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Asides

Event Tonight: SAS presents ‘Problem Solvers’ the Transit Museum

by Benjamin Kabak February 1, 2012

written by Benjamin Kabak on February 1, 2012

A final reminder: Tonight is the first event of my “Problem Solvers” discussion series at the Transit Museum. The event starts at 6:30 p.m., and you can find directions to the Museum right here. If you’ve never been, it’s a great spot in the decommissioned Court St. subway stop. The event series will take an intimate look at the people who are working behind the scenes to change the face of our transit system as the subway approaches its 110th birthday. My first guest will be Sarah Kaufman, currently with NYU Wagner’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management and formerly the MTA’s open-data guru.

While with the MTA, Kaufman created a conference and online exchange between the MTA and software developers and assisted in developing the agency’s social media program. She specializes in the use of cutting-edge technologies in transportation, particularly mass transit, and the opportunities for community involvement in transportation management through interactive technologies.

Sarah and I will talk for a bit about her work and the problem of access to transit-related information she has worked to solve before we open the floor to audience questions. The program kicks off at 6:30 p.m., and doors to the museum will open at 6. Guests are invited to walk through the museum and to explore the collection of old trains as well. Light refreshments will be available as well. Hope to see you there.

February 1, 2012 6 comments

Asides TWU

‘Slowdown’ on tap as labor talks resume

by Benjamin Kabak January 31, 2012

written by Benjamin Kabak on January 31, 2012

This morning, it took my 4 train a whopping ten minutes to go from 14th St. to 42nd St., and as the announcements kept blaring about “train traffic ahead of us,” my mind wandered to this Daily News article. In the wake of a series of gruesome deaths a few weeks ago, the TWU has told its train drivers to “use extra care” when entering stations due to safety concerns. It’s a perfectly legal move employed during labor negotiations that tend to drive straphangers nuts.

Meanwhile, after two weeks of stewing over “bad faith negotiations” brought about when the TWU objected to an apparent leak of the MTA’s demands, the two sides will resume formal talks on Thursday. While the TWU’s outrage over the MTA’s supposed negotiating tactics has stalled forward progress, MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota says that he and TWU president John Samuelsen have maintained an open line of communication over the past few weeks. A deal though is still not on the horizon, but neither is a strike.

For a full glimpse at the MTA’s demands, check out this pdf. They range from benefit reductions to operational improvements, but OPTO, sadly, is not among them.

January 31, 2012 22 comments

Asides View from Underground

Survey: New Yorkers more unhappy with commutes

by Benjamin Kabak January 30, 2012

written by Benjamin Kabak on January 30, 2012

A majority of New Yorkers say their commutes are worse today than they were back in 2009, according to a survey released today by Transportation Alternatives. In a survey that relied upon voters to send a text message with their choice, 61 percent of bus and subway riders say their commutes are worse while 26 percent say their rides are the same and 13 percent say things have gotten better. A total of 684 New Yorkers contributed their views to the survey.

“This survey confirms what every bus and subway rider in this city knows,” Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives, said. “After years of declining transit funding from Albany and the resulting service cuts, our commutes have gotten worse. From higher fares to longer wait times to overcrowded trains, transit riders have seen the quality of their commutes drop precipitously over the last three years.”

As we know, over the past few years, Albany has reappropriated hundreds of millions of dollars that should have gone to the MTA, and as a result, the authority was forced to raise fares in three consecutive years and to cut 36 bus routes and 570 bus stops. It’s little wonder that commuters are finding commutes worse with less frequent service and more crowded trains the norm. “Beyond the frustration of a longer commute and higher fares, these results should be a wakeup call to our leaders in State Government,” White said. “They can fund transit and make a positive impact on millions of people, or they can continue to defund the system and contribute to their struggle. The livelihood of every New Yorker and the economic fate of this region depend on a well-funded public transit system.”

