Archive for May, 2007
May
09
MTA to sell Hudson Yards – for top price this time
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Got $1 billion? This could all be yours. (Image from the Department of City Planning)
Remember the Hudson Yards redevelopment plans? Once upon a time, this midtown area of the Far West Side was the centerpiece of Mayor Bloomberg’s plans for residential and commercial growth in Manhattan. Those were the days.
Now, the site barely registers on the Department of City Planning’s Website. With the ill-fated plans for the Jets Stadium long gone, the city has, thankfully, moved on to better and more useful projects. But the MTA, owners of highly valued land around the Hudson Yards site on the Far West Side, isn’t quite done yet.
In fact, with the 7 line extension plans in the works, the city and the MTA are going to work together to sell some of this valuable land, and the asking price could be as high as $1.3 billion. According to a Reuters story, the Authority will begin to find developers for the 26-acre rail yard. As one of the largest — if not the biggest — tract of empty land in Manhattan, the MTA expects to receive a windfall sum for this land.
The estimated $1.3 billion the MTA could fetch for this area will help fund the Second Ave. subway project, the 7 line extension and other various Capital Construction projects. “It’s certainly in the best interests of the city and state that we’re able to maximize our revenues,” an MTA spokesman said.
In a few weeks, the MTA plans to hold public hearings on how the land should be used and will then issue design guidelines for developers. These hearings will focus on questions surrounding the availability of affordable housing and the mix of residential and commercial buildings. Notably, the MTA will hold onto the rail yards, and the developers will have to build a platform — for as much as $400 million — over the train storage and maintenance facility.
These new plans are a marked departure from the 2005 shenanigans. At the time, the City, under Bloomberg, attempted to secure the land for a new Jets Stadium and an expanded Convention Center area. They offered the lowball sum of $300 million, and public forces mobilized to stop what would have been a damaging sale at the time. With the land appraised at a value of nearly $1 billion more than the City’s offer two years, the MTA looks to capitalize on what could have been a very costly mistake.
On another note, the Friends of the High Line have to feel a little bit better about the fate of the norther section of the former freight line. “I think we would like to see it remain if that can happen without having a major impact on the revenue that the MTA gets from the site,” the MTA spokesman said. Good stuff.
May
08
Transit strike, sketchy book-keeping mar Kalikow tenure
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The 2005 transit strike will forever mar Peter Kalikow’s MTA tenure. (Photo courtesy of flickr user NYC Comets)
On Monday, we came to celebrate Peter Kalikow (with a little urging from the MTA’s press department). On Tuesday, we come to bury him.
As Kalikow prepares to leave his post as chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the papers are aglow with critical examinations of his tenure.
While we may remember Kalikow for his push to extend the subway system along 2nd Ave. and his unwavering dedication to the 2005 Transportation Bond Act, we won’t soon be forgetting the 2005 transit strike or the sketchy ways in which the MTA went about raising the fare in 2003. The Times has more about the transit strike and the bitter animosity that have since arisen between the MTA and the Transit Workers Union:
Gene Russianoff, the staff lawyer for the Straphangers Campaign, a transit rider advocacy group, said Mr. Kalikow sometimes hewed too closely to Mr. Pataki’s interests, allowing Albany politics to dictate policy. As an example, he cited the poor labor relations that characterized Mr. Kalikow’s years at the authority, especially after the strike that halted city bus and subway service for 60 hours in December 2005.
“That was one of the black marks,” Mr. Russianoff said. “He ended up with probably what was the worst labor relations in the 25 years we’ve followed the system. It was, I think, purely Pataki politics that dictated what happened.”
In my opinion, however, that transit strike pales in comparison with the economic circumstances surrounding the 2003 fare increase, a situation which the word “sketchy” defines perfectly. In 2003, the MTA raised the fares amidst cries from City Hall and Albany that the MTA has shifted around millions of dollars of surplus money to make it look like the fare hike was a necessity instead of a luxury.
While the Straphangers Campaign and others bring the suit eventually lost on appeal, as Gene Russianoff notes in Metro, the end result has been favorable; the MTA now must maintain a higher level of transparency than ever before.
