Service Diversions 11-21-11
I just updated the Service Diversions by removing all of the work that wrapped up a minute ago.
The amount of work is light this week since Thanksgiving is a few days away. The next major update should be sometime on Wednesday as I assume the MTA will issue the press release with the scheduled diversions by then instead of the typical Thursday release.
If I see anything worth noting while out, I will update it on the Transit Blogger Twitter feed which you can follow by searching for @TransitBlogger or clicking the button in the sidebar.
Stay safe & have a wonderful week!
xoxo Transit Blogger
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TWU President Samuelsen Talks Negotiations
Over the years, I have covered the never ending war between the MTA & Transport Workers Union. The latest round in that war is looming as negotiations for a new labor deal are right around the corner. A few days ago, TWU Local 100 President John Samuelsen went on The Brian Lehrer Show to discuss the negotiations.
The interview is what I expected it to be which is mostly John echoing his displeasure for former MTA CEO Jay Walder while maintaining the union’s hard line stance of not giving into threats from the MTA in terms of wage freezes & layoffs. He feels optimistic about the upcoming negotiating process with interim MTA CEO & Chairman Joseph Lhota. This is an interesting stance considering Mr. Lhota’s reputation for being an extreme cost cutter.
In my opinion, the highlight of the interview focused on John’s mention of the union having no intention of striking as it did in 2005. While he did not come out & promise that, it does seem like it would take something going extremely wrong for that to be an option. Hopefully that is the case as the last thing any of us wants to see is a repeat of 2005 unless it is absolutely necessary.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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NYCT Looking At Subway Line Shutdowns
One of the biggest complaints from riders (and there are many) is how it seems like construction is always occurring on their line which causes inconvenience. There is truth to that as the MTA always has some sort of work being done throughout the system.
This should come as no surprise considering our system runs 24×7 & it is impossible to not impact the commute of some percentage of riders. The agency has tried cramming as much work as possible during the overnight hours & weekend when ridership is at its lowest technically. However with the amount of work that needs to be done, full weekends & overnight weeknight time periods are not enough time to get work done. This has caused the agency to endure trouble with keeping on schedule & budget.
Going back to former MTA CEO & Executive Director Jay Walder, the transit agency has been toying with the idea of having full line shutdowns at certain times to wrap up work faster. The idea did not get much traction publicly until recently when a Daily News story came out on the heels of a regularly scheduled Transit Committee meeting. Let us first take a quick look at that story courtesy of Pete Donohue:
Starting early next year, the MTA plans to periodically shut down a subway line through much of Manhattan for massive blitzes by workers inspecting, fixing and replacing equipment like signals and switches, the Daily News has learned.
Every three months, a line segment — possibly stretching from midtown all the way to the southern tip of Manhattan or even downtown Brooklyn — would be closed for three or four consecutive weeknights, sources said.
The new strategy likely will be tested first on the Lexington Ave. line between 42nd St. to the north and either Bowling Green in lower Manhattan or Atlantic Ave., Brooklyn, to the south, sources said.
Trains would stop running at about 10 p.m. each night and wouldn’t start up again until about 5 a.m. the next morning.
That would allow the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to get many projects and tasks done at once rather than piecemeal throughout the year. It’s a worthwhile tradeoff, one transit source familiar with the plan said.
“For a few nights, you won’t have service on a segment of a line but contrast that with work being done over far more nights and weekends with all the service diversions and train slowdowns.”
Commuters backed the all-at-once plan, but were anxious the service outages would be extended.
“I’d rather it be done quickly. I’m tired of construction on the tracks — if they could get it done quickly, that would be great,” said Kelly Murphy, 34, a customer service rep from Murray Hill.
The shutdowns will largely be limited to Manhattan below 42nd St. because there are parallel subway lines. A rider wouldn’t have to walk very far for alternate service.
Click here for the complete report.
During the meeting which occurred the next day, the agency noted how it could no longer cram as much work as possible into the weekends due to ridership during off peak & weekends rising by 82%. The first part of the plan calls for partial line segment closures which will take place over four consecutive weeknights between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m:
January 9 – 13: – 
, 
& 
Grand Central-42nd St to Atlantic Ave
February 13 – 17: 
, 
& 
34 St-Penn Station to Atlantic Ave
February 20 – 24: 
, 
, 
& 
59th St. to W. 4th St.
March 12 – 16: 
, 
& 
59th St to Jay St.