January 30, 2012 11 comments

Asides Self Promotion

Reminder: ‘Problem Solvers’ at the Transit Museum on Wednesday

by Benjamin Kabak January 27, 2012

written by Benjamin Kabak on January 27, 2012

Just a reminder that I’ll be hosting a Q-and-A series at the Transit Museum this year, and the first event kicks off the series on Wednesday, February 1 at 6:30 p.m. The series is entitled “Problem Solvers,” and it will take an intimate look at the people who are working behind the scenes to change the face of our transit system as the subway approaches its 110th birthday. My first guest will be Sarah Kaufman, currently with NYU Wagner’s Rudin Center for Transportation Policy and Management and formerly the MTA’s open-data guru.

Sarah and I will talk for a bit about her work and the problems she’s trying to solve before we open the floor to audience questions. The program kicks off at 6:30 p.m., and doors to the museum will open at 6. Guests are invited to walk through the museum and to explore the collection of old trains at the former Court St. station. Light refreshments will be available as well. For the specific details, check out this post.

January 27, 2012 1 comment

Asides MTA Politics

State Senate bill would outlaw food in the subway

by Benjamin Kabak January 27, 2012

written by Benjamin Kabak on January 27, 2012

Over the past few months, the MTA’s rat problem has drawn headlines as the authority has struggled to clean up its stations and rodents have become comfortable in the confines of the subway. A few State Senators are fighting back now with what promises to be a controversial proposal to ban all food from the subway. Sponsored by Senator Perkins and relying on a constituent survey that laid the blame for subway litter on the shoulders of sloppy straphangers, the bill would carry a fine of up to $250 for those caught eating underground.

The bill, available here, was referred to the Senate Transportation Committee earlier this week. It has the support of Senators Espaillat, Huntley and Oppenheimer as well and would ban the consumption of food on any subway, station or platform under the control of New York City Transit. Any fine collected under the measure would accrue to Transit for use under a New York Subway Littering Prevention Fund which would include the costs of publicizing the measure, among other things.

It’s unclear exactly what the future holds for this bill right now. Banning food would go a long way toward improving cleanliness under ground, but enforcement, of course, would be problematic. Furthermore, the MTA draws some real estate revenue from newsstands and other businesses that sell food in the subway system. As the authority continues to assess its anti-trash can pilot, I’ll keep an eye on this measure as it winds its way through the legislative process. It is definitely not the worst idea to emerge from Albany.

January 27, 2012 48 comments

Asides MTA Economics

MTA looking at debt refinancing options

by Benjamin Kabak January 26, 2012

written by Benjamin Kabak on January 26, 2012

Debt refinancing is, by no stretch of the imagination, not a particularly sexy issue, but for the MTA, with so much debt on its books and more to come, refinancing could help the cash-starved agency save some dollars. So with borrowing costs nearing a two-decade low, the MTA is looking to refinance in order to save some money, Bloomberg News reported today.

According to the report, the authority may refinance around $6.7 billion in debt that was sold in 2002 and comes due in 2025. With the average ten-year rate below 2 percent — and over two percentage points lower than it was ten years ago — the MTA says it could realize some cost savings with such a move, but officials could not provide an exact figure. As Larry Littlefield noted at Streetsblog, the authority should proceed carefully here as they do not want to extend their debt obligations too far beyond the original term of the bonds.

In other financing news, MTA Chairman Joe Lhota asked the State Senate this week to provide the MTA with a debt issuance exemption. Currently, the state levies a charge of $8.40 for every $1000 of a debt issued, and by securing an exemption in advance of the MTA’s next round of bond offers, the authority could save over $50 million.

January 26, 2012 11 comments

Asides PANYNJ

PATH reports record ridership for 2011

by Benjamin Kabak January 25, 2012

written by Benjamin Kabak on January 25, 2012

A walk west down Vesey St. from its intersection at Church St. can be a hazardous undertaking as a seemingly endless amount of people stream into Lower Manhattan from the PATH train terminal at the World Trade Center. If those crowds of people seem to be growing, that’s because PATH ridership is too. In fact, the agency announced this week that ridership is at an all-time high under the Port Authority as 76.6 million commuters took PATH trips in 2011.

The previous high had been 74.9 in 2008, and the 2011 jump in ridership amounted to a 3.6 percent increase over 2010. Port Authority officials credited an investment program amounting to over $1 billion in upgrades as a main driver behind the increase. Steep fare hikes in New Jersey likely played a role as well. “Our multi-billion-dollar commitment to transform PATH into a 21st century rail system has paid dividends,” Port Authority Chairman David Samson said. “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.”

