Archive for September, 2007
Sep
28
Weekend Permanent service changes: Take the bus to IKEA
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So you know that whole IKEA thing they’re building in Red Hook much to the chagrin of everyone? It’s not exactly overly accessible, and the MTA wants to fix that.
Red Hook is a great place to visit. You’ve got fantastic views, fantastic key lime pies, fantastic Latin American food and a Fairway.
But the catch is also the charm of the area: It’s hard to get to Red Hook, but it keeps the neighborhood peaceful. The nearest subway stop at Smith and 9th Sts. is a good walk from the Hook. To reach the Hook, visitors either must drive or take the B61 or B77 stops from elsewhere in Brooklyn.
But the MTA is going to solve this transportation problem for IKEA-bound folks. Beginning in January, the B61 and B77 will stop right outside of the IKEA, The Brooklyn Paper reports. For those shopping for furniture, this is great news. Those living in the area are none-too-thrilled as it is but could use the enhanced transportation options. So with a shuttle IKEA plans to run from subway stops in downtown Brooklyn and the bus line extensions, hopefully, fewer people will drive to the store.
Now on to the weekend service alerts. You can, always, get them here, but the ones on the MTA’s site are disastrously confusing this week. I’ll attempt to clarify. Pay careful attention to what’s happening with the E train.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, October 1, there are no 1 trains between 14th Street and South Ferry. Customers may take the 2 or 3 between 14th Street and Chambers Street. There are free shuttle buses operating between Chambers Street and South Ferry. This is due to Port Authority underpinning work at the WTC site for the new PATH station.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, October 1, 2 and 3 trains run local between 96th Street and Chambers Street due to Port Authority underpinning work at the WTC site for the new PATH station.
From 6 a.m. Saturday, September 29 to 9 p.m. Sunday, September 30, Bronx-bound 2 and 5 trains run express from 3rd Avenue to East 180th Street due to work on the third rail between Jackson Avenue and West Farms Square-East Tremont Avenue stations.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, October 1, Bronx-bound 4 trains run express from 125th Street to Burnside Avenue due to track concrete pour north of the 149th Street -Grand Concourse station.
At all times through mid-November, Manhattan-bound 4 trains skip Mosholu Parkway due to station rehabilitation.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, September 29 to 10 p.m. Sunday, September 30, Bronx-bound 6 trains run express from Hunts Point Avenue to Parkchester due to track panel installation at Whitlock Avenue. (The last stop for some Bronx-bound 6 trains will be 3rd Avenue.)
From 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30, Manhattan-bound 7 trains skip 111th, 103rd, 90th, 82nd, 74th and 69th Streets due to rail renewal between Willets Point-Shea Stadium and 69th Street stations.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, October 1, free shuttle buses and shuttle train service replace the A between Howard Beach-JFK Airport and the Rockaways due to track panel installation south of Howard Beach-JFK Airport station.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, October 1, free shuttle buses replace A trains between 168th Street and 207th Street via Broadway. The M4 bus provides additional service between 168th and 190th Streets via Ft. Washington Avenue. There is no C train service between 145th Street and 168th Streets. This is due to tunnel rehabilitation between 168th Street and 207th Street stations.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, October 1, downtown A and C trains skip 50th, 23rd, and Springs Streets due to Chambers Street signal modernization.
From 5 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, September 29 and Sunday, September 30, E trains run on the F line between Roosevelt and 2nd Avenues due to fan plant rehab.
From midnight to 5 a.m., Saturday, September 29, Sunday, September 30 and Monday, October 1, E trains run on the R line between Queens Plaza and Canal Street due to fan plant rehab.
From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, September 29, there is no G train service between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Court Square due to fan plant rehab. Customers should take the R.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 29 to 5 a.m. Monday, October 1, Manhattan-bound NR trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge from DeKalb Avenue to Canal Street due to tunnel rehabilitation south of Prince Street station.
Sep
28
Straphangers say ‘C’ ya later to the L train
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Update 1:26 p.m.: The MTA has released the complete survey info. You can get it at the bottom of this post.
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The MTA is learning that when you ask honest opinion, you’ll get back an honest answer. And when it comes to the quality of service in the subways, honesty doesn’t lead to high grades.
Later today, the Authority will release the results of the rider report cards for the L train, but The Times’ Cityroom blog already has the story. While the 7 train received a C-minus a few weeks ago, the L train improves on that grade. By a little.
