New York Metro Area Swamped with 2-3 feet Of Snow. Mass Transit is stopped cold.

At about Noon this past Sunday, December 26th, the 6th-worst deluge of snow fell on the New York City Metropolitan area. In the area surrounding New Rochelle, NY 22 inches fell while Staten Island and parts of New Jersey received 29”. In time, autos and buses stopped rolling as the drifts reached 4-5 feet. Even rail transportation saw severe delays and even cancellations as the day wore on. New Rochelle and other municipal governments declared snow emergencies for the blizzard conditions at hand.

On Monday the 27th, Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road cancelled their commuter service. New Jersey Transit suspended bus service and cross-honored those tickets on commuter trains into New York Penn Station. Air traffic never took off as entire fight schedules were scuttled and terminals became temporary residences. In New Rochelle, Bee Line buses were nowhere to be found. The Post Office began ‘not guarantee-ing’ their next day mail service as those deliveries would be postponed somewhat. Shovel snow? It didn't feel good when the flakes came back to hit you in the face. In short, it became a day to stay home as that’s all you could do.

Tuesday the 28th proved better with some rail service into Manhattan with reduced schedules and cancelled trains ruling the day. In New York City, many streets were left unplowed in the surrounding boroughs and emergency equipment unable to reach their destinations.
With warmer temperatures melting some of the snow on Wednesday, the rail transportation picture improved and Bee Line buses resumed operation that I witnessed in New Rochelle. By Thursday, normal train schedule advisories were being sent out to the public by the commuter railroads.

Let’s hope the weekend rains don’t cause floods with the melting snow. If the floods happen, it might be a good time to use that new row boat I got on the 25th.

Note: Photos were taken in New Rochelle, NY 12/28/2010.

Metro-North’s New M-8 Commuter Car Debut Postponed About A Month

December 15, 2010 - According to a story published in the Connecticut Post, the spanking new New Haven line M-8 commuter cars are not coming on line this month as promised. Owing to a bug in the software, railway signal systems were disrupted while the cars were being tested. Kawasaki, that car's manufacturer, said the problem should be corrected soon.

I can't wait for these great-looking new cars to come on line into revenue service.

Click on the link for the whole story:
http://www.ctpost.com/news/article/Software-glitches-disrupt-signals-push-back-900772.php

On The Heels Of A Fare Increase, Summertime Ridership Survey Says 93% of Metro-North Customers are Satisfied With Service

New York, NY (December 14, 2010) – Metro-North riders found a note from the railroad on their seats tonight. The note was not about a service problem – it was an explanation of the 11.1% fare increase scheduled to take effect on December 30, 2010. In addition to the price up-tick for fares in New York State, the type of tickets sold and the terms they’re sold under have changed.

All WebTicket (internet purchase) discounts are being eliminated and a few types of tickets will no longer be sold via the web. Special event, ‘Getaway’, single day one-way and round trip tickets will no longer be available. The Mail&Ride 4% discount is being reduced to 2% or eliminated for travel between New York State stations. On-board step-up, ride extension and senior fares are also being increased. One-way and round trip tickets will be refundable only from 30 days of purchase, down from 6-months.
A $10 ticket refund processing fee will be implemented for redemption of unused or partially used tickets.
The life of issued tickets is being reduced. One-way and round trippers live only 14 days (reduced from 6 months) and ten-trips are reduced from 1 year to 6 months.

The bad news follows the good news Metro-North Railroad received that 93% of the customers surveyed this past June said overwhelmingly that they were satisfied with the train service overall. The poll had a range of topics from comfort, seat availability, and scheduling, to on-time performance and employee courtesy. The railroad also surpassed its sister commuter rail agency, Long Island Rail Road, for ridership last month.
"We at Metro-North are gratified that our customers are for the most part happy about taking our trains and that our front line employees continue to get extremely high ratings - 96% are satisfied with the courtesy and responsiveness of employees," said Metro-North President Howard Permut. "We will increase our efforts to improve in areas customers are least satisfied with, such as the perennial problems - toilets, both on trains and in stations, and communications during disruptions," he added.
Customer satisfaction is highest on the Harlem Line at 97% and the Hudson Line at 96%. The New Haven rating lagged at 88%, mostly due to the age of railcars and a chronic car shortage. This rating is expected to improve dramatically when 342 new M-8 fleet is introduced. Because the ratings are weighted by ridership and the low rating on the New Haven line, which is the busiest, brings down the overall satisfaction rating to 93 %.
On the two lines west of the Hudson (operated by NJ Transit under contract to Metro-North), the Port Jervis Line satisfaction rating is 84%, owing mainly to complaints about scheduling, and the Pascack Valley Line is 93%, higher because of the recent expansion of service with increased frequency.
Back on the East of Hudson side, among time periods, weekday off-peak and weekend off-peak got the highest ratings at 95% each, followed by the reverse peak at 93% and inbound AM peak at 92%. By line segment, the Upper Harlem and Lower Hudson each scored 98% satisfaction. The lowest ratings went to the Outer New Haven at 88% and the Inner New Haven at 89%.

