NYCT Subway Service 2012 Investments Announced

New York, NY, July 19, 2012 – The draconian service cuts made 2 years ago during the apex of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's (MTA) fiscal crisis may make a partial reversal while keeping the IND Queens-Brooklyn crosstown local ‘G’ train service extension in addition to some new transit operations. At that time in 2009, two subway lines and some bus services were either eliminated and others re-routed. Commuter trains were pared or combined to save money.

According to published reports, of the $90 million extra dollars stated in the MTA's most recent finance report (than were projected in the February budget), $20 million of that could go to fund the restored service. The news for straphangers isn’t all good as a 7.5% fare increase is expected to pay for it in March, 2013. The MTA’s adding and extending service on almost 40 bus, subway and commuter rail lines to better serve its customers, enhance access to mass transit, accommodate ridership growth and attract new transit customers. These investments come at a time when MTA ridership is steadily increasing across all forms of mass transit: subway ridership is at levels not seen since the 1950s; commuter train ridership is approaching all-time records and; bus service is at a premium for riders.

The G train story is of particular interest because the line was extended due to the Culver Viaduct repair work at the Smith-9th Street elevated stop over the deep-bottomed Gowanus Canal. Built in the 1930s, it was the only IND (New York City-built INDependent line) service constructed as an elevated. Due to wear and tear over the decades, the structure needed rebuilding which included a complete gutting and overhaul of that station. With the advent of the Culver Viaduct restoration work in 2009, the line was extended 5 stops to its current Church Avenue terminus with intermediate stops at Fourth Avenue-Ninth Street, Seventh Avenue, 15th Street-Prospect Park and Fort Hamilton Parkway.



EDITORS: The full-length article is available upon request to: jmcalisi@verizon.net

  

GCT's "Whispering Gallery" Gets A Renovation

Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan, July, 2012 - One of the seven secrets of Grand Central Terminal is getting a facelift of sorts. The tile work known as the famous "whispering gallery" in front of the Oyster Bar restaurant on the Lower Level of GCT is being repaired. Historians needn't worry because the only change to occur is a simple - replace weakened mortar and reset the tiles resulting in a lot cleaner and brighter entire space. 

Metro-North currently is the sole rail user of the almost century-old structure and will be joined by Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) when East Side Access is completed. Amtrak has used the structure in the past as they moved their operations to New York's Penn Station in the early 1990s, vacated with some rare emergency uses - the last of which saw the return of the NY Central observation car 'Hickory Creek' (of the famous 20th Century Ltd passenger train) to GCT for the first time in 40 years.

Union Pacific Railroad Commemorates Their 150th Anniversary At The 'Big Board' By Ringing The Closing Bell

Lower Manhattan, July 2, 2012 - In celebration of the company’s proud past and bright future, employees of Omaha, Neb.-based Union Pacific Railroad, North America ’s largest freight railroad by revenue, UP visited the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to commemorate their 150th anniversary. President Lincoln signed investment legislation on July 1, 1862 for the railroad that ultimately connected our nation's east and west coasts. Where would our nation be without railroads? Not as prominently poised in the world over the years since then is the answer. The food we eat, materials and goods we use all get transported by rail - they literally haul the freight.

Attached are my photos from the NYSE floor and the exterior of New York Stock Exchange that was adorned with Union Pacific Railroad's 150th anniversary banner and flag. Union Pacific Railroad Chief Executive Officer Jack Koraleski rang the NYSE Closing Bell and made congratulatory handshakes with 11 Union Pacific employees from various locations across the country.

Congratulations UP!!!

Brooklyn Nets Debut Starting Backcourt At Brooklyn Boro Hall

Friday, July 13, Brooklyn, NY - A public unveiling celebration at Brooklyn's Borough Hall Plaza was held to show to the world the NBA Brooklyn Nets new backcourt of Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. This had all the pomp and circumstance of a classic pep rally, an event not normally experienced by New York City residents.