The second part of the plan calls for a continuous 24 hour shutdown of line segments over a series of days which are to be announced:
9 Days: Brooklyn-bound trains between Parsons Blvd. & Forest Hills-71st Ave.
9 Days: Express train service between Norwood-205th St. & 145th St.
16 Days: All Brooklyn-bound service will terminate at Bay Parkway. No service between Bay Parkway & Coney Island-Stillwell Ave.
16 Days: No train service between 241 St-Wakefield & Nereid Ave.
In my opinion, the second part of the plan has not received as much media attention as it should. This comes as no surprise considering the media sheep like to portray Manhattan as being the only place in NYC that matters. However these plans for the outer boroughs are pretty significant, especially in Queens where ridership on the E & F is pretty heavy. This will only add to the crowds on the E during those times.
In terms of the overall plan, I actually support it. Surprisingly not as much negative feedback as expected has come from the riding public which for the most part is usually misguided on their understandings of the system & its inner workings. However maybe the concept of dealing with inconvenience for the greater good is finally sinking in.
As far as overall numbers are concerned, if all goes well with these plans, the agency will not only attack issues with delays but with their budget as well. For example, shutting down the F in that portion of Queens will starve off 8 weekend & 20 weeknight shutdowns along with saving the agency $1.3 million (21%).
That sounds all good & fine in my book but only under the notion that work will be completed on time. Considering the agency’s track record of screwing things up on projects, are these savings really going to be realized? Only time will tell on that.
If you are interested in reading more about the MTA’s plans in terms of this project, click here to read the PDF. It is definitely worth checking out.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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MTA Talks Bringing Metro-North To The Bronx
Back in March of 2008, former MTA CEO & Executive Director Elliot Sander held his first ever State of the MTA address. One of the initiatives he listed for the agency called for the Metro-North to expand service in the Bronx by building stations to serve residents of Co-Op City, Hunts Point, & Parkchester.
Earlier this month, the agency met with various elected officials from various Bronx communities in Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.’s office to discuss their hopes of bringing new Metro-North service to the borough. The plans would also call for the Metro-North to service Penn Station with expected capacity to be available once the LIRR East Side Access project is completed later this decade.
For more on the meeting, let us take a look at a report from Patrick Rocchio of the Bronx Times:
Better transportation options may lie ahead in a plan that will likely introduce Metro North rail service to Penn Station by 2016 that could include the construction of four new stations in the borough.
The MTA is currently performing a Federal Environmental Assessment on the project that would bring its trains on the Hudson and New Haven lines into Penn Station, via existing tracks over the Hells Gate Bridge owned by Amtrak, said MTA spokesman Aaron Donovan.
“The review includes potential stations along Amtrak’s Hell Gate Line in the vicinity of Co-op City, Morris Park, Parkchester and Hunts Point, and we anticipate completing this assessment in 2013,” Donovan said.
A meeting was convened in Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr.’s office on Monday, November 7 on the matter. All elected officials from areas that the MTA is considering placing new stations and community boards 2, 9, 10, and 11 were invited.
The group met with the president of Metro North, Howard Permut, to discuss the plan, which received a great deal of support, said Diaz spokesman John DeSio.
“This is an idea that has been around for decades, and the meeting was just a preliminary step where the MTA wanted to gauge the reaction of elected officials and stakeholders, with the reaction being very positive,” DeSio said.
The final plan could include the creation of new stations along Metro North’s New Haven line that would service Co-op City near Erskine Place, Morris Park near Einstein Medical Center and the Hutchinson Metro Center, Parkchester in the vicinity of Unionport Road and E. Tremont Avenue, and Hunts Point near Southern Boulevard, said Assemblyman Michael Benedetto.
The funding for the project, $250 million from New York State and $100 million from Connecticut, is substantial given these difficult economic times, but would provide a great amount of return, and is relatively inexpensive compared to other MTA capital projects, said Assemblyman Marcos Crespo.
Click here for the complete report.
I would like to hear more details about how exactly the service would be setup to maximize the potential of additional service in the Bronx along with it to Penn Station. Also would a station be built at Sunnyside? Such a station is absolutely key for success as a whole in terms of a modernized regional rail system. More on this as details come out.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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Service Diversions 11-17-11
I have just updated the “Service Diversions” page with the latest planned work for the upcoming weekend, next week & beyond in some cases.
I suggest printing out a copy before heading to your destination. If you have an internet capable handheld device, you can use it to access the mobile version of this site.
While out traveling, if I notice or hear any changes, I will update them on the twitter feed so don’t forget to follow @TransitBlogger today which you can do by clicking the button in the sidebar.
Stay safe & have a wonderful weekend.
xoxo Transit Blogger
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