The old BMT 14th St./Canarsie line received a C from its riders. Sewell Chan, with an assist from transit beat writer William Neuman, has more on the grade breakdown:
The mediocre grade is somewhat surprising, given that New York City Transit has spent millions on a computerized system of speakers and electronic signs on the crosstown L line. Yet straphangers who took the survey were unimpressed; they gave a C grade when asked if station announcements on the line were easy to hear and a C-minus when asked if the announcements were informative….
Overall, L train riders said overcrowding was their top priority. Transit officials said they will go ahead with plans already in place to add trains to the line…The top three areas in which L riders wanted to see improvements were more room on board during peak hours; fewer delays during trips; and shorter wait times for trains.
For those of you keeping score — or is that grading? — at home, the L received a D for the “adequate room at rush hour” category only because giving out an F was not an option a few customers must like feeling as though they’re on an overstuffed cattle car. (Ends up that F was an option!) I’ll have the full grade breakdown later today.
The MTA must be at least somewhat discouraged by this news. As Chan and Neuman note, the MTA has invested a highly-publicized $17.6 million into installing train information screens (that don’t work in an ideal way) and the capacity for automated trains (that don’t seem to work yet either) along stations in the L line. When train information displays at on the Brooklyn-bound 1st Ave. L platform are displaying the minutes until the next 8th Ave.-bound L train, L train riders are apt to rate the line poorly.
For his part, Howard Roberts was gracious in receiving the bad news. He said to Chan and Neuman that due to the overcrowding — which the MTA hopes to alleviate — and the constant service changes and shuttle buses, he was “not totally surprised” by the mediocre grade. But the MTA is now pulling down a C/C- on your typical grading scale.
I hope the MTA has plans to address the myriad concerns raised in these reports. We’re hearing the same issues — overcrowding, poor rush hour service, incomprehensible announcements — over and over again. And while a C may be good enough for the President of the United States, it sure isn’t acceptable to those of us riding the New York City subways every day.
Sep
27
MTA, eyeing 2010 hike, blames the machines for the 2008 raise
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What’s in The Daily News? I’ll tell you what’s in The Daily News. A story about the MTA blaming the MetroCard Vending Machines for what otherwise would have been a smaller fare hike. That’s what in The Daily News.
My apologies to all of those fans of Guys and Dolls out there, but seriously. The MTA is saying that a flaw in the way the MetroCard Vending Machines are programmed is one of the leading reasons why the 2008 fare hike is set to a quarter instead of just 10 cents. That, ladies and gentlemen, may be a first.
Pete Donohue, transit writer for The Daily News, has more:
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority acknowledged yesterday that one BIG reason it wants a 25-cent bus and subway hike is because its vending machines can dispense only dollar coins and quarters.
MTA spokesman Jeremy Soffin defended the increase as fair and said upping it by a nickel or dime wouldn’t be enough. “The limitations of technology would make a $2.10 fare extremely costly to implement and would provide a much poorer quality of service,” Soffin said.
Oof. This may go under that ever-special category of Things You Keep to Yourself. Subway guru and Straphanger lawyer Gene Russianoff was outraged for the lot of us. “It’s not acceptable for them to say, ‘The machines are making us do it,’” he said to Donohue. “What are they going to [do] if next time they think there should be a 35-cent hike? Round it off to 50 cents and make us pay?”
In response to this spate of bad publicity, the MTA announced that they are looking at technological alternatives to the current vending machines. Considering that only 14 percent of subway riders pay in case, searching for something that doesn’t rip off everyone would probably be a good solution here. The MTA is also considering some sort of card for low-income subway riders, but the Authority refused to discuss any details whatsoever of those mysterious program. Maybe they should just step on it with those plans to adopt Smart Card technology.
In other fare hike news — and I use that term loosely because anyone reading Second Ave. Sagas won’t be too surprised by this information — New York newspapers are making a big stink over the fact that the MTA has plans to raise the fares in 2010. For as long as the MTA has debated this upcoming fare hike, MTA CEO Elliot “Lee” Sander has repeated warned the public that the Authority prefers and would pursue two smaller fare hikes in 2008 and 2010 instead of one larger fare hike when the MTA’s financial picture became too dire.
As the public becomes more aware of this looming fare hike and its long-term ramifications, people are going to get more annoyed at the MTA. Just you wait.