If you didn't come to the celebration labeled 'The EXPERIENCE', you'll have to see them at the Brooklyn Nets/Barclays Center on Alantic Avenue in Downtown Brooklyn (where Branch Rickey wanted to build the next Ebbets Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1950s).

The list of participants in the publicity parade were Brooklyn Nets General Manager Billy King, Brooklyn Nets Head Coach Avery Johnson, Brooklyn Nets and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark, Brooklyn Nets Public Address Announcer David Diamante, and the Brooklynettes, the Brooklyn Nets dance team.

As always, Brooklyn's greatest advocate Beep Marty Markowitz extolled with his usual jab at the cross-town rivals with,“I’m thrilled that here in Brooklyn—aka Kings County —we’ve got the Kings of the NBA: All-Stars Deron Williams and Joe Johnson and with Brooklyn ’s backcourt leading the way, those Manhattan Knicks don’t stand a chance!” In the past he said the Nets were going to mop the floor with the Manhattanites but that remains to be seen.

You guessed it, the Nets interactive mobile unit and ticket sales were on hand to help sell the team to the public. In the end, it's always about money and a dream. By the way, take mass transit (the NYC subway or LIRR) to the games because parking will be a problem if you drive there.

MTA's 'Fastrack' Track Blitz Repairs Program Moves To 7th Avenue IRT

New York City, February 9, 2012 - The 'Fastrack' right of way overhaul program that was hugely successful on New York City Transit's IRT Lexington Avenue line (4, 5 and 6) a month ago, is moving on to the 7th Avenue IRT (1, 2 and 3). The program means that a portion of the system undergoes a complete closure so a variety of tasks that normally need to be shoe-horned between moving subway trains, allowing for safe, seamless non-stop repairs to be completed more quickly than ever before for a week between Monday night at 10 p.m. through Friday morning at 5 a.m. By providing a more productive and safe work environment, Transit employees avoid the seemingly constant interruptions of repeatedly having to “clear up” for trains to pass. About 10 to 15% of subway riders during those hours are expected to be affected.

The affected stations next week are on the 7th Avenue IRT span from 34th Street-Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan to Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. Subway riders are being asked to switch to other lines at major stations such as Times Square and 59th Street-Columbus Circle. Bus service will supplement the adjoining subway service along the 7th Avenue line.

During January's Fastrack launch on the Lexington Avenue line, 300 tasks including repairing platforms, stairways, painting, light installations in addition to signal and switch inspections.

The next to get the Fastrack treatment will be the Sixth Avenue IND (Independent B, D and F lines) from February 27 to March 2.

Lower Manhattan Traffic Report: Traffic Jam Due To Giant's Super Bowl Ticker Tape Parade

New York City, February 7, 2012 - A huge morning-long traffic jam occurred as a one-time event - the N.Y. Giant's Super Bowl ticker tape (an estimated 40 tons) parade up the 'Canyon Of Heroes' on Broadway in Lower Manhattan today - and what a parade it was! The victors proudly waved their 4th Lombardi Trophy in the air that made the crowd cheer! The weather was beautiful picture postcard day but was overshadowed by the extravaganza starring our Sunday afternoon heroes, who were the real stars.

You're saying, ok, this is a transportation blog - so where's the transportation angle? Alright - here goes: aside from the traffic jam, City Comptroller John Liu rode on his own private float - a 1952 Chrysler 300.

New York City's subway system service was altered as extra trains were added and train stops temporarily closed as 11 am approached - when the parade began. All divisions in Lower Manhattan were affected as fans made the subway cars that are normally packed to the gills, were jammed cheek to jowl far above normal levels. I've never seen so many school children on parent sponsored field trips - lots of hookey was played today. Subway details:
Beginning at 10 AM to prevent overcrowding conditions, trains did NOT stop at these five stations:
Wall St, 4 or 5;
City Hall, R;
Chambers St, A or C;
World Trade Center, E;
and Fulton St, 4, 5, A or C.

These five stations were the best way to get to the parade route:
1 service to South Ferry or Rector Street;
2 or 3 service to Wall St or Fulton St;
4, 5 or 6 service to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall;
J service to Chambers St;
R service to Rector St.

