Time to give LI commuters their due
Bolstering Island’s transit infrastructure is essential to economic development

By Mark Epstein

Next week could be a pivotal one for Long Island Rail Road commuters and our future economy. That’s when the new chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority visits the Island and the next round of the state Regional Economic Development Council’s competition begins.

As MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota speaks with Long Island’s business community on Tuesday, we call upon the agency to reach out to our business, civic, academic, commuter advocate and elected leaders to ensure that Long Island has the transportation infrastructure needed to compete in our modern economy. These leaders must respond with creative means to accomplish this goal.

No one entity can do it alone. Funding through the Regional Economic Development Council process has been and must continue to be a catalyst for improvements. Private station-area development and public-private partnerships can build the community structure necessary for success. Commuters play a crucial but often overlooked role in the local economy, as more than 100,000 daily LIRR riders (with household incomes averaging $118,000) support businesses and pay taxes to fund services and amenities for Long Island.

Our future is increasingly dependent on attracting high value, technologically advanced, sustainable economic activity. We lack the efficient mass transit system we’ll need for this activity to thrive and attract the people who will power it.

Commuting eastward on the LIRR is inconvenient at best. Systemwide, station facilities have failed to keep pace with needs, and links between stations and Long Island employment centers are minimal or nonexistent. Insufficient parking and fragmented control of parking facilities demand Island-wide approaches.

We must also fully appreciate the economic importance of visitors. Convenient rail transportation for tourists to places like the East End, Garden City Museum Row, Vanderbilt Museum, Nassau Coliseum, and other sports and cultural venues would be a boon for the Long Island economy, but is not available.

Our transportation infrastructure will lay the groundwork for an economically vibrant Long Island and make it more attractive to younger workers. According to Census data, between 1990 and 2010 Long Island lost more than 120,000 residents between 25 and 34 years of age, the backbone of our future economy. We need to make it easier for these young workers to build their lives here, and a vibrant public transportation system is a crucial part of that.

Working together, we can build a modern, reliable, and flexible transportation network - just as communities across the United States are doing - and reverse these trends. The key is leveraging existing assets to build our network through partnerships between various levels of government, academic institutions, business and nonprofit organizations, and using public-private ventures to craft innovative solutions to problems such as insufficient parking and underutilized facilities to generate new revenues to support operating needs.

Our economy has grown beyond just carrying workers to and from New York City. We travel to work each day to the east, north, and south as well as the west. We need upgraded signals and sufficient Main Line capacity to move riders in two directions at the same time, facilitating reverse and intra-Island commuting. Stations must be both origins and destinations for commuters, nodes for north-south connections, links to employment centers and integral parts of their communities.

We can’t miss this opportunity. There are positive signs in Ronkonkoma and Wyandanch, as well as plans for LIRR trains to access Grand Central Station. Construction of the Ronkonkoma to Farmingdale second track should reopen the door for the Republic train station and a Route 110 transit hub. But it’s not enough. Let’s come together, recognizing the commuters’ role, to implement a shared comprehensive transportation vision for our future.

Mark J. Epstein is chairman of the Long Island Rail Road Commuters Council, a legislatively mandated watchdog group
made up of riders

Over a 100 people attended and over 40 riders got to address the group with their comments and questions.  Topics included operation of accessible ramps, buses not pulling to the curb, Select Bus Service and pleas for service restoration.  Comments are being compiled, along with NYCT’s responses.  The program was video taped and this record is being edited so that it can be posted on the web.

NYCTRC members attending were: Andrew Albert (Chair and MTA Board member), Michael J. Sinansky (Vice Chair), William K. Guild (PCAC Vice Chair), Trudy L. Mason and Edith M. Prentiss.

Jeff Olwell described the customer satisfaction surveys that he does to get find out how MNR riders feel about certain topics and about things in their commute that are bothering them.  Most recently, riders’ scores for lavatories have been going down so he is conducting focus groups in May to discuss M-7, GCT and Hoboken bathroom facilities.  

MNR passenger surveys are conducted in conjunction with the LIRR, usually in June.  However, MNR can insert its own questions on its survey.  The 2012 survey questions are still being determined.  Most recently MNR has conducted special surveys on the preference for Quiet Cars: first to monitor the reaction to the pilot program; and now, to see if two Quiet Cars on a train are needed as current Quiet Cars are often crowded.  When asked about the use of the internet for surveys, Olwell noted that the first online survey was just done in conjunction with MTA.  The topic was use of technology, apps and smart phones, for transportation needs.  There were 900 respondents for this 20-minute survey.  The results are still being compiled.   Also coming is a report based on a Train Time survey that was smart phone oriented.  Olwell concluded by announcing that in anticipation of a joint M-9 purchase, the MNR and LIRR market research departments will be looking to have riders talk about what they like and dislike about the M-7s and M-8s.   