Sep
26
The Remaking of ‘Pelham One Two Three’
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No movie captures the essence of the New York City subway better than the 1974 flick The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. The film stars Walter Malthau as the transit cop who must deal with Robert Shaw’s hijacking of a 6 train. The demands: One million dollars within an hour or the passengers get killed.
Joseph Sargent’s film, adobted by Peter Stone from a John Godey book, is a work of New York City history. It’s gritty and campy. It taps into the fears during the 1970s that the subways weren’t safe and that New Yorkers just didn’t really care. And in a great piece of political satire, the movie features a bumbling mayor trying to run away from the city’s problems. In a word (or three): Watch this movie (but not that dreadful remake from the late 1990s).
This movie is such a cult film among transit buffs that it has recently spurred this insanely long discussion on Subchat. Obviously, August of 2007 didn’t mark the debut of this film as a topic on the subway-centric message board. The threads have been too numerous to count, but this 2003 thread entitled the “Ultimate Guide to Pelham 1-2-3″ is a classic.
Now, Hollywood’s at it again. Director Tony Scott is going to remake The Taking of Pelham One Two Three with Academy Award winner Denzel Washington starring as Zachary “Z” Garber, the role originally played by Walter Mathau. No word yet on who will play the terrorists, but I would guess we’ll see some familiar Hollywood-style terrorists threatening the city with a hijacked subway.
As you can see from this extensive thread on Subchat, feelings are running strong on this one. The original Pelham 1-2-3 drew some heat for taking some liberties with the way it presented the subway, and some contributors to the message board are urging Tony Scott to bring on some railfans as technical advisors. That’s sound advice; Scott shouldn’t distract New Yorkers, the film’s biggest target audience, with subway detail inaccuracies.
Meanwhile, I’m a little skeptical of this remake. What makes the original work is it’s place in time. It is, as I said, the quintessential view of 1970s New York City.
What would a 2000s New York City look like in a new version of Pelham 1-2-3? Would the automated voices apologize for the “unavoidable delay”? Would straphangers too zoned out on their iPods even blink? Would the hijackers be able to get inside and hijack an overcrowded train car on the East Side IRT these days anyway? Will the hijackers be your stereotypical set of Middle Eastern hijackers or would Tony Scott and his scribe David Koepp dare to be a little creative with their casting?
For those of us who live and breath the subways — or at least try to breath inside the subways — Mr. Scott will have to prove his subway mettle. We can only wait and wonder if he’s up to this monumental task.
Sep
26
Federal Transit Administration kicking in $1.3B for the Second Ave. Subway
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The 8.5-mile Second Ave. Subway took one giant leap toward reality when the Federal Transit Administration announced its approval of a $1.3-billion grant for the construction of the new subway line. This money — promised to New York City by President Bush back in February — will be a huge boost to a project with finances that, up until now, could be described as shaky, at best.
Right now, information on the grant approval is sketchy. NY1 reports that the the $1.3 billion will be added to the $1.5 billion already assigned to this project. This money is simply for the first stage of construction which encompasses the three stops at 96th St., 86th St. and 72nd St., as well as a connection via 63rd St. to the existing BMT lines down Broadway.
amNew York’s Tracker blog has a statement from some of New York’s local politicos:
The Federal Transit Administration has informed Congress that it will approve a full-funding grant agreement for the Second Avenue Subway, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, Governor Eliot Spitzer, and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver announced today. The New Yorkers hailed this crucial investment in New York City’s transportation system, which is expected to provide about $1.3 billion in federal funds to build the first leg of the subway project.
The statement, as you can see, doesn’t shed any further light on what this grant means for the project. In April, I reported on a projected the $800-million gap in funding for the Second Ave. Subway. I believe that figure already included this grant which city officials all but considered theirs six months ago. This announcement today is really more symbolic than anything else.
With various organizations pledging bits and pieces of the puzzle, I think the $800 million has been cut. Whatever the difference is now, it should be covered by the money drawn in by the congestion fee. That money is, after all, set to go to the Second Ave. Subway instead of the JFK Railink. I’ll do my best to clarify this money puzzle shortly.
But no matter; this is great news for the city. The federal government is willing to toss some serious bucks our way to ensure the completion of a project that is vital for the future health of the city. If only we could always be so lucky.
Sep
25
Proposed MTA fare hike the worst kind of regressive tax
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Of all of the charges levied against Mayor Bloomberg’s congestion fee by the plan’s opponents, I am most entertained by those weakly arguing the congestion fee is a regressive tax designed to hit poor more than it affects the rich. Well, newsflash, folks: The poorer people aren’t the ones driving and paying for a car in New York City.
