The tour was led by Ray Del Valle, NYCT Superintendent, Car Equipment — Subways, and Tom Abdalla, NYCT Chief Environmental Engineer.  Del Valle explained how the maintenance program works and members saw a myriad of actvities, including battery replacement to electronic panel testing to wheel grinding.  Since the shop opened, the MDBF (mean distance between failure) has been improved 21%.  After an hour tour of the shop floor, the group moved to a conference room for a presentation on the “green” qualities of the building.

Solar panels on the roof of the Corona Maintenance Shop

Tom Abdalla, NYCT Chief Environmental Engineer, explained how the facility incorporated “green” technology: solar panels on a white roof; natural ventilation and exhaust air Heat Recovery units; roof drains to harvest rain water for use in train car washing; skylights for natural light along with high efficiency lighting systems; and a pilot Fuel Cell system whereby excess heat, resulting from electrochemical reaction of natural gas and steam, is captured and utilized for domestic hot water.  For more information on the energy savings of these features click here.    The group then got to go up on the roof to view the solar panel installation and the exhaust air Heat Recovery Units.

Babylon Supervisor Steve Ballone presents the plans for Wyandanch

On Monday, August 9th, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer held a meeting with members of the Partnership for Sustainable Communities (a collaboration between the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), and Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)) and Long Island leaders to discuss and better assist in the issues facing Long Island’s re-emerging walkable downtowns.

Nearly twenty LI towns and villages presented 25 revitalization and infrastructure projects to members of high-level federal leadership, including the Interagency Partnership for Sustainable Communities. In addition to the municipalities, many local business groups, civic associations and government officials also attended. In total, there were over 350 representatives in the room at Briarcliff College in downtown Patchogue.

Last June, EPA, DOT, and HUD formed the Partnership for Sustainable Communities to promote the coordination of downtown housing, transportation and environmental investments at the local planning level. To date, the Partnership has held two similar meetings: one in an urban area and one in a rural area. This was the first official meeting of the new federal partnership in America’s suburbs. This event was coordinated in partnership with Vision Long Island, the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University and Sustainable Long Island.  For more details on speakers and attendees click here

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Construction work in ESA under GCT (photo: M. Glucksman)

In lieu of their August meeting, the MNRCC visited the construction of the LIRR’s East Side Access now going on under Grand Central Terminal (GCT). Of interest to the members is the impact of ESA access locations on GCT circulation. Located almost 140 feet below street level, ESA will have 8 new tracks for LIRR trains under Park Avenue and an option for 23,000 sq. ft. of retail space.   Escalators will transport commuters to the surface on a 1.5 minute escalator ride. 

Paskoff and Tilden highlighted the proposed entrances along Madison Avenue that will move riders to and from the station. 

Council members descending to the ESA construction site.

Entrances include 44th street,  48th Street, 245 Park, the Dining Concourse of Grand Central Terminal and 45th and 47th street passageways.

Ready with hard hats, vests and muck boots, the Council members descended on a construction elevator and were given a tour of the site and experienced the project coming slowly to fruition.

Map of future ESA (photo: M. Glucksman)

Jeffrey Stevens (right), Supervisor -- Train Movement, LIRR/PSCC explains the purpose of the Center

On August 12th, the LIRRCC met at Penn Station and walked a short distance along West 31st Street to the Penn Station Control Center (PSCC) — the command center for all trains, LIRR, NJ TRANSIT and Amtrak, in and out of Penn Station.   The attendees were treated to a presentation on the history of the Center and the role of LIRR at Penn Station by LIRR’s Jeffrey Stevens, Supervisor — Train Movement, PSCC.  He noted that a 1988 Amtrak-Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) agreement led to construction of the jointly financed $110 million Claytor-Scannell Control Center for Penn Station and its approaches.  

Upon the completion of the presentation, LIRRCC visitors were able to view the large electronic control board through an observation window.

• For NYC Transit, MTA Bus, Long Island Bus, and the Staten Island Railway
• For the LIRR and MNR
• For MTA Bridges and Tunnels Crossings

The goals of the fare and toll proposals are to:

• Achieve the necessary increases in revenues
• Maintain ridership and mobility through fare and toll policies
• Maintain or improve equity
• Improve the efficiency of the sale and collection of fares

 The public is invited to comment on these proposals at the following MTA Board hearings: 

Monday, 9/13/2010          Cooper Union, Manhattan
                                           Hilton Garden Inn in Newburgh, Orange County

Wednesday, 9/15/2010   Hostos Community College, Bronx

Thursday, 9/16/2010      St. George Theatre, Staten Island
                                          The Garden City Hotel, Garden City, Nassau County

Monday, 9/20/2010         Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel, Queens
                                          Suffolk County Legislature, Smithtown, Suffolk, LI

Tuesday, 9/21/2010        White Plains Performing Arts Center, Westchester County
                                          Brooklyn Museum Cantor Auditorium, Brooklyn

All hearings begin at 6 PM; registration opens at 5 PM and closes at 9 PM. All registered speakers will be heard.  Comments will also be accepted by email and regular mail.

