Draft Conformity Determination Comment Period and Public Meeting

A comment period for NYMTC’s Draft Transportation Conformity Determination runs through May 30th for the 2011-2015 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the 2010-2035 Regional Transportation Plan, as amended. This draft conformity determination contains a revised regional mobile source emissions analysis that reflects compliance of the FFY 2010-2035 Regional Transportation Plan and the FFY2011-2015 Transportation Improvement Program to Ozone National Ambient Air Quality Standard. The draft Conformity Determination is available on www.NYMTC.org
A public meeting will be held May 15, 2013 at 6:30 PM at NYMTC, 199 Water Street, 22nd floor, NYC. This meeting may be attended in person or as a webinar. To attend in person RSVP to Tarrina.Weaver@dot.ny.gov.
To register for the webinar go to www.tinyurl.com/May-2013-Conformity
Written comments can be sent by 4 pm on May 30, 2013 to:
New York Metropolitan Transportation Council
Attn: David Drits
199 Water Street, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10038
david.drits@dot.ny.gov

Mark J. Epstein, of Melville, is the managing partner at the law firm of Pazer, Epstein & Jaffe, P.C. He earned a B.S. degree from The American University and his J.D. from New York Law School. He is a member of the Suffolk County Bar Association, Nassau County Bar Association, New York County Lawyers Association, and American Association for Justice, and sits on the Board of Directors of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. He has been selected as one of NY’s Super Lawyers for three years running. He also sits on the Infrastructure Work Group of the Long Island Regional Economic Council and The Long Island Association’s LIA’s Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee. He is a strong advocate of civil and human rights and has been appointed to the Suffolk County Human Rights Commission and Suffolk County’s Jewish Advisory Board. He lives in Melville and commutes on the Ronkonkoma Branch.

Mr. Rubinstein is employed as Engineer in Charge for studios and mobile trucks with NEP Broadcasting. He had previously served as Studio Chief Engineer with Magno Sound & Video, after holding several other positions with the firm. Mr. Rubinstein also does freelance video engineer projects in his spare time. He presently assists Nassau Legislator Dave Denenberg’s LIRR Advisory Committee, which meets quarterly. Mr. Rubinstein is an active voice in his community and works closely with schools, local civic associations and other community groups. He lives in North Bellmore and commutes on the Babylon Branch.

“The Long Island Rail Road stands at a crossroads, with projects like East Side Access and the Double Track from Ronkonkoma coming on line. We look forward to continuing and increasing our efforts to speak out for riders and to working tirelessly to improve conditions for LIRR riders and build a stronger, responsive and expanded transportation system.” said Mr. Epstein.

PLEASE JOIN US FOR THESE UPCOMING NYMTC EVENTS

• April 18 at 1:15 p.m.  – PFAC Meeting with special presentation by William Wheeler, Director of Special Project Development & Planning, Metropolitan Transportation Authority: “Whither the Dashing Commuter?….Transport Trends and Challenges in a Changing Region.” This meeting may be attended in person or via webcast

• April 24 at 12 noon – Brown Bag Presentation by Ellyn Shannon, Senior Transportation Planner, PCAC and Angela Bellisio, Research Assistant, PCAC: Visualizing MTA Data: The Importance of Trend Lines. This meeting may be attended in person or as a webinar

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PROGRAM, FINANCE, AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE (PFAC) MEETING

Thursday, April 18, 2013

@ 1:15 pm

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council Office

199 Water Street, 22nd floor, Lower Manhattan

This meeting will be webcast

AGENDA AND MEETING DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE on www.NYMTC.org

In addition to several action items, there will be a special presentation by William Wheeler, Director of Special Project Development & Planning, MTA: “Whither the Dashing Commuter?…Transport Trends and Challenges in a Changing Region”

For security purposes either RSVP by calling the main line at (212) 383-7200 or

RSVP by sending an email to andrea.miles-cole@dot.ny.gov

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NYMTC Brown Bag Presentation:

Visualizing MTA Data: The Importance of Trend Lines

Speakers:       Ellyn Shannon, Senior Transportation Planner, PCAC and Angela Bellisio, Research Assistant, PCAC

Date:                 Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Time:                12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EDT

Location:        NYMTC, 199 Water Street, 22nd Floor, NYC.

