An Unsung Part Of East Side Access - Metro-North Heads To NY Penn Station

Manhattan, July 28, 2011 - A great deal of the focus concerning East Side Access surrounds the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) entering a new lower level of Grand Central Terminal in a few years (hopefully). On the flip-side, a relatively little-discussed part of the project involves Metro-North (MNR).

I can predict your thoughts - what does Metro-North have to do with ESA? The answer is plenty.

The new M-8 cars you're seeing plying the rails of the New Haven line in the coming years will have an additional port to call at - NY Penn Station. The cars were designed to use both MNR's under running 3rd rail and LIRR's overrunning (dragging over the power rail like the subways).

According to unnamed sources, this hasn't reached the design phase but involves adding new LIRR-style 3rd rail so that the M-8 cars don't have to interface with an additional phase of electrical over catenary power which is something the new 'tomato cans' can't handle.

Since NY Penn Station is at complete capacity, LIRR trains would have to be displaced by MNR's equipment. One of the theories behind ESA is that the 2 agencies would engineer a train 'swap' of 2:1 or even 3:1 but this still in a pipe dream as the tunnel boring 'rock eating' machine has just completed it task. Years of work are still ahead before track can be laid and signalling put into place.

An interesting possibility is that a Metro-North M-8 could go down Amtrak's Hell Gate line and still could wind up in Grand Central but in the LIRR's new lair.

I encourage you to visit Jim Cameron's CT Rail Commuter Council blog at: www.trainweb.org/. Many concerns that crop up on the Metro-North's New Haven line are discussed on the site. This very topic can be under the banner of Metro- North Penn Station Access Study than can be found at:
http://www.trainweb.org/ct/mnpenn.htm .

Nonetheless, I look forward to any of these developments becoming reality - I just want to see them.

Grand Central Gets Shakes And Apples, But Not What You Think

Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan, July 25, 2011- An apple a day may keep the doctor away but in Grand Central Terminal, they'll get served up with side dishes of iPads, iPhones and other products sold by Apple. If you get thirsty, you can refresh your palate at the Shake Shack.

With the two new tenants poised to further crowd the grandest rail facility of the region, worries have arisen over public floor space availability and access to other venues within the terminal. MTA officials are creating a crowd-control plan that the MTA PD will enforce.

Leaving the scene is Metrazur restaurant in the main concourse (rear of photo above) and Mexican restaurant Zocalo on the lower level.

Shake Shack is coughing up $435,000 annually while Apple's rent starts at $800,000. To start, that's $1.2 million per year for the MTA coffers - great news for the cash-strapped agency and the public.

NY Met Ike Davis teams up with Childhood Cancer Charities for the 1st annual 'A Night With Ike Davis' charity event at Michael's Restaurant

Brooklyn, NY, July 17, 2011 - NY Met Ike Davis teamed up with childhood cancer charities at Michael's Restaurant in Brooklyn. The sold-out event featured photo-ops with childhood cancer survivors as well as organizers of the event. All proceeds benefited Solving Kid's Cancer and Liddy Shriver Sarcoma Initiative. ESPN's Linda Cohn and Q104.3 Ken Dashow (MC) were media guests. About 40 firms contributed auction prizes for the event.

Ike Davis of the NY Mets has made this his personal annual event and even chose the restaurant of which he's a frequent patron. His childhood friend, Mike Lio, died as a youth of Ewing’s Sarcoma at 22 years of age. Mike Lio’s passing left a giant emotionally in Ike’s as well as in Mike’s girl friend’s heart, Samantha Cerny.

My photo essay is below,

make a point of attending next year's event!!!!

Scott Kennedy and John London are co-founders of Solving Kid's Cancer (www.solvingkidscancer.org) , the charity running the event. They teamed up with Bruce and Liddy Shriver of the Sarcoma Initiative and Ziopharm Oncology.

A full dinner, Q and A, prizes and a silent sports memorabilia auction materials were donated/sponsored by Steiner Sports.

7 yr old cancer victim Oliver London holds the emblematic shirt of the event next to Ike Davis.

Megan Mano and Ken Dashow of Q104.3 with Ike Davis.

13-year old Tess Lichtman has had 25 cancer surgeries at Beth Israel Hospital. She posed with Ike Davis.

Ike and 9-yr old Lydia Stephen, a rhabdomyosarcoma cancer survivor.

Ike with the honored cancer survivors (left-right)

Front row: Josh Cramer (13), Janina Vargas (18), Ike Davis, Yehuda Furman (9), Jamie Purzak (25) and Lauren Ryan (40) and Bruce Shriver. Rear are Scott Kennedy and John London co-founders of Solving Kid's Cancer. Lydia Stephen (above) came after the photo was taken.

