Comments on: At capital construction, is it bloat or not enough resources? http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/02/09/at-capital-construction-is-it-bloat-or-not-enough-resources/ A New York City Subway Blog Sat, 26 May 2012 04:42:27 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Andrew http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/02/09/at-capital-construction-is-it-bloat-or-not-enough-resources/#comment-71787 Andrew Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:27:05 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5041#comment-71787 I never understood the rationale behind the formation of MTA Capital Construction - most capital projects are still managed by the individual agencies. But one effect it certainly had was to increase overhead. (Cynics might argue that this was in fact the rationale.) I never understood the rationale behind the formation of MTA Capital Construction – most capital projects are still managed by the individual agencies. But one effect it certainly had was to increase overhead. (Cynics might argue that this was in fact the rationale.)

]]> By: Alon Levy http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/02/09/at-capital-construction-is-it-bloat-or-not-enough-resources/#comment-71746 Alon Levy Tue, 09 Feb 2010 16:17:27 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5041#comment-71746 The problem isn't a waste of $20 million in administration. It's a waste of about $5 billion in construction. The problem isn’t a waste of $20 million in administration. It’s a waste of about $5 billion in construction.

]]> By: Scott E http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/02/09/at-capital-construction-is-it-bloat-or-not-enough-resources/#comment-71738 Scott E Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:14:18 +0000 http://secondavenuesagas.com/?p=5041#comment-71738 I read that article last night and was thinking the same thing -- of course the number of employees has increased. There's far more work going on now than in 2004. Although, the role of MTACC is a bit murky. They are supposed to be the single point-of-contact for designers and contractors, so as to not burden the operations groups at NYCT and LIRR. However, they often end up being middle-men, consulting those agencies anyway to seek approval on decisions made on the Second Ave Subway, 7 Extension, and East Side Access. But going back to the change in '09 to '10 budgets: <i>"Total payroll was decreased by $1.5 million, and the head count dropped by 21."</i> This averages a salary of just under $71,500 for each of the 21 employees - assuming we're just talking gross pay (if benefits are included in that figure, the salary is less). For a highly skilled, experienced, educated engineer with the responsibility over some of the largest transit projects in our lifetime, in the most expensive city in the US to live in, $71k isn't much (perhaps they are earning more, and some administrative staff is pulling down the average - I sure hope so). You get what you pay for, and for $71k you get a well-educated but inexperienced engineer with a few years out of college, not 30 years of success in the industry. Having said that, I wonder what the roles of these 21 people are, and why 21 of them are expendable. I read that article last night and was thinking the same thing — of course the number of employees has increased. There’s far more work going on now than in 2004. Although, the role of MTACC is a bit murky. They are supposed to be the single point-of-contact for designers and contractors, so as to not burden the operations groups at NYCT and LIRR. However, they often end up being middle-men, consulting those agencies anyway to seek approval on decisions made on the Second Ave Subway, 7 Extension, and East Side Access.

But going back to the change in ’09 to ’10 budgets: “Total payroll was decreased by $1.5 million, and the head count dropped by 21.” This averages a salary of just under $71,500 for each of the 21 employees – assuming we’re just talking gross pay (if benefits are included in that figure, the salary is less). For a highly skilled, experienced, educated engineer with the responsibility over some of the largest transit projects in our lifetime, in the most expensive city in the US to live in, $71k isn’t much (perhaps they are earning more, and some administrative staff is pulling down the average – I sure hope so). You get what you pay for, and for $71k you get a well-educated but inexperienced engineer with a few years out of college, not 30 years of success in the industry.
Having said that, I wonder what the roles of these 21 people are, and why 21 of them are expendable.

]]>