Ground Zero Greek Orthodox Church Celebrates Vespers

Ground Zero, New York, NY (December 5, 2010) – At 2 pm today, a rare religious ceremony was held at the site of the former Greek Orthodox Church at Ground Zero. The ‘vespers’ rite is in itself not rare, but the fact that it was conducted on the site of a church that no longer existed, was the rarity.

The ceremony was marked with the appearance of ‘precious artifacts’ that miraculously survived the destruction of the World Trade Center area on September 11, 2001: the splintered wood icon of the Life-Giving Spring (Zoodohos Peghe); a tattered altar cloth, a crushed silver bowl used to hold the blessed bread; twisted gold-plated candelabra; bent brass bell; mangle candles and a liturgical book. These symbols were prominently held by children during the service.

The Archbishop of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, spoke of the destruction of the church and the resolved for its ‘resurrection’ and said, “On the eve of the feast of St. Nicholas, I take this opportunity to warmly greet and gratefully thank all those who especially today have witnessed their devotion to Saint Nicholas but also expressed in very tangible ways, despite the adversities, their wholesale support and steadfast resolve for the rebuilding of the Church of Saint Nicholas on this most hallowed ground.” He added that, “Almost 10 years ago, our city and nation suffered a terrorist attack of unparalleled proportions. In addition to the tragic and horrific loss of almost 3,000 innocent victims, a number of whom were members of our own community, the world witnessed the unimaginable collapse of the Twin Towers”.

In attendance were several political figures including newly-minted State Senator Anthony Avella and New York City Comptroller John Liu.

The church was built by Greek immigrants and opened in 1916 and served three generations until it was destroyed on 9-11.
 
In published reports subsequent to the vespers, the church sued the Port Authority over rebuilding issues at Ground Zero. This story's final chapter hasn't been written.

Christmas Time In New York - Get Out There And See It!!!

New York City, December, 2010 - New York is a fascinating city year-round but Christmas time in New York has its own special charms. With childhood dreams and a willingness to fulfill them a common wish in this holiday season, the opportunty to experience those and other desires are realized more during this time of year than any other. There are an endless number of places to visit in town and I'll clue you in on a few of them.

Holiday-themed productions are the rule this time of year and Wintuk is no exception for juggling, tricks and other amazing things to watch and have fun with.

If model trains are your thing, the Holiday Train Show at the New York Botancal Garden in The Bronx is a truly incredible experience. Garden-scale (also known as G-scale) trains meader their way through New York landmarks - and some of them are just memories now. The original New York Penn Station was destroyed in the 1960s where Madison Square Garden now stands but it has been resurrected and built with recycled plant parts. Trolley cars once ruled the streets of our city but now operate there again as the photo on the right suggests. The layout has a vast assortment of real and imagined trains. Waterfalls and rivers? Plenty of them! Bridges? Lots of them! This is 'a real worthy' as we say in the local vernacular!

If you're looking for a giant Christmas tree to see, Rockefeller Center's is not the only one. In the Financial District, a 60-foot Norway Spruce sits in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Just to the south of the tree, Broad Street has been made into an historic pathway as the history of the street is chronicled on the ground.

There are many different museums in Lower Manhattan that are open for visitors during the day. Federal Hall, The Museum Of American Finance and Fraunces Tavern are just three of them. There are some buildings in the area that date back to the American Revolution. There are many parks in the area including the first public park in North America - Bowling Green Park, which is where the American Revolution began and ended. A 3-day 'Culture Pass' gives you a discounted price and even transports you to each museum in this special program.



If you're looking for a real train to ride, 1930's vintage IND subway cars operate every Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. The 'Shopper's Specials' (right) began operating November 28 from the 'F' Second Avenue station on the 6th Avenue IND line to the Queens Boulevard IND's Queens Plaza station. These are the cars of folklore - wicker seats, ceiling fans and all the smells and sounds of yore. The free rides (yes, you must pay the regular subway fare) end on December 26th.

The Italian American Museum at the corner of Mulberry and Grand Streets in Little Italy is an interesting place to learn about the immigration experience of Italians that migrated to this country. There are holiday-themed seminars and is a great snap shot of the past.