To find an example, though, of a crippling regressive tax at work, look no further than today’s announcement by the MTA describing the potential fare hikes. The proposal, detailed here by William Neuman of The Times, involves jacking up the base fare and the prices on Unlimited Ride Metrocards, doing away with the buy-five-rides-get-six discount and instituting lower off-peak fares.
William Neuman, in an earlier post at the Cityroom blog, has more:
A person who buys a pay-per-ride MetroCard would be charged $2 to ride the subway or bus during the morning and evening peak periods. Travel during off-peak periods, including midday, would cost $1.50. The intention would be to encourage some riders to travel during off-peak hours, which could reduce crowding during the rush periods.
If that proposal were adopted, the 7-day and 30-day unlimited-ride MetroCards would increase to 8 percent from 6.5 percent. A new 14-day unlimited ride MetroCard would be created, at a cost of $48. The authority would no longer offer 20 percent bonuses for purchases over $10.
An alternate proposal would involve a more traditional fare increase. The base fare would increase to $2.25 from $2. The pay-per-ride MetroCard would continue to operate as it does today, with riders receiving a 20 percent bonus if they put at least $10 on the card. The cost of weekly and monthly unlimited ride passes would each go up 4 percent. And a new 14-day MetroCard would cost $45.
Based on this information, the MTA, projected nearly a $1 billion surplus this year, is going to, as Straphanger Campaign lawyer Gene Russianoff noted, foist its desired money onto commuters instead of forcing the state or city to pick up a tab. This development comes after both the state and city comptrollers issued reports noting that common sense measures could result in the necessary financial allocations without the need for a fare increase.
All of which brings me back to my original point: By charging people more for peak-hour rides, the MTA, if it opts to go with the peak/off-peak plan, will be instituting a regressive tax on everyone who rides the subways to and from work during rush hour. The MTA’s proposal, in an attempt to alleviate overcrowded rush hour subways, penalizes those who commute to work during the rush hour time slots and rewards those who use the subway outside of rush hour.
But who are the people who must ride the subways during rush hour? And who are the people who can afford to ride the subways in off-peak hours? Generally, those people making the least are the ones riding during the peak hours. The 9-to-5ers with little job flexibility will have to shoulder the burden of the fare increases.
Meanwhile, people beholden to no one — or few others — can take the subway at a more leisurely and cheaper hour. People who work themselves and set their own hours, people who are their own bosses, they can take the subways during the $1.50-fare periods. The people who are most able to afford the fare hike won’t be the ones suffering because of the fare hike.
While even the plan simply to have an across-the-board fare hike is a regressive tax, the one with tiered fares is more egregious than the other. The only way to avoid a regressive tax when trying to raise more revenue would be to avoid a fare hike. But as SUBWAYblogger noted, these fare increases, one way or another, are going to be a reality. I just hope those sounding the alarm of the congestion fee as a regressive tax take up the mantle when it comes to opposing this subway fare hike too.
Sep
24
Subway sightseeing for the natives
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It’s hard to believe this is the view from a subway car. (Photo by flickr user Scurzuzu)
Everyday, seven million of us pass through the New York City subway system, often taking it for granted. Buried in magazines and books or lost to our own thoughts, many of us never take the time to look out the windows when the trains leave the tunnels for the light of day.
But wondrous sights lie just beyond the scratchiti-filled windows of our stainless steel subway cars. Yesterday, the FYI column in The New York Times City Section, highlighted some of the better sights outside the subway car windows. Michael Pollack, the FYI guru, hit all of the big spots:
- The view from the 33rd Street (Rawson Street) stop in Queens on the No. 7 line, looking toward Long Island City and Manhattan.
- Near the Smith and Ninth Street station in Brooklyn on the G line, the highest point in the system above the street (88 feet).
- The N or Q on the south side of the Manhattan Bridge, with a great Brooklyn Bridge view.
- The J, M and Z lines across the Williamsburg Bridge, with stunning vistas of the East River.
- The elevated Q between Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue and Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn. The amusement park and beach are out of one window, the Empire State Building out of another.
- And David Pirmann, who runs the Web site nycsubway.org, wrote: “My choice would be the Rockaway line south of Howard Beach/J.F.K. as it crosses the water to the Rockaways. There’s just no believing you are actually still in New York City when you’re out there.”
