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MTA Chairman & CEO Jay H. Walder Resigns

Posted by
on July 21st, 2011 at 5:55 pm

Today sure has been a highly shocking day in the world of mass transit. I heard through the grapevine that a huge announcement might come out but I never would have thought it would be this. Earlier today, MTA Chairman & CEO Jay H. Walder announced his resignation effective on October 21, 2011. Here is a press release sent to me by the agency:

Jay H. Walder today informed Governor Cuomo of his intention to resign his position as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority effective as of the close of business on October 21st, 2011. Mr. Walder will be joining the MTR Corporation in Hong Kong as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors. The MTR is a publicly-traded company that operates rail services in Asia and Europe, and is involved in a wide range of business activities, including consulting and property development.

“I want to thank Governors Cuomo and former Governor Paterson for the honor of serving the people of New York State,” Walder said. “The MTA’s transportation system is the foundation of the metropolitan region and we are fortunate to have thousands of dedicated men and women who work so hard to provide these critically important transportation services to millions of people each and every day. I believe that we have accomplished quite a lot in a short period, with the support of two Governors, the Mayor, a hard-working Board and many others.”

Walder joined the MTA in October 2009, and in less than two years led an unprecedented overhaul of how the MTA operates, bringing fiscal stability and advancing a series of projects that are improving the daily experience of the MTA’s 8.5 million riders.

Under the banner of “Making Every Dollar Count,” Walder introduced efficiency measures that are expected to yield $3.8 billion in cumulative savings by 2014. The effort focused on streamlining the MTA’s seven companies, consolidating functions and eliminating redundancies. In the face of a fiscal crisis, contracts were renegotiated with suppliers, healthcare arrangements were rebid and administrative costs were reduced across the board.

At the same time, Walder drove a customer service agenda that showed customers a new vision for 21st century transit service even as costs were reduced. Countdown clocks were activated at more than 150 stations, security cameras were brought online, a new user-friendly web site was introduced, an all-electronic tolling pilot was launched and new smart card technology was tested and is moving forward for the entire transportation system. The introduction of Select Bus Service on the busiest bus route in the country – along with bus-lane enforcement cameras – demonstrated the promise of the MTA’s bus system. Real-time bus information debuted in Brooklyn and will reach Staten Island by the end of the year.

“In challenging times, we brought stability and credibility to the MTA by making every dollar count, by delivering long overdue improvements and by refusing to settle for business as usual,” Walder said.

Mr. Walder assumes his position as Chief Executive Officer of MTR on January 1st, 2012. He will become both a Member of the Executive Directorate and a Member of the Board of Directors. To ensure a smooth transition, Mr. Walder will be appointed as CEO Designate on November 1st, 2011.

“This is an exciting opportunity for me to lead a publicly-traded, multi-national corporation with a broad set of business activities,” Walder said. “The MTR Corp. is widely recognized for its world-leading rail systems and the innovative property developments that are built around stations.”

The MTR operates commuter rail in Hong Kong and intercity rail services from Hong Kong to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong in China. The MTR is also building new rail lines in Hong Kong and China. In addition, the MTR operates rail systems in London, Stockholm and Melbourne and provides rail consultancy services in Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Europe. Beyond its transportation services, the MTR is involved in a wide range of business activities, including a successful property development business that creates fully integrated commercial and residential communities around stations. It has completed developments at 27 rail stations with nearly 75,000 housing units constructed and operates more than 18 million square feet of commercial space. MTR shares have been traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange since October 2000. The corporation announced total revenue of $3.8 billion in 2010 with $1.1 billion of underlying profit.

Now here are some statements from various elected officials & transit groups starting with Mayor Bloomberg:

A first-rate leader with big ideas” who had “made significant improvements to the customer experience,” and said that Mr. Walder’s departure was “a real loss for New York City, the metropolitan region, the state and the country.

Gov. Cuomo:

Jay Walder has shown true leadership at the helm of the M.T.A. and been a fiscally responsible manager during these difficult financial times. Riders of the M.T.A. are better off today because of Jay’s expertise and the reforms he initiated will benefit all for years to come.

