This just in... "The Long Island Rail Road announced a sweeping plan Wednesday to mitigate dangerous gaps between trains and platforms by an average of 3 inches at stations systemwide with a combination of metal plates that will be added at the base of each car door and changing standards for train clearance.
At the same time, LIRR will triple spending on gap remediation, bumping $7.2 million spent this past year to $20.7 million in 2008."
Some Long Island Rail Road customers were surprised to find trains weren't running on the main line between Hicksville and Mineola Sunday, Newsday reports. Turns out a state transportation department project suspended the line all weekend and LIRR gave customers a heads up. Either way LIRR told Met's fans to take the train to the game tonight as main line service reopens at 1:05 a.m. Monday.
Newsday’s gap maveness Jennifer Maloney reports that 60% of the LIRR problem gaps have been fixed.
Since the LIRR announced in February that it would target 32 platforms at 22 stations with gaps greater than 10 inches, it has been working to reduce the dangerous spaces by moving tracks, adjusting platforms and keeping certain train doors closed, Kenny said.
The stations include Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn and Hunterspoint Avenue in Queens -- which had gaps as wide as 15 1/2 inches and 12 inches, respectively -- and others across Long Island such as Port Jefferson, which had gaps as wide as 14 1/2 inches.
Meanwhile, the Public Transportation Safety Board is expected to release their comprehensive review of the gap problem on April 18.
And, remember, Time Square has its own gap problem as well.
-- Chuck Bennett
Last week amNY reported that – at least – in fatalities Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road have excellent safety records. Injuries and other accidents were not addressed, as some readers pointed, out.
So, for all the injury data. you can download the Federal Railroad Adminstration report with all the details here.
And on the topic of commuter rails, check out the NY Times look at how expanding ridership causes budget woes and other problems for the two railroads.
-- Chuck Bennett
The MTA Board Alcohol Task Force met for the first time Monday.
The proposed ban on alcohol on the commuter rails is not forgotten.
These five men will recommend whether the commuter rails should go dry. But, the ultimate decision appears to come down to MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow and CEO/Executive Director Lee Sander.
“They met Monday and I’m going to let them work without interference from me,” Kalikow said today. “Their work has started and they will be ready when they are ready. I’m not pushing them to do something.”
Kalikow has hinted that he’d support a booze ban.
Barry Feinstein, who announced his resignation in September but shows no sign of leaving, chairs the committee.
Also on the task force:
James Sedore, a Dutchess County appointee
Frank Powers, a Pataki-appointee from Staten Island
Jim McGovern, a Long Island Rail Road riders representative
Andrew Albert, a New York City Transit riders representative
Mitch Pally, the Suffolk County representative on the board and the man who is pushing for the booze ban, isn’t on the team.
The Mission Statement:
The Task Force shall review all relevant information concerning the sale of alcoholic beverages in/on MTA commuter rail facilities in order to determine whether present policy requires changing. In the even the Task Force makes such a determination, it will recommend such changes to the Chairman and Executive Director/CEO.
Last December Kalikow said,
"My personal view is I think that we should severely limit, at least limit, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages.”
One transit reporter suggested buying the task force a round of drinks before discussing the issue.
-- Chuck Bennett
Long Island Rail Road spent $702,909 on various efforts to address their gap problem, according to procurement docs released today.
These include photoluminescent paint, new signs, CCTV cameras, and decals for the rail cars.
The CCTV system will go to the Syosset Station.
-- Chuck Bennett
As reported in the Daily News, the MTA is trying shock video to scare folks away from the Long Island Rail Road tracks. Check out the video here.
-- Chuck Bennett
A 26-year-old man was found dead at the Amityville train station early Friday morning lying on a staircase. News reports say he wasn't struck by a train the death isn't suspicious. Still, what a way to start the month.
-- Chuck Bennett
Not only does Lee Sander actually ride the rails he’s charged with running, he’s not shy for a photo-op with the pols who routinely make headlines for blasting his agency.
Lee Sander on Saturday stood with perennial MTA critics Rep. Anthony Weiner and Councilman Eric Gioia to announced a plan to fix the fencing around the Long Island Rail Road.
Weiner ecured $500,000 in federal funds for the project after 13-year-old Ari Kraft was killed by an oncoming track while tagging near the tracks.
Now, MTA Chairman Peter Kalikow only went to public event with the likes of the mayor and governor and then only to announce multibillion capital projects.