So as Kalikow exits, sometimes, we’ll remember the way he spoke out against the lowball offer the Jets made for the Hudson Yards area and the way he’s tried to be more rider-friendly. At other times, as that $76 melts away every month, we’ll remember the fare hikes. It’s a tortured legacy for the man in charge of one of New York’s greatest assets, and his shoes will not be filled easily. But if the potential replacement took any lessons from the last six years, we’ll have an even better subway system come 2013.
May
07
Kalikow to resign once Spitzer names replacement
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The Peter Kalikow Resignation saga is finally drawing to a close. The outgoing MTA Chairman announced today that he would resign as soon as New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer names his retirement, The Times’ Empire Zone blog reported today.
Kalikow, the chair since 2001, was appointed to a new six-year term last year, but he announced in November that he would step down this year. In March, Kalikow wasn’t quite ready to quit, but now the time is right. “I am a firm believer in setting aggressive goals, accomplishing those goals and then giving others the opportunity to both expand upon those initiatives and create new ones with fresh vision and new energy,” Kalikow said in a press release. “As both a longtime public servant and an avid supporter of term limits as a means to maintain healthy and effective government leadership, I believe the public will be best served by my decision.”
This decision comes on the heels of the groundbreaking for the Second Ave. subway, one of Kalikow’s pet projects. The Republican appointee wanted to wait around for the start of this highly-anticipated project.
Elliot “Lee” Sander, the MTA’s CEO, praised Kalikow’s willingness to fight for public transportation in New York City. “Peter Kalikow has made an invaluable contribution to the MTA, most notably fighting for the 2005 Bond Act and the capital dollars needed to begin building Second Avenue Subway and East Side Access,” Sander said. “Peter has been a great asset to me personally in my first few months on the job, and I wish him all the best.”
As The Times notes, Kalikow had some words of wisdom for Sander and those who will carry on his work at the MTA. “Raise fares only as a last resort, but do not leave the fares artificially low, which will cause disinvestment in our system,” he said. Kalikow declined to comment on the necessity of a fare increase for 2008, saying “that’s now Lee’s problem.”
After the jump: A list from the MTA of some of Kalikow’s key accomplishments.
May
06
In lawsuit, former MTA cops allege racial bias
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Bad news for the MTA. A group of current and former Metropolitan Transportation Authority police officers are suing the MTA. They allege what The New York Times said is “a deeply rooted culture of discrimination against black and Hispanic officers.”
According to reports, the ten officers claim that minority officers are denied promotions and overtime work at a rate lower than that of white officers. Additionally, the suit claims that supervising officers often use racial slurs when addressing minority MTA police officers. The Times has more:
Detective Lilian Alvarado, one of the plaintiffs, said at a news conference that she had decided to come forward after her daughter told her she wanted to become a police officer. Detective Alvarado, who is Hispanic, said she did not want her daughter to face the same discrimination she had faced. “It didn’t matter how long I worked or how hard,” Detective Alvarado said. “I was ostracized.”
She was promoted to detective in 1994, 14 years after she joined the police force. The lawsuit said that many white officers were promoted in less than five years. It also said Detective Alvarado was denied the training necessary for rapid advancement.
In its defense, the MTA released a statement to the press promoting its diverse workforce. The statement noted that inorities make up 32 percent of the MTA police officers. “We are completely committed to a workplace free of any kind of discrimination or harassment,” the statement said.
But despite this token nod to diversity, the numbers sited in the lawsuit are stark in contrast. The aggrieved officers claim that 86 percent of sergeants, detective sergeants and lieutenants are white while 96 percent of those at a level of captain or higher are white.
While some of the instances of discrimination mentioned in the suit occurred ten or even twenty years ago, I would bet that the MTA police force is no haven of racial equality and harmony. The MTA CEO Eliot “Lee” Sander is new to the job, but he now inherits the problems raised here. It’s up to him to address these concerns, even if the MTA spin doctors want to keep on proclaiming their “workplace free of discrimination or harassment.” Let’s see it happen.
May
05
Subway work resumes in time for weekend service delays
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New York City Transit construction projects mostly take place on the weekends. Delays are rampant and trains are often rerouted or outright replaced with shuttle buses from 12:01 a.m. on Saturday morning until 5:01 a.m. on Monday.
When the work stand-down was announced last weekend on a Sunday, I figured it wouldn’t disrupt too many projects. While nighttime work on track replacement and station renovation projects ground to a halt this week, the MTA had five days to issue the appropriate safety documents. Well, even though most construction projects aren’t finished in time, the safety training was, and as The New York Times reported, all work in the subway resumed on Friday.
