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MTA Honors 30 NYC Transit Workers

Posted by
on December 15th, 2014 at 5:16 am

It is the holiday season so it is nice to share some good news from the MTA. The latest form of that comes from the agency honoring 30 NYC Transit workers for acts of bravery & excellence. Here is more via the official press release:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) today recognized 30 New York City Transit employees for their acts of bravery and distinguished service that showed how they performed above and beyond their duties to help customers, their colleagues or the public.

The honorees, their families and co-workers, as well as top NYC Transit officials, attended the ceremony, which was held in downtown Brooklyn. Medals and commendations are awarded annually to NYC Transit employees for specific acts of bravery, quick thinking in potentially dangerous or fatal situations, and for excellent service in day-to-day operations.

“Every act we celebrate today shows us a glimpse of how we would like to be all the time – selfless, compassionate and courageous. I thank all our medalists for giving us that glimpse and inspiring us,” said NYC Transit President Carmen Bianco.

This year’s honorees include a train conductor and an operator working together to secure a train at a station and prevent the perpetrator of an assault from fleeing the scene; an off-duty special inspector who helped apprehend a man threatening subway customers with bodily harm; a bus operator whose immediate response to a co-worker’s heart attack helped save a life; two car cleaners who found an autistic boy reported missing from his home and notified authorities to reunite him with his family; and a Staten Island Railway conductor who helped calm a distressed woman and called for medical assistance.

Awards were presented in three areas:

• Heroism: For employees who perform specific acts of bravery, on or off duty, in the face of extremely dangerous circumstances that could have resulted in personal injury or death;

• Commendations: For job-related acts involving personal risk or requiring exceptional judgment. The employee’s decisions and actions indicate that, without quick thinking and corrective measures, highly undesirable and dire consequences could have resulted;

• Distinguished Service: For employees who have demonstrated outstanding efficiency that reflects the highest standards and ideals of a dedicated public employee.

“Today’s program is about showing our appreciation for your notable deeds – not only to Transit, but also to your coworkers and our customers. You have responded to all types of occurrences, while still providing unparalleled service,” said MTA Chief of Staff Catherine A. Rinaldi.

Honorees:

Heroism (6 awards; 6 recipients)

William Kennedy – train service supervisor – Restrained customer from touching live third rail

Ancy Kernizan – bus operator – Safely evacuated customers during bus fire

Carlos Padro – special inspector – Assisted in arrest of man threatening subway customers with bodily harm

Robert Sanders – bus operator – Safely evacuated customers during bus fire

George Smith – bus operator – Safely secured customers during bus shooting

Jennifer Worthy – bus operator – Secured safety of customers near street shooting

Commendation (14 awards; 23 recipients):

Luis Albino, David Soto, Stewart Azzato, Clyde Ferguson – power distribution maintainers, track workers – Rescued falling colleague who became unconscious while working on elevated tracks

Naomi Andino, Joaquin Lopez – conductor, train operator – Prevented perpetrator from fleeing scene of assault

Carol Goring, Deslyn Collins – car cleaners – Found autistic child reported missing

Robert J. Esposito – special inspector – Apprehended robbery suspect

Jamila Francois – bus operator – Safely evacuated customers during bus fire

Curtis Hall, Kevin O’Neill, David Rosa, Jose Salazar, Jose Valette – maintenance supervisor, track workers – Assisted customer who had fallen from platform onto tracks

Steven Hodovanec – train operator – Reported unsafe rail condition to avoid potentially dangerous situation

Nathaniel Jenkins – bus operator – Revived co-worker suffering heart attack

Luis Manrique – train operator – Found child reported missing from home

Victor Nicasio – bus operator – Alerted emergency workers to pedestrian suffering seizure

Brett Peace – bus operator – Prevented customer in wheelchair from falling

Jason Prashad – conductor – Reported robbery in progress and assisted police in arrest

James Thompson – conductor – Calming suicidal woman on platform

Stephen Ward – bus operator – Performed CPR on elderly customer who became ill on bus

Distinguished service (1 award; 1 recipient):

Frank Gurrera – machinist – MTA employee for nearly 45 years

Congratulations to all of the deserving recipients as your actions will never be forgotten!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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NYC Transit
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Service Diversions 12-12-14

Posted by
on December 12th, 2014 at 3:53 pm

Get a head 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!