Transportation Alternatives Executive Director Paul Steely:

Jay Walder steered the MTA through its toughest challenges since the bad old days of the 70s,” said Paul Steely White, Executive Director of Transportation Alternatives. “Facing a daunting fiscal situation brought on by the governor’s and state legislature’s repeated budget raids, Walder kept our trains and buses serving millions of New Yorkers 24 hours every day. His work to bring Select Bus Service and Real-Time updates to transit riders is bringing New York City’s transit system into the 21st Century and will help keep the city and region competitive with other global leaders vying for business, talent and capital. Mr. Walder’s commitment to the necessity of transit in the lives of New Yorkers has set a high bar, and his successor must come with equal leadership to steer the MTA and the region through the rough terrain ahead.

I will opine on this announcement in a new entry.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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New Capital Program Plan Includes $2B In Cuts

Posted by
on July 20th, 2011 at 5:38 pm

Earlier today, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) revealed its new push to acquire funding for its current 5 year Capital Program. The agency plans include generating $4 billion in savings which includes $2 billion via cost reduction. Here is their press release:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today announced plans to generate a total of $4 billion in savings for the current five-year Capital Program while maintaining the benefits of a program that protects the safety and reliability of trains and buses, expands the system and creates billions in economy activity across New York State. The savings measures are detailed in a new report, “Making Every Dollar Count: Capital Program,” which is attached.

Last April, the State’s Capital Program Review Board approved the MTA’s revised 2010-2014 Capital Program, which called for $26.3 billion of investments over five years. The program included a $2 billion cost reduction that was achieved by reducing rolling stock costs, shifting to a component-based station rehabilitation program, and sharing shop space across agencies. Today’s announcement details a series of strategies that will allow the MTA to save an additional $2 billion, reducing the cost of the program to $24.2 billion.

“The critical importance of the MTA’s Capital Program to protecting the transportation system and creating New York jobs doesn’t excuse the need to implement it as efficiently and effectively as possible,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Jay H. Walder. “We cut $2 billion from our Capital Program last year by planning our program more effectively. Today I’m committing the MTA to doubling the savings we’ve achieved in our Capital Program to $4 billion, not by deferring vital projects but instead by finding better ways of delivering benefits.”

The MTA is working internally to reduce its costs and externally to help its contractors to do the same. The report details actions underway to reduce administrative costs, eliminate cumbersome processes, leverage new technologies and ensure that management of the program is as efficient and effective as possible:

• Slash Administrative Costs ($150 million savings): The MTA will reduce administrative payroll expenses by 15%, just as was done with the MTA’s annual Operating Budget.

• Create Project Approval Gates ($800 million savings): The MTA will review every capital project through approval gates at each stage of its development to ensure that the agency is moving forward at the lowest cost. This strategy, combined with a softer construction market, has already delivered savings of $800 million.

• Make Changes to Track Work ($300 million savings): The MTA and its agencies are taking steps to overhaul the way employees and contractors perform work on tracks, saving more than $300 million.

• Change Rolling Stock Acquisition and Maintenance ($300 million savings): The MTA is reducing costs of buying and maintaining trains and buses by changing design specifications, increasing competition among suppliers, getting more life out of existing units, and embracing new technologies. These changes will save $300 million.

The MTA is also working to become a better business partner with the contractor community, reducing red tape on our end and helping to find productivity improvements and cost reduction strategies on their end.

“We recognize that there’s no appetite for new taxes in New York today, and that makes it all the more important that we find ways to make these investments as efficiently and effectively as possible,” Chairman Walder said. “At the same time, we continue to pursue innovative and pragmatic ways to move investments forward with our federal, state and local partners, because we can’t afford to eliminate or defer any of these critical projects.”

Click here to read the complete Capital Program plan pdf.

I don’t always see eye to eye with the agency but do on this issue. It is refreshing to see that they are continuing to look for legitimate ways to reduce costs in these dire financial times. While on paper it seems like riders are losing out in a way, in reality it is the best way to go about things.

