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Parkchester Residents Still Fight For Bx14

Posted by
on September 20th, 2010 at 2:11 am

Back in June, I wrote about the Bx14 & its upcoming elimination. I opined at how the elimination of the line did not surprise me as it seemed justified based on the limited ridership & its proximity to other bus routes & subway lines.

A few days ago, the Bronx Times took a look at how residents are still fighting for the route on the heels of the MTA announcing they will introduce a new line that will travel a similar route. Patrick Rocchio has more:

Residents of Parkchester are not giving up on getting their Bx14 bus back.

Service on the route, which once ran on Metropolitan Avenue from Hugh Grant Circle to Castle Hill Avenue through the housing complex, was discontinued as part of a service reduction plan put into effect in June.

In an effort to save $1.5 million the MTA discontinued the Bx14 completely, and rerouted the Bx5 and Bx8.

Now, the MTA has announced the creation of a Bx24 bus that will follow almost the exact same route as the old Bx14. However, it still will not go to Parkchester.

Residents joined Assemblyman Peter Rivera, 76th Assembly District Democratic leader Ken Padilla, Democratic State Committeeman Ronald Savage, and community advocate for the disabled Danny Porro in calling on the MTA to return Bx14 bus service to the Parkchester area during the evening rush hour on Friday, September 10.

Francisco Nazario, vice president of the board of directors for the Parkchester South Condominium, said that the loss of the Bx14 bus, spanning the length of Parkchester, has had a ripple effect on transportation and overall quality-of-life in the development.

“We are constantly getting phone calls from people who used the Bx14 bus to access medical facilities and visit family,” Nazario said. “They are now reliant on cab rides to get where they are going.”

Click here for the complete report.

I must say that I missed the MTA announcing a new bus route in the Bronx. I will take a look into it as I am extremely curious as to the point if it will be traveling a similar route to the Bx14. What is the justification in the eventual cost to run the service if all it is doing is replacing a line cut for cost reasons?

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

MTA Decision Cost Taxpayers Nearly $3 Million

Posted by
on September 20th, 2010 at 1:54 am

The MTA’s well known slogan is “If You See Something, Say Something” & it is one that their Inspector General Barry Kluger continues to live by. His latest scathing report focuses on how the MTA’s decision during an arbitration process cost taxpayers nearly $3 million. Tom Namako of the New York Post has more:

Top MTA brass repeatedly bungled negotiations with their largest union, committing basic errors of common sense that resulted in bloated legal fees and cost taxpayers up to another $3 million, according to a scathing report released yesterday.

A lawyer representing arbitrator John Zuccotti in 2009 contract talks charged $700 an hour even though the MTA is entitled to a nonprofit rate, and included $11,295 for “business meals.”

MTA Inspector General Barry Kluger pinned the blame on agency officials, who failed to get a written price for Zuccotti’s team before the talks began.

“These are public funds,” said deputy IG Michael Boxer. “No one hires a lawyer without asking what it’s going to cost them.”

MTA officials scrambled to get a rate out of Lawrence Baer, Zuccotti’s counsel during the arbitration, but he repeatedly refused to answer e-mails.

The final bill for Zuccotti’s team was $288,469 — including $117,320 for Baer — to be paid equally by the MTA and the Transport Workers Union. The nonprofit rate is 20 percent less — about $58,000 in savings, Kluger said.

MTA officials froze payments to Zuccotti, while Kluger calls for an itemized bill.

Click here for the complete report.

I browsed the Inspector General’s website & could not find the report or I would have linked it. Regardless of what the rest of the report contains, this snafu is just one of the many things the MTA needs to clean up. Poor choices that cost themselves & taxpayers are inexcusable.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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0

Service Diversions 09-18-10

Posted by
on September 18th, 2010 at 4:48 am

I just updated the “Service Diversions” page with the latest diversions for this weekend, next week, & beyond in some cases. The next update will be sometime after 5:01 AM Monday when all of the weekend diversions are removed & the ones for the week move up the list.

Also for riders in Northern Manhattan & the Bronx who depend on the 1 Train, please read this entry with information on the start of a $47M major renovation project that will last until 2012.

I suggest you print out a copy of the page to carry with you or use any mobile device to access the phone-friendly version of Transit Blogger. Everyone have a wonderful weekend & as always stay safe!

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4

$47M #1 Train Line Construction Project Begins

Posted by
on September 18th, 2010 at 4:46 am

In the middle of July, I wrote an entry about the MTA’s announcement of a major renovation project on the 1 line that would affect 5 stations & last until 2012. Flash forward to today as work on that project has officially begun. A couple of days ago, MTA NYC Transit issued an updated press release with complete information:

This weekend MTA NYC Transit will begin a $47 million project to rehabilitate Inwood’s historic Dyckman Street station and conduct stair and platform improvement work on five No. 1 Line elevated stations from 207th to 242nd Street in Upper Manhattan and the Bronx.

This, and two other major construction projects, will require 1 line service to be suspended from end to end this weekend, replaced by a combination of 2, 3 and A train service and shuttle buses.