This meeting may be attended in person or as a webinar. To attend in person RSVP to lisa.daglian@dot.ny.gov or call 212-383-7200. To attend as a webinar, register at: http://tinyurl.com/PCAC-data-viz

On March 19th the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) released its report:  The MTA in the Age of Big Data: Transforming the Wealth of MTA Data into Accessible, Meaningful, Visual, Interactive Information. In an effort to make the MTA’s information more digestible, the PCAC proposed the creation of three visualization tools to help internal MTA stakeholders (staff and managers) and external MTA stakeholders (Board members, elected officials, transit advocates, academics and riders) quickly understand the MTA’s strengths and weaknesses. Such tools can lead to more informed operational and capital investment decisions and a better understanding of the quality of the transit system.

These three tools have a goal of more efficiently communicating MTA performance over time and include:

1. Establishing an interactive trend line program to illustrate how the MTA has performed in its operational, capital, and financial sectors.

2. Digitizing MTA Board books to include interactive, rather than static, charts and maps.

3. Developing a mobile transparency app where financial, capital, and operational reports could be easily accessed along with MTA data analytics, public/open data, public meetings, and other relevant transparency information.  

This presentation will highlight the findings of the report and be followed by a discussion of the most pressing trend lines including ridership, on-time performance, train frequency, mean distance between failures, staffing levels, debt and funding levels, all of which can help to tell the MTA story.

Contact:  
Ellyn Shannon     (212) 878-7424                                        
William Henderson  (212) 878-7087

In its most recent report, The MTA in the Age of Big Data: Transforming the Wealth of MTA Data into Accessible, Meaningful, Visual, Interactive Information, the Permanent Citizens Advisory Committee to the MTA (PCAC) examines the MTA’s current data issues by looking at the need for new technologies and the value new data visualization tools can bring to the MTA’s ability to better communicate its performance to stakeholders.

The PCAC is confident that by providing the right visual tools, the MTA can make its data more transparent and easier to understand. Visualizing performance data using interactive, multi-year trend lines, will enable internal and external MTA stakeholders to gain a greater understanding of where the MTA has made progress, where problems have occurred, and where further investments need to be made in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of our regional transportation system. (or to quickly understand where the MTA has excelled, where it has done poorly, and where it needs to invest further to improve the regional transportation system.)

This report continues the themes raised in PCAC’s 2011 Report, Minutes Matter, in which the Committee praised the MTA and its Operating Agencies for providing some of the most transparent and detailed operational metrics among U.S. transit agencies, information which is readily available on the MTA website. However, the 2011 report also noted that despite this high level of disclosure, the MTA’s operational metrics were often omitted in discussions of capital investments and the impact those investments would have on reducing slow, delayed, and canceled trains. 

MTA monthly committee books rely on monthly and year-to-date information, which do not offer decision makers enough contexts to understand where the Authority is in the long term. In order to demonstrate how valuable visualization tools would be to both internal and external stakeholders, PCAC staff created their own interactive data visualization for three years of New York City Transit Data from those committee books. The visualization creates trend lines from the data so a viewer can readily compare metrics over time.

The report culminates in a recommendation to create a working group to develop three pilot projects. Through these projects the working group would create additional interactive data visualizations of performance metrics, incorporate those visualizations into board reports in a tablet format, and create a Transparency app where external stakeholders can easily refer to MTA transparency information like financial, capital, and operational data.

The report also recommends that the MTA should continue to foster investment in new technology in order to enhance its ability to refine and improve both performance and performance measures. The MTA should continue to push for the implementation of Automated Train Supervision (ATS) throughout the subway system, Automatic Vehicle Locator (AVL) on buses, contactless fare payment on subways, buses and railroads, and utilize web media to provide searchable databases of performance metrics, particularly regarding delay information.