These are of course the clichéd answers; sweeping vistas of the Empire State Building or Brooklyn Bridge make for rather iconic subway rides. Personally, I’m partial to the views as the 4 train approaches Yankee Stadium. While not nearly as breath-taking, Yankee Stadium is always a welcome sight around these parts.
So what are your favorite views on the above-ground portions of the New York City subway system? Do you like the Manhattan-bound views on the F as it pulls out of Smith-9th Sts.? The Statue of Liberty is visible as the train rounds the curve toward Carroll St.
Whatever your favorite sights are, feel free to share. And don’t forget to look out the windows now and then. A city of great views awaits.
Sep
24
Subway cell service no sure thing without carriers
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Abusing sleeping people is just one of the many things you can already do with your cell phones in the subway. (Photo by flickr user Dr Joolz)
When last we saw the underground cell phone service plan, the MTA had just announced a $46.8-million deal with Transit Wireless to equip the subway stations with cell service. But what if you install a cell service system and no carriers come?
That’s the question Scott posted in his comment, and that’s the question Crain’s New York Business pondered as well. The business journal noted that “it remains to be seen” if cell service providers are going to pony up the dough to provide customers will snippets of cell service in areas where customers spend a relatively minimal amount of time.
Amanda Fung reports:
Some question how Transit Wireless will recoup all the money it has to spend on building the network. While it will be technically challenging to wire the stations, once a network is set up and operational, the success of it is riding on the wireless carriers’ participation. Carriers will have to determine if offering cell phone service on the subway platforms and stairwells will generate more revenue per user or reduce churn rate, analysts said…
A spokesman for Sprint Nextel said the company will review the fees and determine if it makes sense for the company to participate.
Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile would not comment on their plans. AT&T Wireless, which led a competing consortium made up of the other major carriers, declined to comment because it said the MTA had not informed the company of its decision.
Supposedly, Transit Wireless has already fielded inquiries from at least one wireless provider, but without AT&T on board, the MTA’s and Transit Wireless’ plan will lose much of it luster. Right now, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile duke it for the top spots. If AT&T users — including those using the iPhone — can’t take advantage of the system, you’ll end up with a poor excuse for a cellular system.
For a comparison there, look no further than Washington, D.C. When I lived in D.C. from August 2005 until June 2006, I could never use my then-Cingular/now-AT&T cell phone in the Metro because AT&T hadn’t opted to sign on to the service terms for underground signal retransmission. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t missing much.
This Holy Grail of subway cell service may just end up as another idea that sounded good on paper but didn’t work out economically. If the carriers don’t sign on, kiss that late-night underground phone call good bye.
Sep
21
Weekend subway service alerts for the start of fall
Posted by: | CommentsAt 5:51 a.m. on Sunday morning, autumn begins. Fall is a great a time of year. The air is crisp; the city is full of activity; and baseball playoffs are in full gear.
We also get a slew of service changes. So here you go. As always, you can find these here as well.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 22 to 5 a.m. Monday, September 24, there are no 1 trains between 14th Street and South Ferry. Customers may take the 2 or 3 between 14th Street and Chambers Street. There are free shuttle buses operating between Chambers Street and South Ferry. This is due to Port Authority underpinning work at the WTC site for the new PATH station.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 22 to 5 a.m. Monday, September 24, 2 and 3 trains run local between 96th Street and Chambers Street due to Port Authority underpinning work at the WTC site for the new PATH station.
From 6 a.m. to 7:30 a.m., Sunday, September 23, 3 train service is replaced by M7, M102 and shuttle buses between 135th Street and 148th Street due to switch renewal south of 148th Street-Lenox Avenue.
At all times through mid-November, Manhattan-bound 4 trains skip Mosholu Parkway due to station rehabilitation.
From 4 a.m. Saturday, September 22 to 10 p.m. Sunday, September 23, north-bound 6 trains run express from Hunts Point Avenue to Parkchester due to track panel installation at Whitlock Avenue. (The last stop for some Bronx-bound 6 trains will be 3rd Avenue.)
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 22 to 5 a.m. Monday, September 24, free shuttle buses and shuttle train service replace the A between Howard Beach-JFK Airport and the Rockaways due to track panel installation south of Howard Beach-JFK Airport station.