David Haase of NYCT explains how station egress capacity is computed

The complex art of creating station capacity to handle the circulation of riders was explained by NYCT’s David Haase, Director of Station Planning at the NYCTRC’s July meeting.  The job is complicated due to the nature of rider “surges” — the outflow of people when a train pulls into the station.  The goal is to get the surge off the platform in 30 seconds and prevent a queue (people stopped) as they exit the station.  Haase noted that circulation planning overlays emergency egress requirements and his first responsibility is to the building codes.  Long-range planning for egress capacity and movement in the station is dependent on future expected ridership growth which is a function of service levels and neighborhood development projects that add households to the catchment area.  

At the end of the presentation questions were raised about the role of elevators.  Haase admitted that sizing the elevator is tricky.  It has to be small enough for passengers to move freely around it on a platform; yet, it must be of ample capacity to serve those who need to use it.

 The July Plan is preliminary.  There will be fare increase hearings in the fall and the MTA Board will consider a final Plan in December.  For more details click here.

PCAC Senior Transportation Planner, Ellyn Shannon. reviews the recommended alternatives for WHRTAS

On July 20th, Metro-North Railroad (MNR) and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) held an open house in Newburgh to present initial recommendations for a short list of alternatives for improving transit services between central Orange County to Manhattan, as well as improved transit access to Stewart International Airport.  Known as the West of Hudson Regional Transit Access Study (WHRTAS), Phase I began in 2008 with the consideration of a long list of alternatives (106) which included express bus, commuter rail, and ferry.  Applying a screening methodology based on capital costs, environmental impacts, integration with the existing system, capacity and user benefits for both the airport and commuter markets, the options were reduced to 22 scenarios in June 2009.   After further screening based on public input and more detailed analysis, five types of alternatives now remain to be considered in Phase II: direct regional bus; commuter rail to Stewart Airport from the MNR Salsbury Mills-Cornwall station; a hybrid of rail and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT); and a hybrid of rail and bus.   

To access the presentations for WHRTAS click here.

MTA Board members Susan Metzger (Orange County) and James Blair (MNRCC)

At the July meeting of the MNRCC, MTA Board member Susan G. Metzger spoke to the Council about her campaign for better West of Hudson service.  Dr. Metzger has been a Board member since 2005 and has recently been appointed as senior policy advisor to Chairman Jay Walder to address cost-effective ways to improve mobility within and to Orange and Rockland Counties.

She pointed out that Metro-North’s West of Hudson service is the fastest growing area in the agency; and that Orange County is the fastest growing county in New York State.  Unfortunately, the Port Jervis Line, 95 miles long, is single track.  With current service at 13 daily trains, there is little room for expansion.  On the Pascack Valley Line to Spring Valley, new sidings in New Jersey have added enough flexibility to provide weekend service; but frequency still remains poor and consists need to be larger, especially when there is an emergency.  Of concern to Dr. Metzger is the coming ARC tunnels which will provide a one-seat ride for these lines into Midtown Manhattan.  There will be increased demand for West of Hudson service  and while Metro-North has been thinking about this, she says that MTA has not.  Capital funds need to be set aside for new dual mode locomotives that can pass through the new tunnels and there is a desperate need for a rail yard mid-way to Port Jervis. 

Other topics discussed were:  the possiblity of changes in fare structure in the upcoming financial plan (not known); how the new joint commuter rail MTA Board committee was operating (productively); how to count riders from West of Hudson territory who take the Hudson Line or NJ TRANSIT (MNRCC will request Mail ‘n Ride data); and support for transit-oriented development (towns are still learning what this means).      

Susan G. Metzger is a former owner of Lawler, Matusky & Skelly Engineers, LLP, an environmental science and engineering firm located in Pearl River, New York, and now part of HDR/LMS.

She was responsible for large-scale planning and environmental projects including the Comprehensive Port Improvement Plan for the Port of New York and New Jersey, and the Hudson Raritan Estuary Restoration Plan for the U.S. Corps of Engineers. She has published many technical articles.

Dr. Metzger has been a member of the Orange County Planning Board since 2000 and has served as its chair since 2003. She is an honorary trustee and past president of the Orange County Citizens Foundation, where she continues to serve as chair of the Environmental Committee. She is past president of Hudson River Environmental Society and served on the Board of the Warwick Valley School District from 1986 until 1992.

Dr. Metzger earned her bachelor’s degree from Hood College and her Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Albany. She received a master’s in Public Administration from the Wagner School of New York University.