The MTA's commuter lines, Metro-North and Long Island Rail Road, will be adding extra trains to handle the added capacity.

Over a million fans of all ages and sizes attended the gala event that was a wonderful event that was culminated with the Giants getting the keys to New York City from Mayor Bloomberg.

Congrats to the comeback kids as they rebounded from a 7-7 regular season record to go on a winning streak that earned them the Super Bowl trophy. Coach Coughlin is worth is weight in gold as he kept the team on message and was definitely exhibiting leadership as he definitely kept communicating with his charges in a positive manner - I wouldn't mind working for a guy like that!

LIRR To Upgrade HQ Built In 1913

Jamaica, NY, January 30, 2012 - The new MTA Chairman and CEO Joe Lhota met with Long Island Rail Road officials and received a guided tour and update of the various facilities in Queens including East Side Access, train operations, customer communications and security.

The exterior of the almost century old headquarters built in 1913 is scheduled for repair work and the 3rd floor is being turned into a 'situation room' to help handle emergencies. The structure was originally built as part of the great grade separation project of a century ago that took all LIRR trains off street level and onto viaducts within New York City.

PATH Scores Ridership High For 2011

New York, January 26, 2012 - Either the economic conditions have improved greatly from 2008 or there has been a mass-eschewing of the automobile for commuters crossing the Hudson River. In any event,The Port Authority’s PATH rail system announced that  76.6 million commuter trips made during the year, the highest number since the agency took ridership in 2011 since they took over operation of the system in 1962.

This follows the recent announcements by the MTA that Metro-North (82 million) and Long Island Rail Road (81 million) that commuters are coming back to ride the rails to get them where they're going within the region. It is also indicative of a national trend towards mass transit.The previous record by PATH was 74.9 million riders in 2008 - a 1.7 million difference and a 3.6 percent increase when compared to 2010. 

Port Authority Chairman David Samson said in a prepared statement that, “Our multibillion-dollar commitment to transform PATH into a 21st century rail system has paid dividends. More people are taking notice of what PATH has to offer and are choosing it as their preferred mode of travel between New York and New Jersey .”

It's Official - Metro-North Now Is The Top Commuter Rail Carrier In The USA

New York City, January 23, 2012 - Even with the economic downturn last year, July's heatwave, the snow storm outages and Hurricane Irene's devastation north of the town of Suffern, Metro-North posted its second-highest ridership levels in its history - topped only by 2008's figure of 83.6 million riders and became the top commuter railroad in the country and North America. It has been noted in recent months that Metro-North would supplant the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) in this category. 2011 saw Metro-North carry more than 82 million commuters last year with a 96.9% on-time performance record for 209,020 train trips.

That's not all - this year's ridership figures are anticipated to be 2% higher than last year.

MTA Metro-North President Howard Permut said in a prepared statement, “This growth is gratifying because people have a choice in travel. They are voting with their feet by taking Metro-North because of the value we provide. This growth is the continuation of a long-term trend and is a result of our unwavering focus on reliability, cleanliness, customer service and safety."

Among the improvements on the railroad are the new M-8 emu (electrical multiple unit) cars [see above] and their smooth ride which I enjoy immensely into the historic Grand Central Terminal [right].

I'm a daily rider on Metro-North and always find my interactions with their front line personnel to be courteous and professional - maybe there's more to this story than just commuters voting with their feet!

Full Service Resumes On Repaired Port Jervis Line

January 15, 2011, Harriman, NY - Full service has resumed months earlier and at a substantially lower cost than originally expected, the repaired Port Jervis line rail service resumed to the accolades of riders and MTA officials. It took about 3 months to repair the devastation of Hurricane Irene. Metro-North trains return to a full schedule of 26 daily trains and 14 trains each weekend day.

At an organized 'meet and greet' event on November 28, 2011 in Harriman New York, MTA Chairman and  CEO Joseph Lhota said, "We're very happy to provide for commuters to be taking the train again. I'm proud of Metro-North that it was able to get service back ahead of schedule and under budget."