Have a great weekend!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions
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MTA Awards South Ferry Repair Contract

Posted by
on December 8th, 2014 at 3:28 pm

Earlier today, the MTA announced the awarding of the $193.8 million dollar contract to Judlau Contracting, Inc for the rehabilitation of the South Ferry station. Here are more details via the official press release:

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has awarded a $193.8 million contract to Judlau Contracting, Inc., to rehabilitate the new South Ferry station and include elements that would protect the station from flooding in the event of future damaging storms.

MTA New York City Transit (NYCT) had previously awarded a contract and work has been completed to remove all damaged finishes and equipment from the South Ferry station. NYC Transit has also implemented interim measures to protect the station from a storm surge, including emergency egress bulkheads at station entrances.

In October 2012, Superstorm Sandy sent 15 million gallons of salt water into the new South Ferry station, destroying all electrical and mechanical systems and components and filling the entire structure from the track level to the mezzanine, a depth of 80 feet. The flood water, a mix of seawater, sewerage, and debris, caused extensive damage to the station and critical equipment.

“While the old South Ferry Station has been brought back into operation as a temporary replacement, it is obsolete and is not ADA compliant,” said MTA Chairman and CEO Thomas F. Prendergast. “Reopening the new South Ferry station complex and protecting it against future storms is an MTA priority. It will improve access to Lower Manhattan for thousands of customers and is part of our commitment to ‘Build Back Better.’”

The 31-month contract awarded November 26 includes leak mitigation, replacement of track, mechanical, electrical, signal, and communications equipment, as well as ceiling and wall panels and other damaged assets. Other work to be performed under this contract consists of:

• architectural finishes; civil work; structural steel work;
• HVAC work; new ventilation system;
• new pumping equipment;
• refurbishment of two elevators and five escalators;
• fire protection;
• new traction power system and;
• miscellaneous electrical work at two circuit breaker houses and a ventilation plant.

The project will incorporate strategies to protect NYCT’s property, equipment and employees from future flooding. Resiliency measures will protect components of the underground station, including electrical and traction power equipment, mechanical systems, plumbing fixtures, communications equipment, and instrumentation/control devices and will include retractable flood doors at the station entrances. Other entry points for water such as vents, manholes and hatches, conduits, and ducts will also be hardened.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions 12-05-14

Posted by
on December 5th, 2014 at 2:41 am

Get a head 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!

Have a great weekend!

xoxo Transit Blogger

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LIRR Weekend Travel Alert

Posted by
on December 5th, 2014 at 1:16 am

LIRR riders should pad their travel times this weekend as they might face delays or service disruptions due to the installation of a new signal system for the East Side Access project. Here is more via a press release I received:

MTA Long Island Rail Road customers traveling to and from New York City this coming weekend should build in extra travel time to anticipate the possibility of train delays and service disruptions as the LIRR undertakes an important phase of the East Side Access project, which will require closing two of four East River Tunnels connecting Queens to Manhattan and Penn Station.

Beginning at 10 p.m. on Friday, December 5 and continuing through 5 a.m. on Monday, December 8, the LIRR will be installing a portion of a new computerized signal system that will control train travel through an area in Sunnyside, Queens known as Harold Interlocking. Harold is the nation’s busiest commuter rail intersection used every day by the LIRR, Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT.

This is the first in a series of necessary “cutovers” to this improved technology that will be occurring during the next several years. When complete, East Side Access will speed up travel for Long Islanders by transporting them to Grand Central Terminal and the East Side of Manhattan for the first time.

“This work is necessary to keep the East Side Access project moving forward. We urge customers to build in extra travel time during the weekend, especially in this busy holiday period,” said LIRR President Patrick A. Nowakowski. “We are hopeful that by working with Amtrak and NJ TRANSIT we will be able to minimize service interruptions, but we wanted to alert customers to the possibility of delays and urge them to plan accordingly.”

xoxo Transit Blogger

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