Grand Central Terminal rounds out this photo essay. Aside from the Main Concourse with its breath-taking sight, this historic structure also caters to shoppers. All kinds of goods are for sale in Vanderbilt Hall and food is available in the food courts on both levels.

What ever you do, enjoy the holiday season as here are a variety of places to go and places to see.

LIRR Goes Live With High-Tech Switching and Signaling in Jamaica

Jamaica, NY (October 25, 2010) – MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) President Helena Williams conducted the press conference to announce the railroad's new rail command center in Jamaica as culmination of the ‘Jamaica Cutover’ project. The new center, the Jamaica Central Control (JCC), replaces three manually-operated towers on the main line (Jay, Dunton and Hall) which surround Jamaica Station. The overall $56 million cost was funded by the MTA LIRR Capital Improvement Program and impacted ten of the LIRR’s eleven branches. She said that, “…this work was needed to help meet a $400 million 2015 unfunded mandate to implement positive train control. The project will help us get ready for the future and continue our ongoing effort to modernize."

The ‘Jamaica Signal and Switching Control System Cutover’ was completed using a pair of 48-hour weekend service disruptions within a 4-weekend window. Three trains made round trips out of New York Penn Station instead of customary nine on a normal weekend schedule with no LIRR train service between Jamaica and Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn. When responding to a media inquiry on why this work couldn’t be done at night, Ms. Williams replied, “Testing must be done on weekends because a [contiguous] 48-hour window is necessary.”

Note: Editors - for the whole story and to vew additional images for publication, contact me directly via e-mail at: transprailien@gmail.com.

MTA Celebrates Queens Midtown Tunnel’s 70th Birthday

New York, NY (November 15, 2010) – MTA Bridges and Tunnels celebrated the landmark birthday of the Queens Midtown Tunnel which linked Manhattan and Long Island City, Queens. It was the culmination of a 20-year lobbying and planning effort along with four years of hard work. At the time it was the largest, non-federal public works project in the nation.
“From its inception, the Queens Midtown Tunnel was a key link in the metropolitan region’s transportation network, providing a vital conduit for businesses, daily commuters and families exploring the cultural riches that exist from Manhattan to Queens and Long Island," said MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Jim Ferrara.
The MTA placed a collection of historic photographs and accompanying text in lobby of its lower Manhattan offices at 2 Broadway until the end of November. It was also among one of the most photographed projects. Commercial photographers took more than 4.600 photographs documenting each aspect of its progress. The display shows the evolution from construction of the tunnel thru its completion and opening from the MTA Bridges and Tunnels Special Archive.
History of the tube
Inspired by the new Holland Tunnel on Manhattan’s west side, civic and business groups began lobbying in the early 1920s for an East River tunnel to help handle a steady increase in traffic at its already clogged East River bridges. The city’s Board of Estimate approved $2 million to design and construct an East River tunnel but plans were put on hold when the stock market crash occurred in 1929.
In order to begin the construction process, the Public Works Administration promised $58 million loans in 1935 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. Then Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia created the Queens Midtown Tunnel Authority, telling the new agency’s three-members, “You are starting from scratch with no appropriation and nothing but an idea and a law.”
The Oct.2, 1936 ground-breaking was marked with the push of a ceremonial button by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Over the next three years, the tunnel’s two tubes were excavated using the typical technology of the day - dynamite, drills and four circular 31’ wide cutting shields. The shield were lowered into shafts at each end of the tunnel and hydraulically shoved through the riverbed until they met in the middle. Sandhogs behind the shields assembled the 32-inch wide cast iron rings that still line the tunnels. As each ring was installed, 28 jacks behind the shield shoved new rings into place using 5,000 pounds of pressure per square inch. The work was particularly difficult on the Manhattan side where the rock was made of schist, limestone, gneiss and dolomite. All the rubble was removed using the Queens and Manhattan construction shafts. Work proceeded at a rate of about 18 feet per week for each shield. All totaled it took 54 million hours of labor to finish the QMT.
To blast the last six feet of rock between the Manhattan and Queens shields in both tubes, Mayor LaGuardia ignited the last dynamite charge on November 8, 1939. Fifty-three weeks later, opening ceremonies were held at the Manhattan toll plaza, attended by President Roosevelt, who was the first person to drive through the new tunnel. Other attendees included Mayor LaGuardia, Sen. Robert Wagner, and the tunnel’s Chief Engineer Ole Singstad, a well-known tunnel builder who finished building the Holland Tunnel after the death of its original engineer. In its first full year of operation, 4.4 million vehicles used the tunnel, paying 25 cents to cross it.
The tunnel today
Seventy-years later, the tunnel appears much the same as it did when it opened in 1940, except the original brick roadway, which was replaced with asphalt in 1995, and the addition of E-ZPass technology. The last major rehabilitation project, a $126 million project completed in 2001, replaced original 1930s materials and resulted in brighter lighting, new ceilings, new tiles along the walls and an entirely new traffic control system, including electronic message signs, and traffic control lights and signals. In 2009, 27.7 million traversed it.

