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MTA Names New Capital Program Leader

Posted by
on March 25th, 2016 at 1:59 pm

Just a short time ago, the MTA announced a new leader of its NYC Transit Capital Program Management. Here is more via the official press release I received:

MTA New York City Transit has named John F. O’Grady to the permanent position of Senior Vice President of Capital Program Management, an interim position he has held since 2015 in conjunction with his role overseeing Transit’s ongoing recovery efforts from Superstorm Sandy.

O’Grady has been employed with NYC Transit for more than 27 years, most recently as Vice President of Capital Program Management. In 2013, he added responsibilities as Program Executive of Infrastructure & Facilities/Recovery & Resiliency, a position created after Sandy flooded parts of the system in October 2012. In that role, O’Grady oversaw NYC Transit’s storm recovery and resiliency efforts, including the complete overhaul of the severely damaged Montague R Tubes, which reopened for service after 13 months of around-the-clock work, ahead of schedule and under budget.

Altogether, in his recent dual roles at Capital Program Management and the Sandy recovery program, O’Grady managed more than $7 billion in various recovery/resiliency efforts and capital improvements to existing Transit assets such as infrastructure, maintenance shops and depots. In his new permanent position overseeing NYC Transit’s capital improvement programs, he will work on finding new ways and technology to deliver Transit projects in the 2015-2019 MTA Capital Program. Those challenges include using design/build to accelerate construction schedules and find cost savings and efficiencies, and incorporating any new recommendations and best practices to modernize the 112-year-old subway system.

“John has demonstrated the ability to embrace innovation and find new ways to improve how we make investments throughout the system,” said MTA NYC Transit President Veronique “Ronnie” Hakim. “We are fortunate to have a proven, forward-thinking professional like John to oversee the exciting new projects coming to New York City Transit.”

O’Grady succeeds Fred Smith, who retired in 2015.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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FASTRACK Returns To The 1 In Manhattan

Posted by
on March 25th, 2016 at 1:56 pm

MTA NYC Transit has announced that its FASTRACK program will return to the 1 Train in upper Manhattan. Here is more via the press release I received:

On Monday, March 28, MTA New York City Transit’s FASTRACK program returns to the 1 line in Upper Manhattan for two weeks. For four consecutive weeknights from Monday, March 28, to early Friday morning, April 1, and for four weeknights from Monday, April 4 to Friday, April 8, 1 service will be suspended between 96 St and Dyckman St from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. 1 train service will operate in two sections:

• Between Van Cortlandt Park-242 St and Dyckman St. Dyckman St-bound 1 trains will skip 207 St.

• Between South Ferry and 96 St and via the 3 between 96 St and 148 St. 1 trains will skip 145 St in both directions.

Travel alternatives: Take AC trains and free shuttle buses

• Transfer between the 1 to/from the Bronx and the A at Dyckman St via free shuttle buses.

• Transfer between the 1 to/from South Ferry and the A at 59 St-Columbus Circle.

• For 1 stations in Washington Heights, Harlem, and the Upper West Side, use nearby A stations along Ft Washington Av, St Nicholas Av, and Central Park West instead, and/or take free shuttle buses available at 1 stations.

• Transfer between free shuttle buses and trains at Dyckman St 1 and A, 168 St A, and 96 St 1.

Free shuttle buses operate on three routes:
• Along Broadway between the 96 St 1 and 168 St A stations, making stops at 103 St, Cathedral Pkwy (110 St), 116 St, 125 St, 137 St, 145 St, and 157 St.

• Along St Nicholas Av between the 168 St A and the 191 St 1 stations stopping at 181 St.

• Dyckman St loop between A and 1 stations.

FASTRACK has been designed around the careful determination that there is adequate alternate means of transportation, including enhanced services along some bus lines during work periods. Alternative transportation options will be detailed in announcements and posters on trains, in stations and on selected buses. Brochures will be available in both English and Spanish. Information on this FASTRACK is available on the web at http://web.mta.info/nyct/service/fastrack_1.htm

Wynton Habersham, Senior Vice President for the Department of Subways said “FASTRACK has proven to have a significant impact on decreasing delays – both in terms of consolidating maintenance forces in a concentrated area and in terms of proactive maintenance that improves service delivery.”

