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MNR To Purchase Advanced Track Equipment

Posted by
on May 16th, 2014 at 5:39 pm

With safety being a big issue for the MTA’s Metro-North Railroad, it should come as no surprise that the agency is purchasing advanced track inspection equipment. Here is the dish:

MTA Metro-North Railroad today announced plans to purchase a new track monitoring system that will be mounted on regular train cars to provide continuous inspection data and complement the in-depth inspections performed twice each year.

The two methods are intended to supplement each other and increase the amount of data available to Metro-North track engineers regarding adherence to federally mandated track parameters such as gage, curvature, height and overall alignment.

“Metro-North’s first task is to improve safety on the railroad by all means, including using the latest technology,” said Metro-North President Joseph Giulietti. “We want to know before normal wear and tear turns into a failure. Continuous monitoring of joints and the surface of the rails themselves will keep us on top of maintenance.”

The equipment, known as an Autonomous Track Geometry Inspection System (ATGIS), is mounted on passenger trains moving at regular speeds and will generate continuous data to allow Metro-North to identify track geometry anomalies early and prevent failures.

The plan calls for the purchase of four units, one for each major train equipment type, a diesel locomotive, a diesel-hauled coach, an M8 and an M7, which will provide inspection coverage for all three lines and branches.

The new system will be in addition to semi-annual inspections now performed by a staffed track geometry car.

The ATGIS and the track geometry car inspections address a Federal Railroad Administration recommendation that Metro-North make better use of available technology in its track inspection protocol. They are in addition to the railroad’s ongoing twice-weekly track inspections by qualified Inspectors who walk track and drive high-rail vehicles over the track to look for defects.

Geometry measuring equipment uses laser beams to measure the relationships between different components of the structure and take high resolution photos of the entire 800-mile length of track that Metro-North maintains. Technicians review the data to observe potential flaws such as a missing bolt from a joint bar or a tie plate that is improperly positioned.

To acquire the ATGIS, Metro-North intends to ask the Board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, its parent agency, on Monday to approve a type of procurement called a Request for Proposal, rather than a simple low-bid procurement in which price is the sole determining factor.

Potential vendors will be evaluated on the basis of technical and manufacturing capabilities, past performance, organizational resources, experience of personnel and cost. This purchase will be funded as part of Metro-North’s operating budget.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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FASTRACK Returns To Central Park West

Posted by
on May 16th, 2014 at 5:36 pm

MTA NYC Transit’s FASTRACK program will be returning to Central Park West next week to alter service on the A Train, B Train, C Train & D Train. Here are the details:

On Monday, May 19, MTA New York City Transit’s FASTRACK program returns to Upper Manhattan along the ACBD lines. A trains will be suspended in both directions between 59 St-Columbus Circle and Inwood-207 St and D trains will be suspended between 59 St Columbus Circle and 161St-Yankee Stadium from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for four consecutive weeknights from Monday, May 19 to early Friday morning, May 23. B and C service will end early each night.

A and D trains will operate as follows:

• A service will operate between Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd or Far Rockaway and 59 St-Columbus Circle.

• D service will operate in two sections, between Norwood-205 St and 161 St-Yankees Stadium and between 59 St-Columbus Circle and Coney Island-Stillwell Avenue.

Travel alternatives:

As an alternative, customers should take the 124 trains, the M4, Bx12 or Bx19 buses and free shuttle bus service.

• A Customers should take the 1 for service between Midtown and Washington Heights/Inwood.

• D Customers should take the 2 and 4 for service between Midtown and the Bronx.

• For Central Park West, customers may use nearby 1 and 2 stations along Broadway.

• In Harlem, customers may use nearby 12 stations or take free shuttle buses to/from the 110 St or 157 St stations. Bx19 buses run along 145 St.

• In Washington Heights/Inwood, customers may use nearby 1 stations along St Nicholas Av.

• The 42 St S Shuttle will operate through the night.

• 2 trains run local between Times Sq-42 St and 96 St.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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NYC Transit To Increase Service On L & M

Posted by
on May 14th, 2014 at 3:41 pm

Riders of the L Train & M Train have cause to celebrate as MTA NYC Transit has announced it will be increasing service starting this fall. Here are the details:

MTA New York City Transit plans to increase service this fall to the LM lines that serve thousands of customers in growing neighborhoods throughout Brooklyn, Queens and Manhattan. NYC Transit is adding service to these lines based on analysis of schedules and increased ridership demand.