SIDEBAR
Queens Midtown Tunnel By the Numbers (courtesy MTA Bridges and Tunnels)
•The south tube to Queens is 6,272 feet while the north tube to Manhattan is 6,414 feet
•There are a total of 178 employees at the Queens Midtown Tunnel. This figure includes 112 Bridge and Tunnel Officers, 18 Sergeants and Lieutenants, 37 Maintenance workers, 4 Engineers, 6 Managers and 1 administrative worker.
•The tunnel’s two ventilation buildings bring 3 million cubic feet of fresh air into the tunnels each minute, and provide a complete air change every 90 seconds.

Roosevelt Island Tram Reopens After 8-Month Overhaul

New York, NY (November 30, 2010) – After an extensive overhaul, the Roosevelt Island tram reopened after an 8-month overhaul that began March 1st. The upgrade by French-based Leitner-Poma, allows each tram cab to operate independently - making for improved rush hour service levels. The repairs were originally scheduled to be concluded by the end of August. This modernized and streamlined transportation system is ready to serve New York City/Roosevelt Island commuters, tourists and sightseers for the next thirty years.
The genesis of this upgrade arose in 2006 when the tram locked up and stranded riders hundreds of feet up in the air with no way to get down. The gondolas couldn’t move independently and those passengers were literally swinging in the wind for about 10 hours.
The two major benefits resulting from the completion of this project is that one cab could operate independently when the other is out of service and the 3-minute trip from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island is a minute faster than before. The new tram has been outfitted with two independently operated and powered cars (or pods) shuttling back and forth across the East River with the ability to carry up to 109 passengers at a time and 2 million people annually.

Note: Editors - for the whole story and to vew additional images for publication, contact me directly via e-mail at: transprailien@gmail.com.

NY Botanical Garden’s 2010 Holiday Train Show Opens

The Bronx, NY (November 16, 2010) – Today is media preview day for The New York Botanical Garden’s Holiday Train Show which opens to the public on November 20th. This annual extravaganza showcases more than one dozen Garden-scale model trains weaving their way around various replicas of New York landmarks on nearly a quarter-mile of track. The Garden’s collection contains more than 140 structures—all created from plant materials such as leaves, twigs, bark, berries, seeds, pine cones, nuts, and pods.

This year’s notable addition is the new re-creation of Eero Saarinen’s icon of modern design, the Trans World Airlines (TWA) Flight Center at JFK International Airport that opened in 1962 (right).

NYBG fan favorites such as the original Penn Station [(1910–1964) left)], Yankee Stadium (1923-2008), the Brooklyn Bridge, Rockefeller Center, and Radio City Music Hall all return to the three Botanical Garden’s “crystal palace,” galleries in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.

The New York Botanical Garden is located off the Bronx River Parkway’s 7W exit at Fordham Road and Metro-North Railroad’s Botanical Gardens stop of the Harlem line in The Bronx.


Note: Editors - for the whole story and to vew additional images for publication, contact me directly via e-mail at: transprailien@gmail.com.

Nat'l Railway Historical Society New York Chapter Celebrates Holiday Season

December 2, 2010, New York, NY - New York Chapter of the Nat'l Railway Historical Society celebrated the holiday season with a party and vintage videos of the railroads that called at Grand Central Terminal - the New Haven and the New York Central.

The group meets every month (except during the summer) in the Williamson Library of Grand Central on the first Thursday of the month.

Wishing eveyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Channukah (whatever your belief calls for).

AMERICAN AIRLINES, USO AND THE SANDS FOUNDATION TEAM UP TO GIVE WOUNDED MILITARY WARRIORS

JFK Airport, Queens, NY (November 11, 2010) – For the second year in a row in celebration of Veterans Day, American Airlines, the USO and The Sands Foundation got together to give 150 wounded military warriors and their families a free weekend trip to Las Vegas. The American Eagle Boeing 767-200 adorned with yellow-ribbons nick-named ‘Flagship Independence’, transported U.S. troops and families on its inaugural flight from New York’s JFK Airport to the Venetian in Las Vegas for second annual ‘Tribute to the Troops’. This “Tribute to the Troops 2010 Las Vegas” group includes service members from Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga.; Bethesda Navy Hospital; Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.; and veterans from the New York City area.