Metro-North President Howard Permut proudly boasted, "It's great when I see people coming back to take the train, I am pleased to see it back as quickly as we could get it done."

Just as importantly, those praises were also sung by the riders. Frank Cervera of Westtown NY said, "I feel very optimistic, very happy, pleasantly surprised and very relieved to be able to travel to New York City and back. Myself and others rely on the line to earn a living. Without the train service, the commute was tedious, difficult and frustrating. I use the park and drive to commute to my job in mid-town Manhattan." Rebeca Diaz of Chester NY echoed a similar sentiment with, "I'm excited because its done ahead of time. It's a big deal, I work in New York City."

It should be noted that the situation hasn't been completely resolved as some work still needs to be done but a new top-service schedule has been put into effect. The Sloatsburg-Suffern trackage is still in need of repair. The original estimate for completion of all Port Jervis Line repairs was moved forward from fall 2012 to June 2012 with the hard work of Metro-North's employees and contractors.

Polar Bears Attack Coney Island, In a Nice Way

Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY, January 1, 2012 - What a way to begin the year, sand, surf, bikinis, Coney Island, January 1st - January 1st!!! What's going on here!!! Shiver me timbers!!! The Polar Bear Club jumped into the Atlantic Ocean surf en masse at 1 pm creating quite a scene for about the next hour. For a while it looked like summer came 6 months early!!! At 2 pm, the show was over on that warm for New Year's Day.

Many of the Polar Bear Club members took the BMT subway to the Stillwell Avenue, Coney Island terminal for a stress-free ride there and back.

Relaxation - definitely! Now quick, my shades, oil, blanket, radio - but not today!!!! An overcoat is more like it!!!

Bulls On Wall Street – No Really!

Lower Manhattan, New York, NY (January 5, 2012) – A pair of bulls invaded Wall Street today, well sort of. From 1 to 3:00 pm, live caged bulls were showcased beneath the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) façade as the Professional Bull Riders, Inc. visited the NYSE and were at on the interior platform as they help ring the closing bell with PBR CEO James Haworth to kick off the 2012 Built Ford Tough Series /PBR’s 6th Annual Madison Square Garden Invitational on January 6-8, 2012.

It was some week for bulls in Lower Manhattan, first the Charging Bull at Bowling Green on Sunday, the NYSE on Thursday - what's next, a cattle drive? Stay tuned! That's no bum steer!!!

St. Nicholas Church At Ground Zero Holds Annual 'Blessing of the Waters' Ceremony At Battery Park

Lower Manhattan, January 8, 2012 - One of the time-honored Epiphany rituals was celebrated in Battery Park this past Sunday. The Blessing of the Waters and casting of the Holy Cross into New York Harbor. This ceremony was conducted after a mass was held at Saints Helen and Constantine Church in Downtown Brooklyn. Parishioners arrived in Lower Manhattan in a bus in the early afternoon following a morning of prayer. These parishioners are of St. Nicholas Church at Ground Zero which was demolished during the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center. This year is especially joyful because they now can begin to build their replacement church next to Ground Zero. The story about this is in this blog at: http://railientrails.blogspot.com/2011/10/agreement-to-build-greek-orthodox.html

The ritual begins with a procession from Pier 1 to Slip 1, near where the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island ferry boats dock. Crosses and religious artifacts are carried and chants are sung during this procession. The priests and divers (this year there was only one), boarded a new FDNY rescue boat where more prayers are sung. At the appropriate moment, the swimmers are told to be ready and the gold cross is thrown into the water with a tether and is the symbolism of the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan river by St John the Baptist. The successful swimmer hoists the cross in the air to signify he's got it and swims back to the boat. For his efforts, he is rewarded with a small cross, personal blessing from the priest to ensure good luck for the coming year. The ceremony is concluded with the release of a white dove which symbolizes the Holy Spirit which appeared that day in the sky.