Transit officials said yesterday that they planned to resume regular maintenance and construction work on subway tracks and tunnels this morning, returning workers to the job after more than four days off for a safety review prompted by the deaths of two track workers struck by trains.
The Transport Workers Union president, Roger Toussaint, said that the return to work comes as New York City Transit has agreed to a series of safety improvements, including equipping work crew supervisors with radios to improve communication with train controllers on the movement of nearby trains.
So that’s that. Toussaint is happy with the MTA’s response, and new NYCT president Howard Roberts made his position clear this week with emphatic statements stressing worker safety.
Meanwhile, because work has resumed, weekend service advisories are in place. There are no delays this weekend with the A and C trains because the track replacement project wrapped up one week early. There are a bunch of changes on the N, Q and R lines. For all weekend updates, check out the MTA’s Website.
I’ll see you back here on Monday.
May
04
Homeless in the subway on the rise, says anyone who rides a train
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The homeless in the subway aren’t funny, but this edited poster sure is. (Courtesy of flickr user bellerspace)
Back in February, the homeless denizens of New York City came to our collective consciousness when reports revealed that the MTA spends $2000 per homeless person. At the time, the MTA noted that many of the homeless people escorted out of the subway simply return after a few days.
Well, now, as anyone who rides the subway can attest to, the MTA has revealed that the homeless problem in the subway is on the rise. While the total homeless population has decreased about two percent in the last year, the number of homeless in the subways has risen 33 percent. The Post has more:
“Subways are not a safe haven for the homeless,” MTA Executive Director Elliot Sander said. “They are not a safe place to be. It also has an impact on the environment for our commuters. It’s an issue we need to solve humanely.”
Sander and DHS Commissioner Robert Hess identified three transit hubs that are homeless hot spots: Penn Station, the Parsons-Archer station in Jamaica, and Stillwell Avenue in Coney Island.
None of this comes as news to straphangers. Anecdotally, as a frequent rider, I’ve seen more homeless on the subways recently than I have in years. Late at night, it’s now hard to find a train car without a sleeping resident. And forget about Penn Station, as the article notes; that hub has long been a haven for the homeless. It’s hard to find a usable bathroom in Amtrak’s home, and the homeless pervade the station, often right under the noses of the transit cops patrolling the area.
But what can the city do here? That’s the tough question. Overall, the homeless in New York are a much smaller percentage of the population than they are in other U.S. cities, but their presence in the subway leaves many feeling unsafe. The cops could wake up sleeping riders who seem to have settled in for the night, but that’s hardly a long-term solution. Anyone got any better ideas?
May
02
MTA stressing safety after deadly week
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After a week that witnessed two track workers killed by oncoming trains, the MTA used a mandatory work stand-down to stress safety. Their main message? Do not take short cuts.
According to William Neuman in The New York Times, in the wake of the two deaths last week, New York City Transit officials have drawn up a 60-page document designed to instruct workers on the necessary safety protocols that should guide this dangerous job. The document stressed the importance of following basic safety rules, a task often ignored by those working in the subway tunnels.
The review also found that the most common cause of worker deaths was failure to look for an oncoming train before stepping onto the tracks. That may have been what happened on April 24 when Daniel Boggs, 41, a veteran track worker, was killed when he stepped in the path of a No. 3 express train at Columbus Circle in Manhattan, according to transit officials.
After the death of [Marvin] Franklin, Howard H. Roberts Jr., the president of New York City Transit, ordered a halt to maintenance and construction work on tracks and in tunnels. He also directed the agency’s safety experts, in coordination with the Transport Workers Union, to prepare the 60-page curriculum, which is the backbone for the safety refresher course that track workers are now receiving.
Interestingly, NYCT claims that overall injury numbers are down markedly since 2000, but union officials disputed this claim. The numbers, TWU officials say, are skewed because they count multiple injuries stemming from one accident as just one incident.
Meanwhile, Howard Roberts, the new president of NYCT, sent out a letter to all union members stressing his support for the thousands of subway workers who toil away under dangerous conditions. Considering the bitterness that has long existed between the MTA and the TWU, it’s refreshing to see moments of labor peace in the subway. It’s such a shame that the price tag for this peace included the lives of two workers.