What a difference in style between Sander and Kalikow.
And Gothamist notes that when Natalie Smead fell through the LIRR tracks, the MTA just blamed her drunkenness. With Kraft’s death the agency went into overdrive to fix the problem of shoddy fencing.
-- Chuck Bennett
Well here's the latest on what's been done about it -- document prepared by LIRR.
Commenting on the lack of public speaks today at the Long Island Rail Road committee meeting today, David Mack the commitee chairman quipped: "They never love us, we feel bad."
-- Chuck Bennett
A man was struck and possibly killed by a Long Island Rail Road train west of the Valley Streat station shortly before 10 a.m. The man, possibly an LIRR worker or contractor police say, was airlifted to University Medical Center. His condition is unknown.
So far this month, three people were struck and killed by subway trains. Another had his arm torn off. A 13-year-old was killed by the LIRR, and a 15-year-old was struck and killed by a New York-bound Acela train.
UPDATE: The man, a LIRR trackworker, expired. The last LIRR worker to die was iwas n 2004 from a track accident in East New York.
-- Chuck Bennett
The New York Observer has a terrific piece on the many divides between Penn Station ("a rabbit warren" as it has been called) and Grand Central Terminal (an urban palace and oasis). That may be changing, with the planned arrival of the LIRR to Grand Central, and the seemingly dashed (but who knows) hopes for Moynihan Station. The story, however, inevitably explores the notion of divergent status. Gawker points out this gem of a quote:
“The entire point of living in Connecticut or Westchester is to limit your exposure to people who are from Long Island and New Jersey,” said one magazine editor who has been commuting from Westport, Conn., through Grand Central for over a decade. “That’s why we live there, it’s why we wear natural fabrics, and it’s why we don’t stucco our homes. Granted, there are a lot of people in Westport and Darien who grew up on the island and vowed to end all the ridicule by buying a first home here, but these are the people who wear Nicole Miller and practically strive out loud. As far as we’re concerned, Long Island might as well be Barbados—fine for a vacation, but year-round is so not going to happen.”
The piece also explores one of those Penn Station inponderables you never see at Grand Central. The mad, en-masse dash for seats:
"As far as the rush-hour situation, here’s a true story, “ said Anne Gregory, a petite blonde who teaches physical education on the Upper East Side. “I once saw a guy who was practically body-checking his fellow riders when the track number was announced, only to be stopped when he heard a young voice yell, ‘Dad!’ In the insanity of trying to get to the escalator, he let go of his daughter’s hand and started tearing ass. She couldn’t have been older than 9.”
-- Rolando Pujol
A tipster named “Crazy Jim” spotted an LIRR engineer taking photos of people exiting the train at the Shea Stadium - Willets Point station yesterday. He was kneeling down specifically getting shots of people stepping over the gap and onto the platform.
Maybe it was part of the new Railroad Safety Advisory Committee that is studying the potentially hazardous gaps. Those gaps can kill.
-- Chuck Bennett amNY.com
Guess what the most annoying thing about the LIRR is? Your fellow passengers. From a report by the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA:
One factor not under direct control of the Rail Road that greatly affects the quality of the commuter’s experience is the behavior of other riders. While some may disagree, a common perception among LIRR users is that rider behavior has worsened in recent years to a point that it is negatively affecting the quality of life on the trains. Advances in technology, such as cellular telephones and portable audio players, have contributed to this change, as perhaps have changes in society’s standards of behavior. Regardless of the cause of this change in perception, the LIRRCC is hearing a growing number of riders expressing their dissatisfaction with travel on the Rail Road based primarily on customer courtesy issues.
Get the full report here:
Download file
-- Chuck Bennett amNY.com
When it rains it pours, all Long Island Rail Road trains that pass through Jamaica Station are experiencing 30 minutes delays going both ways.
The problem started around 11:30 a.m. and is affecting ten of the eleven LIRR lines. Initial reports blamed Con Ed for not supplying enough juice to the track signals, but LIRR isn’t so sure of the cause any more.
At least it isn’t rush hour.
-- Chuck Bennett amNY.com
The MTA will soon be testing a redesigned armrest for the flashy new M7 trains that serve Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road. Why is this a big deal? Because the armrests -- bigger and more rubbery than the old ones -- have this bad habit of slipping right into the pant pocket of the poor person who's sitting down. When you stand up, it's snag and sometimes rip! The New York Times reports that the new armrests could be on all the M7s by next year, and Connecticut commuters who are still relying on older generation trains will benefit from the design growing pains endured by the New Yorkers.