Early last week PCAC staff and Board members met with Interim Executive Director Tom Prendergast. The PCAC demonstrated their prototype data visualization and asked for the formation of a working group to move forward on the report’s recommendations and the three pilot projects. The request was met with support, with Mr. Prendergast agreeing to the formation of a working group that could address the governance and implementation needs of the recommendations and move projects forward.

Printed copies of the full report are available upon request from the PCAC office at 347 Madison Avenue, 8^th Floor.  The report is also available on the website at www.pcac.org under PCAC research reports or can be downloaded here.

The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) announces that its Program, Finance, and Administration Committee (PFAC) will hold a meeting on March 21, 2013.  This meeting will be a webcast and can be viewed through www.NYMTC.org.  The agenda for the meeting appears below.

AGENDA

PROGRAM, FINANCE, AND ADMINISTRATION COMMITTEE (PFAC) MEETING

Thursday, March 21, 2013

@ 1:15 pm

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council Office

199 Water Street, 22nd floor

Lower Manhattan

A.            CALL TO ORDER, ROLL CALL

B.            EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S REPORT

C.            PRESENTATION

New York City Select Bus Service Projects

Eric Beaton, New York City Department of Transportation

D.            PUBLIC PARTICIPATION

(Reserved for registered speakers on a first come, first served basis.  Each speaker will be limited to no more than three minutes. Total time available for public participation is 15 minutes.)

E.            ACTION ITEMS

(Action items are available to be downloaded at WWW.NYMTC.ORG in the Calendar of Events.)

1.     Accept: February 21, 2013 Meeting Synopsis

2.     Adopt: Resolution #355 – Amendment to the State Fiscal Year 2012 Unified Planning Work Program

3.     Adopt: Resolution #356 – Amendment to the 2010-2035 Regional Transportation Plan

4.     Adopt: Resolution #357 – Transportation Conformity Determination for the 2010-2035 Regional Transportation Plan and the 2011-2015 Transportation Improvement Program, As Amended

F.             CONFIRMATION OF NEXT PFAC MEETING

Thursday, April 18, 2013 @ 1:15 p.m. @ NYMTC

G.            ADJOURN

For security purposes either RSVP by calling the main line at (212) 383-7200 or

RSVP by sending an email to andrea.miles-cole@dot.state.ny.us

The tour began with a project overview of the project at the ESA office in Queens. The Council then geared up in hard hats and orange vests and made their way into the construction site where they had the opportunity to stand inside the future train tubes.

In Manhattan, the group again donned some hard hats and walked through the future concourse adjacent to Grand Central Terminal. They then took an elevator down to see the construction and were awed by the sheer magnitude of the project.

Everyone had a great day during this once in a lifetime experience.

More photos can be found on our facebook page!

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*** 12:00 Noon ***

12:00              Approval of March 7, 2013 Agenda

Approval of December 6, 2012 Minutes

12:10              PCAC Chair’s Report

                        LIRRCC Chair’s Report

                        MNRCC Chair’s Report

                        NYCTRC Chair’s Report

12:20              Old Business

                        New Business

1:00               Introduction of William Wheeler, MTA Director of Special Project Development and Planning, to discuss changing ridership patterns in the MTA system.

2:00               Adjournment

                                
NOTE:            SANDWICHES AND BEVERAGES WILL BE SERVED TO GUEST SPEAKERS, MEMBERS AND STAFF ONLY

NEW YORK METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COUNCIL

Planning for Resiliency:

Adapting the Transportation System to Emerging Vulnerabilities

Featured Speaker: Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, Senior Research Scientist, Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2013, 11 A.M.

U.S. CUSTOM HOUSE, 1 BOWLING GREEN, NYC

Over recent years, the New York metropolitan region has experienced the direct and destructive effects of dozens of hurricanes, nor’easters, winter storms and other extreme weather conditions. Last fall, Hurricane Sandy’s record breaking surge and intense winds compromised key transportation links and greatly impaired the region’s mobility in its wake. Many experts anticipate an increase in these types of weather events and urge immediate consideration of resiliency planning to mitigate and adapt their impacts to people, property and the economy. With this in mind, and in the aftermath of Sandy, NYMTC’s members have focused their planning efforts on adapting the transportation system to address emerging vulnerabilities.