The Q and A panel (left-right) Bruce Shriver, Scott Kennedy, John London, Samantha Cerny, Ike Davis, ESPN's Linda Cohn for speeches and Q and A.

Connecticut Says: More M-8 Cars! The M-8s We Have Are Not Enough!!!

HARTFORD, CT, July 19, 2011 - Today, with 3 trainsets of M-8 cars operating 130 trips weekly, the State of Connecticut says that these cars are not enough. In addition to the 380 cars already ordered from the fully optioned first contract, an additional order is asking Kawasaki to build up to 25 additional cars with options for another 10-25 single cars if this additional contract is exercised by June 30, 2013. The cars will be used on the New Haven Line which services 120,000 riders a day between New Haven and New York City which is arguably called the busiest in the nation.

Connecticut’s share of the $93 million contract is $60.5 million (65%) with New York chipping in $32.6 million (35%). Governor Malloy will ask the State Bond Commission to put the state’s share on the agenda for the next meeting, scheduled for July 29.

Governor Dannel P. Malloy said, “I have made a commitment to our commuters to do everything we can to improve service, safety and reliability on the New Haven Line.” He added that, “This past winter underscored the ongoing problems with our aging train fleet, with frequent breakdowns and many cars out of service on any given day. Investing now in additional rail cars will pay off for years to come. And, we will entice more commuters to leave their cars behind and hop on the train.”

Metro-North President Howard Permut said, “Working with our partners at the Connecticut DOT, we have come up with a plan that allows for the full retirement of the problematic and obsolete design of the M-4 and M-6 fleet. This order will bring to 405 the number of new cars in service on the New Haven Line. This purchase, if approved by the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, is a first for Metro-North. It will increase the efficiency of the fleet as a whole, offering maximum flexibility, while providing a modern, uniform electric fleet. While this car is good for the railroad’s ability to operate efficiently, it is our customers who will reap the benefits of bigger windows, more comfortable seats, electrical outlets at every seat, large bathrooms that work, destination signs inside and out, a crystal clear public address system and overall elegant design.”

There are a couple of differences between this new order and the previous one. These cars will cost about $3.325 million each and are ‘blind’ (not powered). There are no hostler controls or conductor communicators either which accounts for the lower cost. As single units, they will appear between M-8 pairs which is a ratio of one trailer to four powered cars.

The bottom line is that the current fleet of 'Cosmopolitan' M-2/4/6 cars will be history in 2014. It should be noted that 230 of the 337 Cosmo cars are more than 40 years old.

It would be nice if an M-2 (barcar pair), M-4 and an M-6 triplex could be saved for a transportation museum somewhere, after all, these were the cars that saved the New Haven line years ago.

NYC Transit's IRT #1 Line-7th Avenue Local Station Rehab Continues

Northern Manhattan, 2011 - MTA NYC Transit's station overhaul program rolls on. With information taken from a press release, IRT #1-7th Avenue line stations are getting a much-needed face lift. The elevated stations between 242nd Street/Van Cortland Park terminal and Dyckman Street station are the targeted stations for rehab. Currently, passengers are being asked to use one of the following options to complete their trips: use the IND 'A' line towards the nearby 207 Street terminal, ride northbound past any affected station and take a southbound to their stop or use a free shuttle bus.

This capital construction work is part of NYC Transit's ongoing $11.2 billion Capital Rebuilding Program aimed at upgrading and maintaining track, stations and signal systems.
The stations which really haven't seen a major overhaul in decades are getting the required face lift with new canopies, platforms among other refurbishments. It seems that old man time has caught up with these stations.

My photos posted are of the northbound Dyckman Street station undergoing an upgrade.

Independence Day Holiday Celebration

New Rochelle, NY, July 4, 2011 - The New York Metropolitan area, like much of the nation, was bathed in fireworks. On a more local scene, several municipalities held what seemed to be, simultaneous shows. During the Grucci fireworks display in New Rochelle, NY, displays from nearby communities such as Mamaroneck, were also visible in the back ground.

These displays, while a great source of pleasure, cost tight-budgeted municipalities a nice chunk of change. The CBS TV local news report highlighted such an occurrence (click on the link): http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/07/04/cbs-2-goes-behind-the-scenes-with-a-crew-of-fireworks-technicians/

The report mentioned that NR's show cost $30,000 for fire and parks personnel but made no mention what the huge New Rochelle Police Department presence to direct/divert traffic around and away from Hudson Park which is where the Echo Bay Marina is located.