During our previous FASTRACK in March 2014, along this 5.2-mile segment between 96 St and Dyckman St on the Broadway Line in Upper Manhattan, New York City Transit repair and maintenance crews completed many tasks including track, infrastructure and station repairs. Track workers removed 96,900 pounds of scrap debris, scraped 18,945 feet of track, installed nine track rails, 817 plates, 118 friction pads, and 68 tie blocks. They also inspected 7,700 feet of third rail and cleaned 8,500 feet of track under and around the third rail. Infrastructure crews repaired/replaced 100 feet of “No Clearance” signs, repaired 45 leaks, cleaned 1,350 feet of drain line, replaced 60 square feet of sidewalk grating, and replaced 881 light bulbs. At subway stations, workers scraped 19,725 square feet of station wall, painted 20,150 square feet, repaired 245 feet of rubbing board at the platform’s edge, and replaced 10 platform signs. Station lighting improvements consisted of replacing five fluorescent light-fixture ballasts and 325 light bulbs. Signal crews serviced 12 switches, six signals, while other maintenance crews completed several work orders for preventive maintenance of elevators and escalators.

FASTRACK was introduced in January 2012, devoting four straight weeknights to perform maintenance work in tunnels, stations and on tracks, completely suspending service within a given line segment for a seven-hour period between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.. This gives free access to the system, allowing an army of maintenance workers to perform dozens of tasks repairing and replacing components that are vital to providing safe and reliable train service without the concern of having to “clear up” to allow trains to pass. FASTRACK efforts have been highly successful in providing a safer work environment for employees and improved station conditions for customers.
Our next FASTRACK overnight closure will be on the 23 Line between Upper Manhattan and the Bronx for two consecutive weeks from April 11 to April 15, and April 25 to April 29.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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NYCT Good Friday & Easter 2016 Service Info

Posted by
on March 23rd, 2016 at 5:47 pm

Here is MTA NYC Transit’s service plan info for Good Friday & Easter:

On Good Friday, March 25, the New York City Subway will operate on a regular weekday schedule. A normal Sunday schedule will be in effect on Easter Sunday, March 27. However, there will be some adjustments to MTA services as noted below.

New York City Buses:

On Good Friday, March 25, Staten Island buses will operate on a reduced weekday schedule.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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LIRR Good Friday & Easter 2016 Service Info

Posted by
on March 23rd, 2016 at 5:43 pm

Here is the MTA Long Island Rail Road service plan info for Good Friday & Easter:

The Long Island Rail Road will provide additional eastbound service on Friday, March 25 for customers leaving work early on Good Friday, the start of the Easter weekend.

The Railroad will operate a regular weekday schedule with 10 additional trains departing Penn Station between 1:49 p.m. and 3:48 p.m. There will be four additional trains on the Babylon Branch, three on the Port Jefferson Branch, one each on the Port Washington, Ronkonkoma
and Far Rockaway branches. In addition, one other Port Jefferson train will make an extra stop at Jamaica

The extra Friday afternoon departures from Penn Station are as follows:

Ronkonkoma Branch:

1:49 p.m. stopping at Woodside, Jamaica, Mineola, Hicksville, then all stops to Ronkonkoma.

Port Jefferson Branch:

2:08 p.m. stopping at Jamaica, Mineola, Carle Place, then all stops to Huntington

2:14 p.m. train to Port Jefferson will have an added stop at Jamaica

2:29 p.m. stopping at Forest Hills, Kew Gardens, Jamaica, New Hyde Park, then all stops to Huntington

3:24 p.m. stopping at Jamaica, Mineola, Westbury and Hicksville

Babylon Branch:

2:19 p.m. express to Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon

2:32 p.m. express to Lynbrook, then all stops to Babylon

3:00 p.m. stopping at Jamaica, Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon

3:31 p.m. express to Rockville Centre, then all stops to Babylon

Port Washington Branch (to Great Neck):

3:40 p.m. stopping at Woodside, Flushing Main St., then all stops to Great Neck

Far Rockaway Branch:

3:48 p.m. express to Locust Manor, then all stops to Far Rockaway

xoxo Transit Blogger

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SI Railway Good Friday & Easter Service Info

Posted by
on March 23rd, 2016 at 5:37 pm

The MTA Staten Island Railway will operate on a regular weekday schedule on Good Friday & a regular Sunday schedule on Easter.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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