This weekend, track panel installation at 215th Street and abatement work at 242nd Street will necessitate the closure of subway stations above 168th Street. Signal cable replacement north of 96th Street will force the closure of stations between 168th and 96th Streets. In addition, Port Authority will be doing work on the “box” that carries the #1 line through the WTC site which will affect the tracks between Chambers Street and South Ferry.

2 and 3 trains run local and replace the 1 between 96th and Chambers Sts. (Please note that downtown 2 and 3 trains skip 86 and 79 Sts.) When possible, customers are encouraged to use the A Line.

Shuttle buses run in four sections making station stops along the 1 line:

1. On Broadway between 242nd and 215th Sts, then connecting to the 207th Street A train station.

2. On St Nicholas Av between 191st and 168th Sts.

3. On Broadway between 168th and 96th Sts (express and local service).

4. In Lower Manhattan between Chambers St and South Ferry.

Normal 1 Line service is scheduled to resume at 5:30 a.m. Monday. This same service pattern will also be in effect the weekend of September 24 beginning at 11:30 p.m. on Friday the 24 and continuing until 5:30 a.m. on Monday the 27.

Please note that on Saturdays, September 18, 25, October 2, 9 and November 13 between 11:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., free shuttle buses will available to Baker Field Columbia University from the 207th Street A Station, located on Broadway at Isham St.

Dyckman Street Undergoes Major Rehabilitation:

Opened in 1906, the Dyckman Street Station is a design unique in the system and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The outdoor station situated just north of the Fort Washington Tunnel portal has two side platforms above a masonry head house. The fare control area is located in the station building below track level.

The general scope of work includes repairing the stairs from the sidewalk into the station, restoring the concrete station wall along Hillside Avenue, replacement of the stairs connecting the control area to the platforms, repairing and painting the ceiling, and repairing damaged tiles.

At train level, we will demolish and reconstruct the north and southbound platforms, demolish and reconstruct the platform structure and canopy, install new platform windscreens and repair the guardrails. We will also take this opportunity to replace the track along the entire station length.

“We are rehabilitating this station with the goal of improving the structural aspects and customer amenities while retaining the unique architectural features that have made this station so visually special,” said NYC Transit President Thomas F. Prendergast. Additionally, we are making improvements to stations north of Dyckman on the 1 Line.”

During the initial phase of the Dyckman St. station work, from October 18th, 2010 to June 2011, the northbound platform will be out of service for a little more than eight months. Phase Two will begin in July 2011 and continue through August 2012, at which time the southbound platform will be out of service.

During each phase there will be 14 weekend closures for station component work at 207th, 215th, 225th, 238th, and 242nd Streets. Stations from 242nd Street to 181st Street will be closed. A free shuttle bus will be in operation from 242nd Street to the 207th Street A station. In addition, the M3 bus will allow free boardings between the 191st Street 1 station and 168th Street 1, A station.

The station component work at the five stations north of Dyckman Street will include the demolition and reconstruction of stairs from the sidewalk into the station at 207th and 225th Streets. All five stations will receive new platform edges and the installation of edge warning strips.

Canopies and platform structures will be demolished and reconstructed. At 238th and 225th Streets there will be a one-month bypass during northbound platform demolition and a one-month bypass for the southbound platform demolition.

NYC Transit apologizes for any inconvenience to our customers while this vital work is being performed.

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0

NYC Transit Announces Changes To M3 & M100

Posted by
on September 18th, 2010 at 4:39 am

Late Thursday afternoon, MTA NYC Transit announced changes to the M3 & M100 bus routes in Washington Heights due to changes implemented by the NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT). Here are the complete details courtesy of the press release I received:

MTA New York City Transit announced changes to the M3 and M100 routes which began Sunday, September 12 in Washington Heights due to new pedestrian plazas, roadway reconfigurations, and street directional changes. The NYC Department of Transportation (NYCDOT) introduced these changes at the intersection of St. Nicholas Avenue and Amsterdam Avenue between West 160th Street and West 163rd Street.

The southbound M3 travels the regular route on St. Nicholas Avenue, then goes south on Amsterdam Avenue, east on W. 155th Street, then resumes the regular route south on St. Nicholas Avenue. New southbound stops are on Amsterdam Avenue at W. 161st Street and at W. 158th Street, and on West 155th Street at St. Nicholas Avenue. Southbound stops on St. Nicholas Avenue at W. 160th, W. 158th, and W. 155th Streets are discontinued.

The northbound M3 operates on the regular route on St. Nicholas Avenue, then goes west on W. 155th Street, north on Amsterdam Avenue, west on W. 163rd Street, then back on the regular route north on St. Nicholas Avenue. New northbound bus stops are on W.155th Street at Amsterdam Avenue, on Amsterdam Avenue at W.158th Street and W.161st Street and on St. Nicholas Avenue at W. 163rd Street. Northbound stops on St. Nicholas Avenue at W. 155th, W. 157th, W. 159th and W. 162nd Streets are discontinued.

The northbound M100 operates on the regular route on Amsterdam Avenue, then goes west on W. 163rd Street, then resumes the regular route north on St. Nicholas Avenue. The northbound stop on St. Nicholas Avenue at nearside of W. 163rd Street are relocated to the farside of W. 163rd Street. There are no changes in the southbound M100 route.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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