The rollout of Flagship Independence brings to six the number of American and American Eagle aircraft that proudly sport iconic yellow-ribbon decals and the slogan, “In support of all who serve,” on their fuselages, a visual expression of the airlines’ support for the nation’s armed forces. The other yellow-ribbon aircraft include an American Airlines 757, Flagship Freedom; a 737, Flagship Liberty; and three American Eagle aircraft. These aircraft are often utilized for special charter flights for veterans, wounded military and first responders.

American Airlines, the official airline of the USO, joined with the Sands Foundation (the charitable arm of Las Vegas Sands Corp.) again honor our nation’s veterans and active members with a weekend of relaxation, entertainment, sightseeing, and educational seminars.

The Master of Ceremony, Mark Magarian of American’s JFK Customer Service said that “American Airlines has long-standing ties to the nation’s armed forces. With more than 60 percent of American’s pilots and 10 percent of all American and American Eagle Airlines employees serving as active military or veterans, the company places a strong emphasis on its military and veteran’s initiatives. American supports members of the military, veterans and their families in their communities via in-kind contributions to nonprofit organizations and employee engagement in a wide variety of events and activities. American also offers special airfares, priority boarding and Admirals Club Lounge access for qualifying active military.”

Publishers: Contact me thru my blog for permission to publish the whole story

and choose from an array of photos.

Note: Editors - for the whole story and to vew additional images for publication, contact me directly via e-mail at: transprailien@gmail.com.

Spirted Discussion At The November 4 New Rochelle Citizens Reform Club Meeting

The New Rochelle Citizens Reform Club met on Thursday, November 4 at 7:30 PM, at the American Legion Post 8 Hall, 112 North Ave., New Rochelle. This group meets monthly to discuss a host of local issues.

The first item on tonight's agenda was the proposed Iona Dormitory issue that Greg Varian, an attorney and resident of the area, made a brief report. The dorm is being financed by the NY State Dormitory Authority and is located on the north side of New Rochelle. He highlighted the issues surrounding this new construction citing parking, vehicular traffic, and the surrounding building zoning issues. Iona used to be a commuter school that redefined its self as a residential/dormitory college some years ago.

Under Iona’s plan, the existing structure would be redeveloped into a 10-story dormitory. It appears at first glance that no special variances are needed. Mr. Varian, begs to differ even though Iona owns the land in question. ‘Spot zoning’ is not the intent when a low-density structure is to be replaced by a building that would dwarf the rest of the neighborhood. Land use, density, water pressure, sewer and the height of the building over the 6-story building limit issues are all topics that need to be resolved. He maintains that the health of the North Avenue corridor affects the entire city. The idea is to strengthen the area around the college by making a common-sense consensus.

Following the vein already in place, City Councilman Lou Trangucci continued the discussion. The water pressure and age of the pipes the water travels in were also addressed. An increase in the number of residents causes increased water and sewer use. In the near future, the water tax will rise by $700 to expand the federally-mandated sewer treatment plant and capacity issues.

He added that there will be a 4% property tax increase this year with no decrease in services while maintaining a hiring freeze. Developers need to pay their fair share because of the increased cost of running the school system. Clearly, the City’s fiscal situation needs to be remedied.

The special guest speaker was New Rochelle City Councilman Dist. # 4 Richard St. Paul gave updates about pending developments and finances in New Rochelle. He reiterated the same fiscal issues that City Councilman Lou Trangucci spoke of earlier. Hiring freezes and pay freezes are taking their toll on police and fire presence in the city. New Rochelle residents face the prospect of higher fire insurance bills should the rating of the NRPD go down because the slower response time and ability to fight fires.

Political Dirty Tricks In New Rochelle

As President Obama said two years ago prior to the election, "It's silly season." New Rochelle is no different.

On Tuesday October 19th, silly season was revealed once again. Some time during that day, a Susan Kettner campaign sign was place directly in front of Cynthia Lobo's sign in southern New Rochelle. Kettner's sign was placed there without the permission of the homeowner. Kettner and Lobo are both vying for City Judge.

When I spoke to the homeowner she said, "Kettner's sign a foolish waste of signage and I threw it in the trash. I realize she's desperate. How can you want to be a judge and be uncomfortable around people as we saw in a Youtube video. If they put up another one, it's going wind up in the same place as the first one, the trash."

You can't make this stuff up, but this time, they're busted.

Metro-North Conducts Annual Emergency Preparedness Drill

Grand Central Terminal, NY, October 16, 2010 – Metro-North Railroad conducted their 28th annual drill officially known as the ‘Emergency Preparedness Exercise’. NYPD, FDNY, Amtrak, NY State EMT and MTA PD participated in the Metro-North sponsored drill while Amtrak, TSA and other agencies observed the activity on track 15.