In the second part of the meeting, Randy Fleischer made a presentation on the plans for the 2013 Grand Central Terminal Centennial celebration. During the year-long event there are designs for 25 events and exhibitions with city-wide and international engagement.  The  GCT entrance at 89 East 42nd Street (under the bridge) will be revitalized as a “Legacy Project”.  A permanent restaurant/cafe is being incorporated into part of Vanderbilt Hall.  The kick-off to the festivities will take place February 1, 2013 with a historical exhibition and rededication ceremony at the Transit Museum.  The US Postal Service has approved the creation of a commemorative GCT stamp and one month will feature a parade of historic trains that will be on view.   Soliciting private money from sponsors and non-profit fund raising have kicked into high gear and the Centennial Committee, chaired by current MTA Chairman Joe Lhota and past MTA Chairman Peter Stangl, will have its first meeting May 9th.  The logo (above) for the Centennial was unveiled in late March.  The MNRCC was asked by Mr. Fleischer to propose a role for itself in the celebration and members will be considering options in the coming months. For more information click here.

By way of background, according to the OIG’s report, at approximately 4:30 p.m. on September 29, 2011, the beginning of the evening rush, lightning struck near LIRR tracks, creating a power surge that disabled the signal system controlling the train interlocking just west of Jamaica Station. Approximately three and a half hours after the strike, in an attempt to repair a computer server believed to have been damaged by the power surge, a LIRR employee erroneously disabled the separate signaling system controlling the train interlocking just east of Jamaica Station. At that point, all service was suspended. It took some time for the LIRR technical crew to identify what occurred and then fix the problem at Hall, which was not fully functional until approximately 10:30 p.m.

As a result of these two events, passengers onboard nine trains standing at platforms and 17 stranded between stations were in limbo - sometimes moving eastward, sometimes moving back west to Penn Station. Other commuters were stuck in Penn Station and Jamaica Station for hours seeking alternative means to reach their destinations or waiting until service resumed. Limited service was not restored until 12 midnight, with full service back at 4 a.m., almost 12 hours after the power surge.

The Council appreciates the OIG’s investigation and the detailed account of the incident contained in its report and is particularly gratified that the report and its recommendations address in detail needs for improvement in passenger communication.

The LIRRCC believes that independent oversight of critical systems that have been installed on the Rail Road is a necessary safeguard.  The review of the upgrades planned under the agreement between the LIRR and Ansaldo STS by the MTA’s Independent Engineering Consultant, which was recommended in the OIG’s report, is a constructive initial step. The Council recommends, however, that the oversight by independent engineers go beyond  lightning protection in these upgrades and be extended to assess the reliability of all new systems, including signalization at Amityville, Wantagh, and Valley Stream.  It is crucial that this oversight be conducted while suppliers remain responsible for correcting shortcomings in their systems, before final acceptance of work or materials or warranty expiration transfers substantial responsibility for new systems to the LIRR.

The Council also calls on the MTA to provide the resources necessary for a comprehensive top to bottom review by independent experts of the Rail Road, its needs, and its vulnerabilities.  A limited review of the condition of the Rail Road was performed in 2007, but a more detailed assessment is required to ensure that LIRR riders receive the level of reliability that they need and deserve.

“LIRR riders and the region depend upon the LIRR to provide reliable service, and disruptions are costly in both human and economic terms,” LIRRCC Chair Mark Epstein stated.  “We need to take stock of the LIRR’s substantial benefits to the region and the costs of breakdowns and to invest in independent oversight of system upgrades designed to minimize failures.”

To access the OIG’s report click here.

A Usage Transaction record is created by the turnstile; then batches of usage transaction records are transmitted from the turnstile to the Station Controller after a certain number of transactions are accumulated in turnstile. There is one Station Controller in each subway station and it sends accumulated usage information to the Area Controller which serves the whole NYCT system.

Various NYCT departments can download specific data, including ridership and revenue data. Subway ridership includes all passengers except NYCT employees. A ride is counted each time a passenger enters a subway station:
-All MetroCard/Single Ride Ticket swipes, including free transfers
-Paid non-turnstile entries, such as seniors using return-trip tickets, school groups, or cross-honored railroad riders.

Ridership does not include exiting passengers, transfers between subway lines (unless the passenger passes through a turnstile for an out-of-system MetroCard transfer), or fare evaders.