The Times article details other common complaints about the M7 -- unforgivingly straight seats that are narrower than those on the old M3s. I'll add my frustration with the luggage racks at either end of the cars, which are so small you cannot even fit a modest suitcase, as you can, with room to spare, in the rest of the car and on the old M3s.
But enough kvetching. These are great new cars ... super AC, non-stinky bathrooms, digital destination displays, clear automated announcements, big picture windows. And the MTA says they are super reliable to boot in all kinds of weather.
-- Rolando Pujol
Also overlooked in all the news coming out of the MTA board meetings this week: Long Island Rail Road tickets are now valid for 180 days from the purchase date -- it used to be 90 days.
Now it's easier than ever to catch the last train back to Ronkonkoma
-- Chuck Bennett amNY.com
MTA critic and City Councilman John Liu, who chairs the council transportation committee, has again been accusing the MTA of keeping a slush fund -- unused money for the now abandoned $645 million LaGuardia Access project to bring the R train to the airport.
“The MTA is still holding on to their remaining $204 million slush fund like there's no tomorrow,” he said. “What about the twelve subway station renovations across the City scrapped by the MTA just last year for lack of funding while they kept this slush fund hidden and untouched? Keeping $204 million hidden under the mattress indefinitely is another clear example of the lack of accountability and transparency at this behemoth authority." 
The old LaGuardia money has been used for new buses and depot upgrades in Queens (more than $100 million), a new Yankee stadium Metro-North station ($40 million), and perhaps another $40 million for the new Mets stadium.
Last June, Michelle Goldstein, Director of Government Affairs for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, denied it was a slush fund at one of Liu’s hearings.
“All I can say is that it was absolutely not hidden,” she said during the sometime tense hearing.
But, Goldstein won’t be in Liu’s hot seat anymore. Today Mayor Bloomberg announced she’ll once again work for City Hall -- this time as director of the Office of State Legislative Affairs aka the mayor’s lobbyist.
So, with Goldstein out. Who’s the next MTA person with the responsibilty of denying the existence of a “slush fund?”
Newsday photo, Liu is center
-- Chuck Bennett
Sen. Schumer says the feds are going to approve $300 million for East Side Access, the project to bring the Long Island Rail Road into Grand Central. The money is likely to be included in the Fiscal Year 2007 appropriations bill. The feds are committed to funding 9% of the $6.3 billion project, with local agencies supplying 36%. It is still unclear where the remaining $3.4 billion, or 55%, will come from. Assuming the cash is all there, the project is scheduled to be completed in 2013.
-- Chuck Bennett
Train troubles: Trains are running now but yesterday sure was hellish. Blame Con Ed, the MTA says. [amNY, NY Times]
Good Samaritan: Man collapes onto subway tracks at the W. 57th St./Seventh Ave station and 32-year-old Sonia Delgado of Far Rockaway pulls him out before an oncomng train strikes him. Amazing! I am getting tired of writing stories about people being hit my trains -- three already over the past three months. Hats off to Sonia. [Daily News]
G is for Gross: Something stinky -- sewage that is -- is haunting the G train. [amNY]
Kalikow wants to sell: News quotes a “source” that Chairman Kalikow likes the city’s $500 million bid for the West Side Yards. Looks like “source” is coming out of City Hall so not too surprising. [Daily News]
While on the topic, MTA vice chairman David Mack dodged questions about the yards at the committee meetings yesterday. One other board member says it isn’t expected to be on the agenda next week either.
More heat on HEETS: No friend of the high exit entry turnstile, Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. is calling on the attorney general to probe the “deathtraps.” Still unclear if they actually violate state law or not. Meanwhile about 450 “panic bar” emergency exit have been installed with another 1,000 to go. [Daily News]
Money for Mets fans: Upgrades coming to LIRR and subway station that serves Shea Stadium. And a big study will look at major improvements for the new Mets stadium expected to be built in 2009. [amNY]
-- Chuck Bennett
All the disruptions on the LIRR earlier today caused by power problems were not discussed at all today at the Long Island Rail Road Committee of the MTA board monthly meeting. Focus was on the getting $$$$ for better mass transit to Shea Stadium and possibly the new Mets stadium.