Metro-North President Howard Permut and MTA Chairman Walder spoke before the exercise began. The message delivered was that this time the focus would be on a railroad emergency instead of handling bomb threats as done in recent years. They added that the purpose of this real-life situation was to keep the skills of the first responders sharp.

The exercise began after every one reported to GCT’s track 15 and entered the Bombardier-built 85-foot commuter cab car and heard the instructions given to the participants, conductors and locomotive engineers being given their situational training. They were to follow the instructions on the activity cards given to them with no variation. After the observers left the car, it was show time.

In a real time accident scenario, a train would figuratively hit the bumper block and derail, and two serious and several other less-serious injuries would occur. The two ‘serious’ ones would be the engineer with severed limbs and a passenger would have whiplash. Both would be taken off the train in ‘spine stretchers’ and moved out of Grand Central on gurneys to waiting ambulances at an impromptu crisis command center on 42nd Street and fire trucks located on Vanderbilt Avenue.

In reality, various federal, state and local first responder agencies would respond and have their own jurisdictional responsibilities, but for the most part groups such as the TSA were observers.

I observed a high-level of professionalism and efficiency by the participants. Everyone performed their duties quickly and with a sense of urgency. Videographers from the different groups shot video that would be examined later for grading. From my eyes, the drill was a resounding success.

Curb Your Enthusiasm

Over the last couple of years, there’s been a lot of sidewalk construction work in New Rochelle. Cut granite curbs are being installed by construction crews next to nice smooth new sidewalks.

The new curbs might be illegal.

I recall reading the voluminous construction code a couple of years ago and ran across a clause that said curbs must be a smooth rounded surface. The cut granite curbs are sharp and can ruin a car’s tires if the sidewall touches it – I know, it happened to me.

If the curbs being installed are in fact illegal, several questions need to be answered:

• What should be done about this?
• Who authorized their installation?
• Why isn’t the NR code being adhered to?

Only our local government can answer these questions.

Photos - Above: Construction at 310 Huguenot St. in New Rochelle. Below: Curbs are supposed to be rounded and not sharp-edged granite which can cut a car's sidewall tires if the tire rubs against the curb when parking. Check out the older curb at the Gulf gas station. Compare for yourself.

Italian History Month Is Here With Wonderful Displays In Grand Central Terminal

October, 2010, New York, NY – The Italians have invaded Manhattan once again with their annual Italian History Month and Columbus Day month-long celebrations. The Columbus Citizen’s Foundation sponsors the annual event that includes an exhibit in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall, gala dinner, wreath-laying at Columbus Circle and culminated by the world-famous Columbus Day parade while celebrating Italian-American heritage on New York's Fifth Avenue since 1929.

This Foundation is a non-profit organization in New York City. They are committed to fostering an appreciation of Italian-American heritage and achievement through a broad range of philanthropic and cultural activities. They provide opportunities for deserving Italian-American students to gain academic advancement with scholarships and grant programs.

As always, an Italian automobile is featured in Grand Central Terminal’s main concourse. This year, it’s the Maserati Granturismo convertible that will be raffled off with tickets costing $1000 each – certainly not for the faint of heart or the wallet for that matter. It is all for a good cause and this year’s model is no exception. It arrived on the floor on October 1st.

The giant-sized posters are also on the columns of the grandest rail terminal in the country. Featured is Grand Marshal Maria Bartiromo (CNBC anchor) along with honorees Joseph Ficalora, Enrico Gaglioti, Maurice Greenberg, Ken Langone (Home Depot founder), Robert LaPenta, Joseph Moglia, Joseph Plumeri and Peter Sidoti. Grand Marshal Maria Bartiromo and Enrico Gaglioti were both honored guests at the Italian American Museum’s annual gala of 2008.

Other events are scheduled as part of the Columbus celebration. On Friday in Bowling Green Park will see the raising of the Italian & American flags in honor of Congressional Medal of Honor recipient U.S. Army Sgt. Salvatore Giunta and the reading of the names of all prior Italian Americans awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Pietro Alberti, the first Italian Immigrant to arrive in what is now New York City (on the 375th anniversary of his arrival) will also be honored.

It’s Election Time – Meet The Candidates At The New Rochelle Train Station Again

October 4, 2010, New Rochelle, NY – It’s October and that means politicians will be out there campaigning. A favorite spot of theirs is the Manhattan-bound New Rochelle train station platform. This morning proved no different as Republican Bob Cohen was out there glad-handing and handing out flyers. Last week, Amy Paulin did the same with her entourage.

This location guarantees maximum exposure to a large cross-section of people and is a sure-fire way to talk to them and connect.