With an entirely new fleet of rolling stock already on hand, the PATH system will soon enjoy more station renovations and a fully computerized signal system. The WTC-Newark line is also undergoing a transformation that will allow for 10-car sets, and of course, the Calatrava-designed hub in Lower Manhattan will open eventually as well. Now if only PATH and New York City Transit would integrate their fare payment mechanisms.

January 25, 2012 25 comments

7 Line Extension Asides

Horodniceanu: 7 line extension may be delayed until early 2014

by Benjamin Kabak January 24, 2012

written by Benjamin Kabak on January 24, 2012

If all goes according to plan, the 7 line extension to the Far West Side is set to enter revenue service in 23 months, long before the Hudson Yards development sees the light of day. Yet, as with many MTA construction projects, all does not often go according to plan, and the extension that was once promised as part of a 2012 Olympics bid may not be ready until early 2014, MTA Capital Construction chief Michael Horodniceanu said yesterday.

As amNew York reports, Horodniceanu spoke at yesterday’s MTA Board committee meetings and explained that a few undisclosed problems may delay the project two or three months into 2014. Instead of being revenue-ready by December 2013, the project could be ready only for testing by then. The full extent of the delays will be revealed at next month’s meeting, but Horodniceanu did promise that the project’s funding partner “will ride a train” to Hudson Yards.

For the MTA, these delays are old hat even as Horodniceanu has vowed to keep the megaprojects on target. For what it’s worth, though, the 7 line extension, despite this delay, is still under budget by “tens of millions” of dollars. It’s also short a station, but that is a well-beaten dead horse at this point.

January 24, 2012 25 comments

Asides Bronx Buses

Bronx tabbed as next BusTime borough

by Benjamin Kabak January 23, 2012

written by Benjamin Kabak on January 23, 2012

As MTA Board members rail against the authority for neglecting the Bronx’s subway stations, the authority announced today that the city’s northernmost borough will be next in line for BusTime, the real-time bus tracking program currently in place on Staten Island. While the timeline for implementation remains a bit hazy, the authority pledged to have BusTime online in the Bronx and another yet-to-be-determined borough by the end of 2012 with the final two boroughs coming by the end of 2013.

“I am happy to hear that the MTA is expanding this service to the Bronx. Now bus riders in our borough will not have to rely on guesswork and a look into the distance to see when their bus is going to arrive. This service is very convenient and will provide commuters in our borough with up to the minute information. That information will surely come in handy all year round, especially during the cold winter months,” Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. said in a statement.

To ready the Bronx fleet, the MTA and its contractors will outfit 1025 buses with GPS units and the other technological components needed to implement the service. In another 24 months, we’ll all get to enjoy a service that should markedly improve the New York City bus experience as smart phone-enabled bus tracking becomes the city norm. “Knowing how far away your next bus is means you can spend more time with your family or more time at a coffee shop instead of waiting at a bus stop in a state of uncertainty,” MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota said. “About 90% of our customers carry text-message enabled cell phones, so this is a big step forward to help make the lives of our customers a lot easier.”

January 23, 2012 10 comments

Asides Service Advisories

7 line shutdown continues as snow cancels weekend work

by Benjamin Kabak January 20, 2012

written by Benjamin Kabak on January 20, 2012

It might snow, guys. We might get 2-5 inches of snow. Thus, the MTA has entered Level 4 winter preparedness mode, and all weekend work has been canceled with one major exceptions. That pesky 7 line shutdown between Manhattan and Queens will continue as planned. For now, the authority says service will operate on a normal weekend schedule, but if snow accumulation is significant some above-ground routes might shutter. The forecast isn’t that dire though.

In other site news, I’ll be hosting a Q-and-A at the Transit Museum on Wednesday, Feb. 1. It’s part of the new Problem Solvers series. I’ll have more details for you on Monday, but save the date. As a reminder, if you want more Second Ave. Sagas, you could always follow me on Twitter or this photoset has you covered. Enjoy the weekend. Stay warm.

January 20, 2012 11 comments

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