The Greek Festival of Epiphany is held every year on the Sunday of January after the Epiphany. Greek Orthodox Churches around the world holds its own 'Blessing of the Waters' ceremony. All Greek Orthodox churches located close to a water front perform this rite that is based upon the Rite of Baptism.

Drop Your Pants Lately? Many Did On The Subway!

January 8, 2012 - Thousands gathered at many plazas such as Foley Square in Manhattan and headed towards the subway mid-afternoon to, you guessed it, drop their pants as part of a world-wide social networking event. This 11th edition seemingly drew more participants than in previous years for the cheeky event.

Their basic theory was to enter the subway system and undress in waves, giving a shock value to other riders. Somehow, I don't buy the shock value as many laughed at the sight of 'No Pants' on the NYC subway system. Believe it or not, there were rules for the participants:

1. No pants
2. No laughing (admittedly hard to do sometimes)
3. Enter the subway as a group, split up and remove your pants one at a time so it looks like a flower blooming

All in all, four thousand joined in the prank in the Big Apple coordinated by Improv Everywhere. If you missed it this time, check it out next year on the 1st Sunday of January.

NY MTA FASTRACKs Lexington Avenue Line Rail Upgrades

January 9, 2012 - Tonight begins an historic change in how subway right of way maintenance is done. For four consecutive weeknights beginning tonight, a veritable laundry list of 300+ tasks at fifteen Lexington Avenue (4, 5, and 6) stations and associated tunnels between Grand Central-42nd Street station in Manhattan and Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn during a period of completely suspended train service between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. for the 6.7-mile route that encompasses 20 track miles. Passengers are encouraged to use the BMT (N, Q and R), IRT 7th Avenue 2 or 3 lines to/from nearby stations with overnight 3 service extended into Brooklyn. 'The Lex' is the busiest route in New York City and the first to get the FASTRACK treatment.

The ultimate goal is to make and complete track, signal, station repairs more safely and efficiently those hard to get to places without any train service interruptions. Stations, will receive the spot painting, power washing, platform edge repairs, wall tile replacements while the stations are closed. A closed section of a subway line, more work is accomplished at once and at less cost. When this FASTRACK project is complete, NYC Transit will perform an assessment and report to the MTA Board for review.

In a prepared statement, NYC Transit President Thomas F. Prendergast said,"All of this is work that must be done to maintain the safe, smooth and efficient operation of a subway system that runs around the clock, seven days a week. However, by suspending service along line segments, workers can work on and near the tracks without having to interrupt that work every few minutes while a train moves through the area."
 

The Transit Authority's next FASTRACK overnight Monday thru Friday 4-night closure will be on the Seventh Avenue 1, 2 and 3 IRT lines between 34th Street and Atlantic Avenue from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Metro-North Begins Quiet Car Service on New Haven Line Starting Jan 9, 2012

January 3, 2012 - Metro-North advised its New Haven line riders that 'Quiet Car' service on trains between Grand Central and its Danbury, Waterbury and New Haven destinations with flyers. The northern-most car on am peak service and southern-most pm peak select trains will have the new offering. Reverse rush hour trains are not involved in this pilot program.

Commuters on these trains need to follow 4 rules:

• do not use cell phones
• disable sound features on computers and other electronic devices
• conduct conversations in subdued tones
• use headphones at levels that will not be heard by fellow commuters.

The New Haven line joins its sister Harlem and Hudson line trains with the new 'quiet calmute' service designated with a 'Q' on the timetable beginning January 9th.

Quiet car violators will be notified by a conductor with a quiet calmute 'shhh' card that explains the rules in English and Spanish.

The new passenger experience comes on the heels of an announced 19% six years in a row Connecticut line fare increase to cover the cost of the new M-8 emu (electric multiple unit) cars and infrastructure improvements. According to Connecticut Governor Malloy, the implemented January 1 increase is necessary to pay for dependable service and equipment.

Caption: A Metro-North push-pull commuter train from Danbury CT on the lower level of Grand Central Terminal.