May
02
’08 fare hike could target Unlimited Ride Metrocards
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To hike the fares or not to hike the fares? That is the question, and MTA CEO Elliot “Lee” Sander is coming down on the side of hiking the fares.
Last week, I speculated that the MTA’s unexpected tax windfalls could stave off an announced 2008 fare hike. But not so fast, said Sander. Metro, on of the city’s free dailies, has more:
Sander said this year’s surplus wouldn’t ward off a fare hike.
“Nothing on that has changed,” he said.
That’s because the MTA has to pay back massive debts incurred to pay for capital projects, to fix infrastructure and to buy new trains and buses. Ballooning deficits have been predicted to reach $1.9 billion by 2010.
In other efforts to reduce this debt, Mayor Bloomberg announced that the city would contribute $200 million a year to the MTA. The last time the City gave so much to the MTA was during the Koch Administration.
“There is a direct connection between the withdrawal of that support by the city and the large operating deficits that we face in ’08, ’09 and ’10, so we really appreciate [Bloomberg’s] focus,” Sander said. “The contribution to the capital program significantly diminished after 1994, and that certainly had a role in the amount of borrowing that the MTA had to do.”
Interestingly enough, the Unlimited Ride Metrocards could be the biggest victims of the fare hike. In fact, I believe the only hikes will affect those who use Unlimited Ride Metrocards. On Monday, SUBWAYblogger directed my attention to an article in The Post noting that we riders save close to $1 billion using Unlimited Ride Metrocards.
Since the average cost of an Unlimited Ride averages out to about $1.31 per ride and only 12 percent of all subway riders pay the full $2 fare with no discount, the MTA will look to recoup some of the money it gives up by offering these discounted MetroCards. It’s bad for those of us who rely on the subways to commute, but the MTA needs the money. Hopefully, they’ll use the funds to offer us better service and more trains.
We’ll know for sure in July when Sander makes his final announcement on the fare hike. So stay tuned until the dog days of summer when our wallets may get just a little thinner each night.
May
01
What becomes of the broken elevator?
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I have no problems taking elevators. I’ve lived in, worked in and visited tall buildings for much of my life, but I do know people suffering from fear of elevators. A few months ago, when I exited the IRT at the Clark St. station for the first time in my life, I finally understood this fear of elevators.
The Clark St. station is the first stop in Brooklyn on the 2 and the 3. This station — which is basically the end of the tunnel under the East River — is 100 feet underground, and the only way to get from the trains to the surface is via a cattle car of an elevator that is enough to drive anyone to walk up any distance. It is, in a word, terrifying, and I would rather walk from the Borough Hall stop than ever use that elevator again.
Today, I found out this fear is not without basis in reality. The Clark St. elevators fail at a pace greater than once every other day, according to reports released on Monday. But it gets better, as The Sun’s Annie Karni reports:
Over the past two years, the three elevators at Clark Street have broken down almost 400 times, averaging a pace of almost one breakdown every other day. Riders have been trapped inside the elevators more than 20 times. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s maintenance crews have been sent out multiple times in single days to repair the same elevator, and temperatures inside the elevators have risen to 100 degrees…
The only alternative to waiting is an 80-foot climb up a steep staircase used only in emergencies — and perhaps by mountaineers and marathoners in training. Over the past two years, the transit authority listed fuses blown due to high temperatures, brake failures, worn-out molding, and general “door problems” as the most common causes of the chronic breakdowns, according to documents obtained by The New York Sun.
The story, of course, gets better. First, the MTA is often loathe to send out repairmen to the elevators because the workers need to be paid $41 an hour for an overtime accrued while making difficult repairs. Furthermore, the MTA won’t send its own crews out to fix new elevators because the Authority doesn’t want to risk voided the warranty.
This elevator debacle is not a new problem for those who rely on Clark St. The old elevators — replaced in 2000 at a cost of $3.5 million — often broke down, and no one knew how to fix them because they were constructed out of leftover parts for a World War II aircraft. A lack of parts still plagues this station, and John Liu, head of the City Council’s transportation committee summed it best.
“The most frequent excuse for broken elevators is a lack of parts,” Liu said. “What we need are Fords for elevators, and it seems as if they give us Maseratis. One has to question how these contracts are given out.”
That they do, John. That they do.
Photo of the Union Square elevator, seemingly out of service forever, courtesy of flickr user fmsparis.
