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NYC Transit President Carmen Bianco To Retire

Posted by
on June 2nd, 2015 at 2:50 pm

Just a short time ago, MTA NYC Transit President Carmen Bianco announced that he will be retiring later this year. Here is more via the press release I just received:

Carmen Bianco, President of Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit, announced today he plans to retire later this year from his position running the largest mass transit system in North America. In his time as President, Bianco transformed the agency’s organizational culture to align management strategies, enhance safety and improve customer service to advance the subways, buses, paratransit and Staten Island Railway in New York City.

Bianco and his team guided the agency through significant snowstorms, Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy, which took a critical toll on significant areas of the 110-year-old infrastructure. Despite more than $4 billion in Sandy-related damage, 80 percent of subway service was restored within five days.

As New York City Transit works to deliver consistent service to daily ridership that has steadily expanded to more than 8.2 million people, Bianco’s leadership team is planning service for the future by evaluating ways to deliver higher-capacity, more environmentally friendly and technologically advanced trains and buses and improved levels of customer service.

“There is no more challenging job in the American transportation industry than keeping New York City moving every day and positioning it well to serve our customers for decades to come,” Bianco said. “It has been a privilege to lead our 48,000 employees who work so hard around the clock. I owe each of them a debt of gratitude, and it’s been an honor to have served New York City Transit.”

Bianco, 63, became Acting President of New York City Transit in April 2013 and was permanently appointed to the position in September 2013 following a nationwide search. He had previously served since March 2010 as Senior Vice President of the Department of Subways.

“Carmen Bianco is a one-of-a-kind leader as well as a trusted friend, and while I understand why he is ready to retire now, we will all miss his detailed experience, his thoughtful perspective and his constant drive to make transit better for both our customers and our employees,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast. “Through initiatives like establishing the FASTRACK program for subway maintenance and aggressively bringing new technology into the system, Carmen made the organizational culture of New York City Transit reflect the priorities that our customers expect. He will be missed.”

Bianco was the seventh person to serve as New York City Transit President since the position was created in 1980. He previously served as head of New York City Transit’s Department of System Safety from 1991 to 1995. Bianco has also held senior safety positions at Amtrak and NJ Transit.

Bianco has submitted a retirement letter effective in August 2015, to allow the MTA to conduct a nationwide search for his replacement and ensure a seamless transition.

Mr. Biano had a pretty good run at the helm as he & his team faced major issues including Hurricane Irene & Superstorm Sandy which saw them come through in the clutch.

Hopefully his successor will continue the streamlining & cost effectiveness measures that have been put in place to help the long term future of the agency.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Man Falls Down Subway Grate

Posted by
on June 2nd, 2015 at 1:02 pm

Some people just never learn that anything involving the NYC Subway can be dangerous. Hopefully this is a lesson now understood by an unidentified man who fell down a subway grate this morning in Queens. Samantha Tata & Greg Mocker of Pix11 have more:

A man fell at least 20 feet into a subway grate in Queens Tuesday after opening the grate in an attempt to grab his keys which had fallen through the slats , emergency officials said.

The call came in about 10:50 a.m. about a person who tumbled down the opening at 24-20 Jackson Ave., EMS said.

The unidentified man has been rescued and taken to a hospital. The extent of his injuries was not immediately know.

Fire officials at the scene said the man dropped his keys into the grate and opened it himself to try to grab them. But when he did, he plummeted down the chute.

I understand that your keys are important. The same can be said for things like a cell phone, wallet, etc… However instead of trying to play the hero & retrieve it yourself, call in for help so it can be properly & safely retrieved. Hopefully the injuries suffered will be minor at best.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA Begins Training On New 7 Line Extension

Posted by
on June 1st, 2015 at 3:01 pm

With the debut of the 7 line extension to 34 Street-Hudson Yards nearing, the MTA has started to train staff on the new extension. Here is more on that training:

MTA New York City Transit has started training tower operators, train dispatchers and train operators how to safely route and operate trains to and from the new 34 St-Hudson Yards station, one of the last steps as the MTA prepares to open the newly constructed 7 Line Extension later this summer. Video of an early training run is available for download at https://youtu.be/gZ6L4RcHzQU.

Two-day training courses for tower operators and dispatchers began May 26 and will continue through June 4. Tower operators are responsible manipulating signals and switches to safely route trains, and dispatchers oversee train crews as well as the movement and even spacing of trains along a route.

MTA New York City Transit began training train operators May 28 and will continue during the morning and afternoon shifts for several weeks to come. In all, 12 tower operators, 8 dispatchers, and as many as 672 train operators will be trained on the 7 Line Extension by the end of June.
“Providing this training for our subway personnel is one of the last steps toward opening the 7 Line Extension for revenue service,” said MTA New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco. “The 7 Line Extension will open up the far West Side to mass transit for the first time, and the new station and additional tail tracks for train storage will also improve service for customers using the line in Queens and Manhattan.”
“We are in the final 50-yard sprint of this project,” said MTA Capital Construction Company President Michael Horodniceanu. “We expect to announce an opening date in the next several weeks.

Work to open the 7 Line Extension for revenue service continues to progress well. Integrated testing of communications systems and the mobile radio system has been completed, and testing of other communications systems and the fire alarm system is progressing according to schedule.
Work is also continuing at the station’s secondary entrance on Eleventh Avenue between 34th and 35th streets, which is approximately 45% complete. Waterproofing and preparation for caisson work is ongoing at the shaft area. This entrance is not required for the 7 Line Extension to begin revenue service, but will serve thousands of projected customers in coming years as the Hudson Yards area continues to develop.

Here is a cool video that shows some of the training.

Video credit: MTA/J.P. Chan, Jon Maus & Will McCord

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions 05-29-15

Posted by
on May 29th, 2015 at 6:13 pm

Get a start on your weekend travel plans as I have just updated the Service Diversions through all of next week.

Make sure to follow @TransitBlogger on Twitter by clicking the button in the sidebar as I am using it more often. Also if you are into indie music make sure to follow @IndMusicReview & @SurgeFM!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions 05-23-15

Posted by
on May 23rd, 2015 at 2:50 am

Get a start on your Memorial Day weekend travel plans as I have just updated the Service Diversions through all of next week.

Make sure to follow @TransitBlogger on Twitter by clicking the button in the sidebar as I am using it more often. Also if you are into indie music make sure to follow @IndMusicReview & @SurgeFM!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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