-- Chuck Bennett
That spanking news Mets stadium (what will it be called?) could have a spanking new transit hub, a relief for beleagured LIRR riders. $8 million has been allocated to examine the issue. Reports amNY's Chuck Bennett:
Mitch Pally, Suffolk County’s representative on the MTA board, called the current situation “totally unacceptable” and “intolerable.”
Fans now have to navigate a series of narrow passageways full of ramps, stairs and bottlenecks to get from the stations to the stadium. Arriving from Long Island, fans have to take the LIRR to Woodside then backtrack on the Port Washington line to the stadium.
And while we're showing the LIRR some love, Newsday's Sam Bruchey wants to hear from you if you're fed up with passengers on the commuter line who misbehave. A sampling of comments he has received:
How about the ... riders who snore for the entire ride while the rest of the car MUST listen to this disgusting noise without respite?! It seriously angers all passengers within listening range. Russ
I could write a book about the disturbing behavior I've seen on the LIRR. I once had a guy sitting next to me whip out his nail clippers and
started going at it. I finally lost it when one of his nails landed in
my lap! JB
Egads! Anyway, you get the idea. Email him at samuel.bruchey@newsday.com.
-- Rolando Pujol
It's not just LIRR riders in for a slow road home. Metro-North has got its own problems.
-- Chuck Bennett
Long Island Rail Road is warning of big delays this evening leaving out of Penn. That derailment this morning is the culprit.
The following evening rush hour trains
will be canceled and combined:
-- Chuck Bennett
Photo of derailment from AP
Last night, we revisited the "train to the plane" campaign. Tonight, it's "the train to the game," the
ongoing effort by the MTA and the Mets to get us to hop on mass transit for trips to Shea. To drive home the message, the MTA is releasing more than 1,000,000 Mets-themed MetroCards this week. Here's the release; among the goodies the promotion touts are Pedro Martinez mouse pads and a "Ride Home on Us" prize pack.
-- Rolando Pujol
Meet Mr. Met(troCard). (AP Photo)
Fulton stays Grand: At an otherwise dull series of MTA committee meetings yesterday, it was revealed that the Fulton Street Transit Center will not be scaled back, even though the project is $100 million over budget and will be two years behind schedule. [Newsday via amNY]
Fouling Up Fulton: The Post’s vocal and influential downtown critic Steve Cuozzo goes off on the entire Fulton Street project. He calls it “unnecessary” and says it is choking downtown. Then, he provides this little nugget, while the feds are footing the bill now, the MTA will be responsible for any cost overruns over $847 million. [NY Post]
Back to the table: The school bus drivers union, ATU Local 1181, and the bus companies are back at the table today. If a strike is called July 1, tens of thousands of kids are going to have a tough time getting to summer school. The Dept. of Education already promised MetroCards for students. [NY1]
New LIRR line to the new Mets?: The possibility of bringing a new line to the new Mets stadium could be discussed at the MTA board meeting tomorrow. [Field of Schemes]
Save the Taylor Law: The Daily News editorial board on Sunday argued that the Taylor Law should not be “gutted” by the Assembly under the influence of powerful union leaders. [Daily News]
-- Chuck Bennett
The No. 9 train rolled off into history last Memorial Day weekend, but a year later, the memory of the lost line survives in a surprisingly prominent place. Large signs for the 1, 2, 3, and, yes, 9 trains can still be found at 34th Street and Seventh Avenue, a stone’s throw from Macy’s. One is outside the Footaction store next to the LIRR entrance, and the other touts the phantom line across the street, by the H&M store. Above the LIRR entrance, however, a smaller sign is properly missing the ‘9.’
The MTA began blacking out the ‘9’ signs in the weeks before it was discontinued, joining other retired lines such as the No. 8. (Yes, such a thing existed briefly in the early 1970s in the Bronx, helping to explain the gap in the 1 through 9 designations.)
Joke of the MTA board meeting today.
MTA vice chairman David Mack formally requested that the agency look into bring more service and improved LIRR to Willets Point to coincide with the new Mets stadium.
“I’m not a Mets fan, so I’m not sure,” quipped fellow board member Barry Feinsten.
The Yanks got a $40 million Metro-North station.
From the LIRR largely internal daily communication log around 9 a.m. today: “Reports of No. 22 went through stop signal hit No. 710. Supervision on route.”
In other words, the initial report blames the engineer of the 7:49 Babylon-bound train for striking the 7:50 a.m Hempstead-bound train. Officially the investigation is ongoing. But Brian Dolan, a LIRR spokesman, says human error is being examined. The signals, he said, were working properly.