Will canceling out probable inconveniences at the potential risk of shutting down Capital Project programs really be worth it? The answer is obviously no unless you are completely selfish.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Pigs On The LIRR

Posted by
on July 19th, 2011 at 2:07 pm

Normally I am not one for taking pictures of people to post them online & talk negatively about them. I don’t see a point in doing so to comment on someone who dresses in a way you don’t like or does not seem attractive to you. On the other hand, if it is to expose technical wrongs on mass transit, that is a whole different ball game which leads me to this:

Pig on the Long Island Railroad (LIRR) who threw her trash on the floor.
Pig who threw her trash on the floor of a LIRR train.

This past Friday night, I went to see a dear friend of mine perform in Brooklyn. A few hours later, I called it an early night (by my usual standards) & decided to catch the LIRR home around 3 AM. As I expected for an early Saturday morning train, it was filled with the typical obnoxious pricks who make up a high percentage of ridership during the late night hours. Most times I will see a good number of riders board with food that was purchased from inside Penn Station with it usually being either McDonald’s or pizza.

The two ladies who ended up sitting across from me had chosen pizza this particular morning. While we were creeping along, I was enjoying my music when I happened to catch the woman sitting in the aisle seat had just finished her slice. After doing so, I noticed that she waited for about 10 seconds as she was deliberating what to do with the paper plate. After the time elapsed, she decided to just toss it in the aisle. So I decided to just snap a picture & expose her on Twitter (@TransitBlogger) for being the pig she is.

I was disgusted by this & just shot her a look for being such a pig. Was it such a big deal for you to hold your plate until you got off? It sure was not for her friend who threw her plate out into a garbage receptacle at Hicksville when they both got off.

Unfortunately this was not the end of the pig train as when I got off, I noticed more trash laying around as seen below:

I just walked off in anger as I thought of a few things. For starters, why should I or any other respectable passengers have to put up with this? I pay double digits to go to & from Penn Station regardless of when I travel. It is bad enough it is overpriced, I should not have to put up with dirty cars. Also, would these pigs like it if I went to their house & tossed my trash on the floor? I doubt it…..

xoxo Transit Blogger

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A Photographic Look At 07-16 Weekend Work

Posted by
on July 19th, 2011 at 1:34 pm


Old track panel being removed from the West Farms Sq.-E. Tremont Av station on the 2 Train & 5 Train in the Bronx.

Once again, MTA New York City Transit has issued a press release & photos taking a look back at some of the construction work that led to service diversions this past weekend:

MTA New York City Transit restored normal rush hour service this morning after a weekend in which workers fanned out throughout the system to maintain and rehabilitate tracks, elevated structures and station components on multiple subway lines.

Photos of the weekend work can be found here: http://t.co/qT2ArFd

The photos show workers continuing to replace segments of elevated track on the 2/5 Line in the Bronx, where they installed track panels, and contractors replaced cables along the L Line in Brooklyn.

Elsewhere on the 2 Line, workers repaired the platform edge at Bergen Street in Brooklyn, and made structural repairs to the tunnel south of Atlantic Avenue. Workers also rehabilitated track south of 77th Street on the 4/5 Line and north of Hoyt-Schermerhorn on the G Line, painted the structure of the N/Q Line in Astoria and installed tactile tiles and platform tiles on the N/R Line’s Cortlandt St. station in Lower Manhattan.

While these jobs pose some inconvenience for customers, weekends are the only time when complicated track, signal and electrical projects can be performed due to the necessity for workers to have access to tracks without having to be concerned about passing train traffic. Other types of jobs, such as station rehabilitation platform edge replacement also require suspension of train service.

Here is another photo:

Wilson Ave Conduit
Workers cutting off support brackets in the conduit on the south end of the L Train‘s Wilson Ave station in Brooklyn.

These photos are courtesy of Metropolitan Transportation Authority / Leonard Wiggins

For the complete set, visit the MTA’s Flickr account by clicking here.

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Service Diversions 07-18-11

Posted by
on July 18th, 2011 at 5:01 am

I have just updated the Service Diversions by removing all of the weekend work that wrapped up by a minute ago. The planned work for this week & beyond in some cases has been moved to the forefront.

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.

The diversions will have minor updates as scheduled ones drop off. Any minor updates will take place on the page as it is updated daily but will not be noted in an entry. The next complete update will be sometime on Thursday after I received the planned weekend diversions from the MTA directly.

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.

As always, stay safe & have a wonderful week.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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