th, W. 158th, and W. 155th Streets are discontinued.

The northbound M3 operates on the regular route on St. Nicholas Avenue, then goes west on W. 155th Street, north on Amsterdam Avenue, west on W. 163rd Street, then back on the regular route north on St. Nicholas Avenue. New northbound bus stops are on W.155th Street at Amsterdam Avenue, on Amsterdam Avenue at W.158th Street and W.161st Street and on St. Nicholas Avenue at W. 163rd Street. Northbound stops on St. Nicholas Avenue at W. 155th, W. 157th, W. 159th and W. 162nd Streets are discontinued.

The northbound M100 operates on the regular route on Amsterdam Avenue, then goes west on W. 163rd Street, then resumes the regular route north on St. Nicholas Avenue. The northbound stop on St. Nicholas Avenue at nearside of W. 163rd Street are relocated to the farside of W. 163rd Street. There are no changes in the southbound M100 route.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

New LIRR Timetables Begin Today

Posted by
on September 13th, 2010 at 3:23 am

Long Island Rail Road riders please be reminded that new timetables begin today. A few days ago the agency sent out a press release with more information on the new timetables which include the 2nd phase of service cuts:

New LIRR timetables in effect September 13, 2010 will contain schedule adjustments for some trains as well as the elimination of other trains. The new schedules implement the second phase of budget-related cuts in LIRR service that were approved by the MTA Board in March.

These service reductions along with those implemented last May 17 were required as part of the effort to close the MTA’s $900-million budget gap. The service reductions will save approximately $950,000 this year and $3.8-million annually starting in 2011.

However, the LIRR will be monitoring the changes in the new timetable and will make schedule adjustments, as necessary, based on additional ridership and possible crowding on trains.

Additional timetable changes are necessary to accommodate the fall track work and construction program.

Service Reductions (budget-related)

Atlantic Terminal:

Overnight service is eliminated between Atlantic Terminal and Jamaica. On weeknights and weekends, train service to/from Brooklyn will be available until approximately midnight and resume around 5:30 AM. The last eastbound train on weekdays will be the 11:55 PM from Atlantic Terminal; the first westbound train weekday mornings will be the 5:33 PM from Jamaica, arriving Atlantic Terminal at 5:51 AM.

—-

Long Beach Branch:

The 6:09 AM train to Atlantic Terminal has been cancelled. Service is available at 5:35 AM or 6:37 AM.

—-

Far Rockaway Branch:

The morning peak train departing Valley Stream at 6:30 AM, Rosedale at 6:33 AM, Laurelton at 6:36 AM & Locust Manor at 6:38 AM is canceled.

—-

Montauk Branch:

Starting Monday, September 13, the 4:30 PM train from Hunterspoint Avenue to Montauk will only operate on Fridays through October. After Friday, October 8, the train will be taken out of the schedule, and brought back in May 2011 as a seasonal, Friday-only train. An Amagansett stop has been added to the 4:06 PM train from Hunterspoint Avenue in order to close a gap in service.

—-

Port Washington Branch:

Midday weekday service and all weekend service is reduced from every half-hour to every hour. On weekdays there are 14 trains removed from the schedule with stops added to the remaining trains where needed, to provide service to all stations each hour. On weekends 32 trains are removed from the schedule.

After carefully examining the expected impact on customer demand and usage associated with the implementation of the hourly service during the midday weekday hours, the LIRR has decided to restore the 4:43 PM peak hour train from Penn Station to Port Washington so that the departures from Penn Station in the 4:15 PM to 5:15 PM hour will be as follows:

4:22 PM to Port Washington

4:25 PM to Great Neck

4:43 PM to Port Washington

4:46 PM to Great Neck

5:11 PM to Port Washington.

—-

Ronkonkoma Branch:

The 4:34 PM train to Ronkonkoma from Atlantic Terminal is canceled. The 4:24 PM Penn Station-Ronkonkoma train will have an added stop at Jamaica and the 4:31 PM Penn Station-Huntington train will have added stops at New Hyde Park, Merillon Avenue, Mineola, Carle Place and Westbury to accommodate affected customers.

—-

Main Line-Greenport:

Weekend service will only be available from Memorial Day Weekend through Columbus Day Weekend. As a result, weekend service will not be available starting October 16, 2010 until the Memorial Day Weekend.

—-

West Hempstead Branch:

Weekend service is eliminated starting the weekend of September 18 & 19. Alternate weekend service is available at Valley Stream, or at Babylon or Hempstead Branch stations.

The 8:28 AM peak train to Atlantic Terminal has been canceled and other departure times of AM peak trains have been altered to provide more evenly spaced morning service with an AM schedule as follows:

5:37 AM

6:53 AM

7:36 AM

8:07 AM

8:54 AM

—-

Jury Duty Special:

Starting September 13, the “Jury Duty Special” train will begin operating on the Main Line/Ronkonkoma Branch to get Suffolk jurors to Riverhead before 9 AM every day the courts are in session.

The train will depart from Deer Park at 7:54 AM, making stops at Brentwood (7:59 AM), Central Islip (8:03 AM), Ronkonkoma (8:10 AM), Medford (8:21 AM), Yaphank (8:29 AM) and arriving in Riverhead at 8:55 AM, where a free shuttle bus will take jurors to nearby courthouses.

The process is reversed in the afternoon, with trains leaving Riverhead Station at 1:21 PM and 3:58 PM. More than 30,000 Suffolk County residents are summoned to serve on juries in Riverhead every year.

_______

Construction/Track Work Projects

Babylon Branch (also affecting Port Jefferson, Oyster Bay, Montauk trains):

Midday weekdays, one of two main tracks between Freeport and Amityville will be out of service for a track tie replacement program. One local train will operate in each direction each hour. The second Babylon local train will originate and terminate in Freeport and have added stops at Lynbrook and St. Albans each hour.

Semi-express service will remain hourly with added stops at Amityville, Copiague and Lindenhurst and no stops at Freeport and Massapequa. Train times will be adjusted up to 31 minutes later. There will also be some minor schedule adjustments for connecting trains at Jamaica for some Port Jefferson/Huntington, Oyster Bay, and Montauk Branch trains.

—-

Far Rockaway Branch (also affecting Hempstead, Huntington, Long Beach trains):

Midday weekdays, one of two main tracks between Valley Stream and Far Rockaway will be out of service for a track tie replacement program.

Eastbound Far Rockaway trains will operate 30 minutes later and eastbound Hempstead Branch trains (connecting at Jamaica) will also operate 30 minutes later. Eastbound Long Beach trains will operate 35 minutes later. Some midday eastbound Huntington trains will operate three minutes later.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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