This tradition may end?
This ‘tradition’ of sorts could end when the MTA fully implements the tap-n-go technology. What has been leaked to the press in the past is that the commuter train platforms will no longer be a free and open access place for everyone because they’ll be ‘fare control areas’.

This new fare collection program will have a pole (or two) where the train rider will have to ‘tap’ their ‘fob’ card that comes with RFID (Radio Frequency ID) technology. Beyond this point, only fare-paying passengers will be allowed on the platform otherwise they could be subject to charges and fines.
Fear not, the tradition won’t end but evolve – just be ready to get your handshakes and flyers at the various street entrances instead.

                                    

Visit my other post on 'Talk Of The Sound', the popular New Rochelle website:
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/it%E2%80%99s-election-time-%E2%80%93-meet-candidates-new-rochelle-train-station-again

Habitat For Humanity Wants You To Sign Their Petition For NRPD Foot Patrols

By Joseph M. Calisi, Copyright 2010, All Rights Reserved

September 27 & 28, 2010, New Rochelle, NY - Habitat For Humanity of Westchester Executive Director Jim Killoran was at the New Rochelle train station on Monday and Tuesday this week, looking for signatures for a petition requesting New Rochelle Police Department patrolmen back ‘walking the beat’ and out of patrol cars in the vicinity of the Main Street/North Avenue intersection and the train/bus station.
Once again there’s a clamoring for the return of foot patrols. With gang-related activity and local drug trafficking on the rise, it is not unreasonable for businesses and the general public to call for a resurgence of patrolmen walking the neighborhood.
Many of those that signed the petitions sited an increased fear of illegal activity. One person even cited the seemingly endless number of gun violence incidents in Newark, NJ and wondered out loud if New Rochelle was going to begin to see the same kinds of problems.
According to Mr. Killoran, years ago, there used to be two police stations – one of them on Lawton Street the downtown area and foot patrolmen were a constant sight back then. With a problematic budget crunch years ago, the downtown station house disappeared and so did the patrolmen. With more than 3000 people new residents in this district in recent years, some people think it’s high time the NRPD resume using shoe leather.
The story broke on Talk Of The Sound blog on September 18 with a story about a 23-year old man that was killed in front of Chase Bank at 270 Main Street (North Ave.) in broad daylight. He was chased from 311 to 270 Main Street and after a fight ensued, he was stabbed at 2:30 pm, across the street from the New Rochelle Transportation Center.
Mr. Killoran maintains that if police were stationed in the area, their presence may have prevented this killing as well as other recent incidents in the downtown area. He has stated that, “I’ve asked for more than 4 years for regularly stationed police since a mêlée and near death robbery of three businesses.” Habitat For Humanity of Westchester has headquarters on Main Street and lives in what is now called ‘So-No’.
Many businesses, individuals, condo and rental building owners are collecting petitions at many locations. The Bank Of America, the US Post Office, Kaffeine, Smokes For Less, Chase Bank, Trump Towers, 25 Leroy Place, 543 Main Street, and The Avalon are just a few.
While the signatures were being signed on the HFH petition at the station platform, Metro-North riders were asking all the critical questions – why should we need to sign a petition to get foot patrolmen? Shouldn’t the NRPD want to arrest drug traffickers and keep tabs on suspicious people? Why are so many vagrants accumulating on the benches near the station? It seems that benches have become repositories for homeless-looking men that sleep there overnight into the morning hours.
As the old saying goes, “That’s the $64,000 question.”

____________________________________________________________________

Visit 'Talk Of The Sound' blog at:

http://www.newrochelletalk.com/content/habitat-humanity-petition-says-we-want-nrpd-foot-patrols

____________________________________________________________________

Photos/captions:

Habitat For Humanity of Westchester Executive Director Jim Killoran was at the New Rochelle train station on Monday and Tuesday this week, looking for signatures for a petition requesting New Rochelle Police patrolmen back ‘walking the beat’ (above). Person sleeping on a bench 8/31/2010 in what has become a constant sight in New Rochelle (below).

NJ Transit Debuts the ‘Quiet Car’

By Joseph M. Calisi Copyright 2010 All Rights Reserved

Newark, NJ (September 9, 2010) – New Jersey Transit has debuted their new ‘Quiet Car’ concept – their latest idea in rail passenger customer amenities. One car on each end of this test train is eerily quiet as no cell phones are in use and the usual banter among commuters is missing. One morning and afternoon rush hour Northeast Corridor Trenton express is outfitted with shrink-wrapped NJ Transit ‘multi-level cars showing a finger-to-lips logo. It is a ninety-day pilot program.