“Among the changes is a significant increase in L weekend service, which will decrease wait times for customers as well as increase capacity on a line that continues to see ridership growth, most notably during off peak hours,” said NYC Transit President, Carmen Bianco. “Ridership is at an all-time high, including records for weekend ridership. These are customers who rely on us for all of their transportation needs, both work and play, and we are trying to meet that demand with our available resources.”

The adjustments on the L and M represent significant increases in service to accommodate growing ridership. They are:

• Saturday L service will be increased a total of thirty-three round trips between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m;
• Sunday L service will be increased a total of twenty-three round trips between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m;
• Weekday evening L service will be increased a total of three round trips;
• Weekday M service will be increased a total of one round trip (one northbound trip in the morning and one southbound trip in the late afternoon);

Increased Forest Hills-bound weekday morning and Metropolitan Av-bound weekday afternoon service on the M line will also lower wait times during peak periods.

“NYC Transit regularly reviews, evaluates and adjusts subway and bus schedules to ensure that they accurately match current rider demand. These reviews are a critical part of our efforts to provide customers with the most efficient and effective service possible,” Bianco added.

Implementation of the changes, which are scheduled for fall 2014, will cost approximately $1.7 million annually. M service changes will be concurrent with the Hurricane Sandy-related restoration of R service through the Montague Tube.

These changes are in addition to the schedule and service changes already planned for implementation in June 2014 that include eight weekday and eight weekend round trips on the L and the weekend extension of the M from Myrtle Avenue to Delancey St-Essex St.

It is refreshing to see the agency noticed the increased ridership & put in measures to handle it. Hopefully the trend will continue as I can think of a few lines that need some additional service.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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Service Diversions 05-09-14

Posted by
on May 9th, 2014 at 3:14 pm

Get a head start on your weekend 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 safe & wonderful weekend.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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MTA Installs 3 ADA Elevators At 71 Ave

Posted by
on May 9th, 2014 at 3:13 pm

ADA riders in Forest Hills have great news as 3 new elevators have been installed at the 71 Ave-Forest Hills station in Queens. Here is more:

MTA New York City Transit President Carmen Bianco presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony today to mark the completion of a vital project that now allows customers in Queens to use three new ADA-accessible elevators to reach the E F M R Forest Hills-71st Av station from the street level to both northbound and southbound platforms. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) also installed ADA boarding areas with tactile warning strips and signage, and reconstructed platform edges to comply with all ADA requirements.

One elevator provides ADA access from the street at the intersection of Queens Boulevard’s south service road and 70th Road, and connects to the station’s mezzanine. The other two elevators connect the mezzanine with the northbound and southbound platforms for the E F M R local and express tracks.

“Today’s ribbon-cutting marks our continuing commitment to make the system accessible to customers with limited mobility,” Bianco said. “This station was a priority for us given its high ridership and key transfer point for customers along the Queens Boulevard Line.”

The Forest Hills-71 Av station, which is the fifth busiest out of 78 stations in Queens, serves more than 27,000 weekday customers. The three elevators and installation of other ADA-compliant work were part of a $24.7 million project. In addition, NYC Transit is in the process of modernizing and improving the reliability of the Union Turnpike, 71st Avenue and Roosevelt Avenue-Jackson Heights Interlockings on the Queens Boulevard Line. This $310.7 million project is necessary for the planned implementation of Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) on the Queens Boulevard Line.

“I am happy to be here today to celebrate the opening of these elevators at the Forest Hills-71 Avenue station. New Yorkers have always been very proud of our public transit system, and we must always be making improvements to extend access for the disabled, the elderly and parents with young children. Congratulations to the MTA on this successful project, and I look forward to our continued partnership to constantly update and improve our transit system,” said State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky.

“The day of the long-awaited completion of the Forest Hills-71 Avenue subway elevators has finally arrived. I welcome this day and look forward to a time when the entire subway system will be handicap accessible,” said City Council member Karen Koslowitz, whose district includes Forest Hills.

The completion of this ADA-compliance project brings the number of accessible stations under the Americans with Disabilities Act to 12 in Queens and 81 overall in the New York City Transit system. Another ADA project has begun at the Ozone Park-Lefferts Blvd station on the A line and is scheduled for completion in 2016.

xoxo Transit Blogger

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