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From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 22 to 5 a.m. Monday, September 24, free shuttle buses replace A trains between 168th Street and 207th Street. The M4 bus provides additional service between 168th and 190th Streets. There is no C train service between 145th Street and 168th Streets. This is due to tunnel rehabilitation between 168th Street and 207th Street stations.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 22 to 5 a.m. Monday, September 24, Queens-bound A (overnight only) and C trains run express from Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts to Utica Avenue due to tunnel work between Hoyt-Schermerhorn Sts and Lafayette Avenue stations.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 22 to 5 a.m. Monday, September 24, Queens-bound E trains run on the V line from West 4th Street to 5th Avenue due to cable work between 42nd Street and 5th Avenue stations.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 22 to 5 a.m. Monday, September 24, there are no E trains between West 4th Street and World Trade Center due to Chambers Street signal modernizations. Customers should take the A instead.
From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 22 to 5 a.m. Monday, September 24, Manhattan-bound F trains skip fort Hamilton Parkway, 15th Street-Prospect Park, and 4th Avenue due to signal and ADA work at Church Avenue station. – Wooo. F Express Service!
From 8:30 p.m. Friday, September 21 to 5 a.m. Monday, September 24, (and until further notice), there is no G train service between Forest Hills-71st Avenue and Court Square due to rail work between Roosevelt Avenue and Forest Hills-71st Avenue stations. Customers should take the E or R.
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From 12:01 a.m. Saturday, September 22 to 5 a.m. Monday, September 24, Manhattan-bound NR trains are rerouted over the Manhattan Bridge from DeKalb Avenue to Canal Street due to tunnel rehabilitation south of Prince Street station.
From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday, September 23, Manhattan-bound N trains skip 30th Avenue, Broadway, 36th Street and 39th Avenues due to rail replacement between Ditmars Boulevard and Queensboro Plaza.
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The Cortlandt Street Station is closed until further notice while the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey continues to build on the WTC site.
Sep
21
Flood report proposes keeping water out of the subway tunnels
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Conceptual drawings for two of the three designs that would serve to keep water out of the subway tunnels. (Source: The MTA)
Six weeks later, the MTA is ready to tackle deep-seated institutional problems that came to the forefront in a terrible flood. Yesterday, the MTA released its report (available here as a PDF) on the August 8 subway floods. The report calls for the Authority to change and improve practices in four areas.
According to the study, “the severity, timing and lack of warning of the August 8 storm hindered storm preparations and exposed the vulnerabilities of several aspects of the MTA’s transportation system.” The tunnels flooded because large volumes of water poured into the subway, overwhelming already-overtaxed pumps. The drains were further clogged by debris from the storm itself.
At the peak of the problems, when nearly every single subway line was suffering from service changes, the MTA employees “could not provide alternative travel options, and customers had difficulty gaining access to timely and accurate information.”
Now, readers of this site will know that I have long criticized the MTA on its communications efforts. In fact, the MTA employees generally know things long after everyone else does. We also knew back in July before the flood that the pumps along the Queens Boulevard line were in need of an upgrade. But now that this report has been issued, the MTA is freeing up the resources for key long-standing issues that should improve service in weather emergencies.
The report gives us a glimpse into the future of storm preparedness at the MTA:
Operationally, Doppler radar is being installed in each agency’s operations center, an MTA-wide Emergency Response Center has been created, and new storm protocols will be put in place to guide alternative service.
Engineering solutions target the top ten flood-prone locations … with an action plan already in place. Solutions for the remaining locations will be developed over the next 60-90 days, working with NYC DOT and DEP, drawing from a toolbox of potential fixes to both prevent water inflow and to remove it once it flows in, including installing check valves to prevent backflow, pursuing better sewer connections, increasing pumping capacity, pre-deploying portable pumps and personnel, installing closeable vents and constructing step-ups at station stairwell entrances that flood. Innovative street furniture will be considered to raise vents at key locations.
Communications solutions include email and text message alerts, cell phone service on subway platforms, web site upgrades, advancing new public address technologies and improving communications between ops centers and field personnel with PDAs and Blackberries.
These are common-sense solutions to problems that should have been solved long before the flood hit. But it took a flood of epic proportions for the MTA to commit $30 million to short-term fixes and untold millions to long-term solutions to critical communications and engineering issues.
For his part, MTA CEO Elliot “Lee” Sander said all the right things yesterday while discussing the report and the MTA’s institutional problems. “While the August 8 storm was the most severe in memory, it is clear that the MTA must do more for our customers in extreme situations,” he said. “The solutions identified in this report will dramatically improve our ability to handle future emergencies and ensure that we will better communicate with our customers 365 days a year.”