-- Chuck Bennett
Better subway service to the new Shea -- which won’t be called Shea anymore -- will come with the new Mets stadium.
At a press conference announcing the project, Mayor Bloomberg said, “We’re going to expand the service that’s here. The No. 7 line comes out and hopefully we can get more trains running on it.”
The MTA declined to comment on the mayor’s announcement.
On Monday, the Tracker did get an irate call from a Mets fan claiming the trains were severely late making him miss the opening pitch. I’m sure he, like thousands others, would welcome more service.
Trains will be even more packed once construction begins -- thousands of parking spaces will be lost. The Mets is urging more people to take mass transit.
“Mass transit is going to be a very important option during the construction period over the next three seasons,” said Dave Howard, a Mets VP.
Construction could start as early as June, he added.
-- Chuck Bennett
The Long Island Rail Road is back in service after this morning’s collision.
“We are more or less back on schedule and anticipate a normal rush hour tonight,” says LIRR spokesman Brian Dolan.
-- Chuck Bennett
UPDATE 11:30 a.m.
Long Island Rail Road service to Hollis and Queens Village has been restored, LIRR spokesman Sam Zambito said. Eastbound trains starting running again around 11 a.m. Delays from this morning’s collision are now about 15 to 20 minutes. Throughout the morning rush they were in the 30 minute range.
-- Chuck Bennett
James Dermody, president of Long Island Rail Road, will have a lot of explaining to do at MTA headquarters Wednesday.
At the MTA board’s scheduled LIRR committee meeting, Dermody’s handling of the “Blizzard of ‘06” will likely be high on the agenda.
LIRR riders got hit hardest during storm — at one point all service between Penn Station and Jamaica was stalled for 19 hours. Five trains were even stuck on the tracks between Woodside and Jamaica — one of the trains with 40 passengers lingered for more than six hours, part of that time without electricity or heat.
LIRR spokesman Sam Zambito said the snow build up prevented electrified trains from connecting to its power source which stalled them on the tracks. It took hours to transfer passengers to diesel-powered trains.
“Yes things go wrong sometimes. Some things are not as expected. The question is what we can learn from them so during the next storm we don’t have the same issues,” said Mitch Pally, an MTA board member representing Long Island.
Today, however, there were no major problems on the LIRR. “It was a good rush hour, relatively uneventful,” said Zambito.
-- Chuck Bennett
I bet against the snow last night, and I lost.
Visiting my parents last night out on Long Island, I thought for sure I could stay over and just catch the LIRR to work in the morning, as I had many times before. The ride started out fine, but once we got past Jamaica, the train slowed to half speed. We stopped at Woodside, and never got started again. They kept us on the train for about 20 minutes, periodically making announcements, while the passengers were furiously making calls to the people they were supposed to meet up with, or their friends in Queens who might be able to pick them up.
Finally, they accepted that the train just wasn't going anywhere, so they sent us off to the 7 train. Which wasn't running to Manhattan because of a stalled train at Hunters Point. At first, they were advising passengers to catch a 7 to Queensboro Plaza, but shortly afterwards they announced that no 7 trains were going any further east than Woodside. We had to get on a Main St-bound 7, going further into Queens, and switch 2 stops later for the E, F, V or R. Once on the E, my ride went pretty smoothly.
All told, my trip from Speonk to Woodside: approx 2 hours. From Woodside to Penn Station: 1 1/2.
-- Emily Hulme
The test run of new swipeless "smart cards" on the Lexington line to one day replaced MetroCards is the big transit news of the day.
Just tapping a credit card or key chain will unlock the turnstile if all goes according to plan. And the technology is there to one day merge the smart cards with New Jersey Transit, PATH, Metro-North and the Long Island Rail Road.
"If it’s like a key chain, that would be cool," said Chris Ricketts, 31, a promoter for Sal's Comedy Hole in the West Village.
He complained that about once a month when swiping his unlimited MetroCard he erroneously gets the "Just used" message and unsympathetic station agents just tell him to wait the 10 or 15 minutes for the card to reset.
"I get pissed off being told to wait 15 minutes. I have places to go," he said.
Separately, in The Daily News, Pete Donohue reports on fisticuffs within the transit union during the tense weeks before its contract expired. What a bully, a 6’3" "burly" so-called dissident union allegedly roughed up a 5’5" 180 pound ally of union prez Roger Toussaint.
-- Chuck Bennett