At NYMTC’s February 26^th Annual Meeting, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez will discuss DOT’s overall commitment to Hurricane Sandy recovery, the federal government’s efforts and activities related to climate change, and FHWA’s work related to Climate Change and Extreme Weather Vulnerability Assessments and Adaption Options, including a new project involving NYMTC and its sister MPOs in New Jersey and Connecticut

Following a keynote presentation by Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig, Senior Research Scientist, Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University, Council members will hold a roundtable discussion on adapting the transportation system to future extreme weather events.

NYMTC’s members will also take action to adopt its next Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP), a $40 million federally-funded program of planning activities to be undertaken during the program year beginning April 1,. The draft UPWP and meeting documents are available on www.NYMTC.org.

The Annual Meeting will be webcast live and may be viewed on www.NYMTC.org. To attend in person, RSVP to 212-383-7200 or andrea.miles-cole@dot.ny.gov.

NOTE: One Bowling Green is a federal facility with a stringent security process for visitors. Meeting attendees are asked to allow ample time for this process.

NYMTC is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for New York City, Long Island and the lower Hudson Valley, providing a collaborative planning forum to address transportation-related issues, develop regional plans and make decisions on the use of federal transportation funds.  Council members include the county executives of Suffolk, Nassau, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, the commissioners of the New York City Department of City Planning, the New York City and New York State Departments of Transportation, and the chief executive officers of Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, along with other federal, state and regional transportation and environmental officials. 

Notice of Public Comment Period & Public Review Meetings

Topic:      Draft Transportation Conformity Determination

Dates:      January 31, 2013 through March 1, 2013

Public Comment Period:
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Council (NYMTC) announces the availability of a draft Transportation Conformity Determination for the 2011-2015 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and the 2010-2035 Regional Transportation Plan, as amended.  This draft Conformity Determination contains a revised regional mobile source emissions analysis, which is required under the Clean Air Act as amendments of 1990, that reflects the addition of two Select Bus Service projects and a scope change for a third project in New York City to be amended to both the TIP and Plan.  A 30-day public comment period of the draft Transportation Conformity Determination will begin on January 31, 2013 and end at 4pm on March 1, 2013.  The draft Conformity Determination will be available on January 31, 2013 for download at: http://www.nymtc.org/project/conformity/conformity.html.  Copies can also be made available upon request through the contact noted below.

Public Review Meetings:
Public review meetings for this draft Transportation Conformity Determination will be held in the NYMTC office, 199 Water Street, 22nd Floor, in lower Manhattan, on February 13, 2013 at 3 pm and 6:30 pm.  The 3 pm meeting will also be offered as a webinar. To register for the webinar go to https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/637211151.

RSVP & Comment Submission:  
Requests for copies of the draft Transportation Conformity Determination and RSVPs for the public meetings can be made to Tarrina Weaver at 212-383-7201 or tarrina.weaver@dot.ny.gov.

Written comments can be sent by mail, fax and e-mail by 4 pm on March 1, 2013 to:

New York Metropolitan Transportation Council
Attn: David Drits
199 Water Street, 22nd Floor
New York, NY 10038david.drits@dot.ny.gov
Fax:  212-383-2418

  AGENDA

       *** 12:00 Noon ***

12:00             Approval of December 6, 2012 Agenda

     Approval of September 6, 2012 Minutes

 12:10           PCAC Chair’s Report

                        LIRRCC Chair’s Report

                        MNRCC Chair’s Report

                        NYCTRC Chair’s Report

12:20              Old Business
                                    MTA 2012 Budget and Fare Changes

                        New Business
                                    PCAC 2013 Budget

2:00               Adjournment 

NOTE: SANDWICHES AND BEVERAGES WILL BE SERVED TO GUEST SPEAKERS, MEMBERS AND STAFF ONLY