NJ Transit Executive Director James Weinstein said, “Our customers have asked us to offer a Quiet Commute option in an effort to balance the needs of people who want to stay connected while aboard our trains with those who want to relax or work in a quiet atmosphere. We are offering this amenity as a pilot program and will rely on customer feedback to determine whether to make Quiet Commute a permanent NJ TRANSIT amenity.”

The first train departed the Trenton Transit Center at 9:14 am on September 7 as train number 3936 after officials spoke before the event. The 3900-series trains were selected because of the long trip times and would be a good gauge as a testing ground for public acceptance and compliance. NJ Transit is the largest agency to offer this amenity in North America.

According to various media reports, the new feature is already a success as riders can even snooze their way across the Garden State. If a passenger becomes noisy, they are quietly handed a business card-sized message as a reminder that the quiet car is a subdued environment. Those using electronic devices such as video games and computers are asked to disable their speakers or to plug in headphones so the sounds are not heard by other passengers.

NJT officials have offered that the new ‘service’ is in itself a self-policing dynamic amongst passengers. If the passengers don’t get to the noisy rider first, a conductor will hand out a ‘Quiet Commute card’ with the new logo on one side and a plea to abide by the quiet cars rules in both English and Spanish. The cards were first used by SEPTA in their own Quiet Car program. Other transit agencies that currently offer “Quiet Cars” include SEPTA, Virginia Railway Express (VRE), MARC (Maryland), Altamont Commuter Express (California) and the Capital Corridor (California).

The Quiet car concept debuted on Amtrak a year ago and has since become a mainstay on that railroad.


Quiet car train number 3969 on September 9 arrives in Newark Penn Station where passengers board the Trenton Express and actually can snooze without the loud chatter that can accompany a train trip.



Korean Presbyterian Church discusses grounds improvement plan

Korean Presbyterian Church Elder Ha discussed their consultant's drawing of the revised site plans for the church grounds at 50 Pintard Avenue on Saturday, September 18, 2010 with the Marvin Place Block Association. The plan calls for increasing the number of parking spaces from 60 to 81 which includes dedicated handicapped parking spots while not losing any 'green space'.

According to the church, the plan met with approval from the local Residence Park group, even though the church grounds are outside the historical boundary of the adjoining Residence Park area. Elder Ha said that the plan was not to ruin the green space view from Pintard Avenue. He added that many people from different backgrounds will use this church facility and that, "... the church is part of the community and we want the community to share it with us."

Specifics include widening the driveway to 24 feet so that 2 automobiles can safely pass each other and the repaving Marvin Place, a private street.

At the end of the meeting, Elder Ha announced that a series of 3 'revival' nights will be held by many Westchester Presbyterian groups at the church on September 24, 25 and 26.

According to an advisory, the New Rochelle Planning Board will review the project's application on September 28, 2010 at 7:30 pm at 90 Beaufort Place, Room B-1, City Hall Annex behind City Hall.



Check out other local news at New Rochelle's favorite blog - Talk Of The Sound at: http://www.newrochelletalk.com/

Joseph M. Calisi Media Advisory: My China Steam Finale Story Is Rebroadcast in August, 2010

A China Rail 'QJ' class 2-10-2 steam-hauled train exits Summit Tunnel in Jing Peng Pass, Inner Mongolia, China in November, 2003.


Set your VCRs/DVRs to view and record my story on Transit, Transit that garnered me a Telly Award (national news organization) finalist trophy in 2004, is being re-broadcast. The telling tale of the final days of mainline steam railroading in the world is being rebroadcast. For broadcast times/dates, cut and past this link below into your browser:
http://www.mta.info/nyct/trantran/showsch.htm

Be aware that in New Jersey, Comcast picks up WNYE's Channel 25 broadcast.

Share this notice with your friends and record the program so you can see it over and over or make copies for your friends!!!!

Visit my posts on the New Rochelle NY blog, 'Talk Of The Sound' at:
http://www.newrochelletalk.com/taxonomy/term/332

Enjoy!!!!


Sincerely,


Joseph M. Calisi
International Transportation Photojournalist
and Syndicator of News Stories and Images Since 1993

NYC Transit's Renovations At E 180 Street In The Bronx Continue

The elevated junction station of the IRT's Dyre Avenue (#5) and White Plains (#2) lines is still under renovation. While the exterior looks the same, the interior and platform areas are undergoing complete renovation.

The platforms are being renovated with new sheathing/coverings and platforms. The concrete roadbed, stairways and passageway will be new when it's all done.


The symbol of the previous owner of the station, the defunct New York Westchester & Boston Railroad, is still evident at the station entrance. The center track is ripped up and the sheds are undergoing complete renovation. A southbound IRT #2 White Plains/Lexington Avenue line is picking up passengers and headed for Manhattan and Brooklyn.