Many factors cause systemwide ridership to fluctuate such as weather, time of year, students, holidays, etc.  Analyzing ridership requires choosing an appropriate measure to avoid getting misleading results.  Hickey and Amarosa noted that ridership has been growing on both weekdays and weekends since the early 1990s.  They indicated that service has improved dramatically because:
-Crime is down significantly
-MetroCard has reduced fares
-Jobs and the economy have grown
-Tourism is strong
-Demographics have changed
-Off-peak activities have increased
-Riders making multiple trips per day
-Work hours are now more flexible

Their full presentation can be found by clicking here.

During October and November 2011, surveys in 48 stations were conducted by members of the Council and PCAC staff between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 11 p.m.  Surveyors were assigned one or more stations that would be impacted by weekend service changes and given instructions along with collection forms.  There were a total of 63 observations; some stations were visited on multiple occasions.

Surveyors evaluated the signs’ clarity of message, placement and timeliness, as well as the methods used to close stations or areas where no service was available and the adequacy of signs addressing service alternatives such as shuttle buses and alternative routing for riders who need accessible stations.   Surveyors recorded the presence of handwritten signs about service changes, which indicate potential gaps in the official signage program.

The report concludes that, while the current service change signage represents a significant advance over previous efforts, it is often not available or evident to riders.  The report recommends that NYC Transit make additional efforts to ensure that riders will encounter service change signage, particularly at the entrances of stations and outside of turnstiles, but also on station platforms.

It should be obvious that accurate service information is critically important for individuals who must use accessible stations.  However, surveyors found that, where service changes affected accessible stations, only 53% of the stations surveyed had service change signage that addressed the availability of alternative accessible service.

The report also recommends transitioning toward electronic signage to provide a more flexible and predictable means of providing service information.  With the volume of work underway in the subway system, it is critical that subway riders receive accurate and timely information about how this work will affect their travel.  An important part of informing riders about these impacts is the temporary signage in place in stations, and there remains a need for improvement in this area.

Click here to read the full report.  Council members who participated in the survey are: Andrew Albert, Bill Guild, Stuart Goldstien, Chris Greif, Sharon King Hoge, Trudy Mason, Edith Prentiss, Mike Sinansky and Burt Strauss.

In opening remarks he set forth his goals for the MTA:

1. Unify the MTA.  The MTA works in silos and many operations could be combined.  (Note: part of this initiative was already in place when Lhota arrived.  The Business Service Center (BSC), started in 2008 and came to complete fruition in January 2011, was created to handle procurements, payroll, and payables for all of the agencies.)

2. Improve communication.  There is a love-hate relationsip with stakeholders.  The press and elected officials are vary hard on the MTA and don’t seem to understand the issues that the MTA faces.  There is definitely a perception problem that needs addressing.

3. Financial stability.  This is a great concern.  The fare increase projected for 2013 (7.5%) will have to be used for pension and health care costs — not service.  Lhota noted that this increase will only allow us to “tread water” and this is inequitable.  He cited two issues — we have a problem in Washington, DC with the bulk of the gas tax going to highways; and the MTA must find ways to cut costs and  be more efficient.  He emphatically stated that there would be no more service cuts.

4. Expand and modernize the system.  Lhota listed the pressures that requires service to be expanded and improved: peak periods keep getting longer as people work more flexible hours; the reverse commute has grown dramatically as White Plains and Stamford have become important job centers; tourism is a big factor in ridership growth; and finally, there are parts of New York City that were never anticipated to be where people lived – old manufacturing areas are being transformed into residential and commercial centers.  One subway entrance for factory workers was enough, now four are needed for residents going to and from work.  Lhota was again emphatic: we need more trains, more frequently, to handle more riders.

In the question and answer period Lhota addressed: ticket refunds (should lengthen expiration period); track capacity on the LIRR (he’s for the second and third track projects); Penn Station access for MNR (he’s for it when East Side Access opens as he believes in regionalization); concern about ADA issues (definitely for improving ADA facilities across the MTA); SmartCard (definitely moving forward on this); labor relations (no talk of strike and negotiations are cordial); Business Service Center (the new head is committed to addressing problems and working with the unions).

The new facility includes an overpass extension that ties the original station east of the tracks with a new entrance on the west side off Route 9A, new parking and a landscaped, canopy-covered, intermodal drop-off plaza.  The new overpass has a spacious, heated waiting area with numerous benches and a coffee concession.  Both parking lots and the center island platform are served by elevators and enclosed staircases.

The plaza includes a ground-level snack vending area, a parking pay station, a ticket vending machine and a restroom with a composting toilet.  The new parking lot has 712 new parking spaces for cars, 9 for motorcycles and 9 for motor scooters. The station has 1,615 parking spaces in total. An additional heated shelter was built on the north end of the platform and the entire facility has new lighting, signage, emergency call boxes and bicycle racks.

The project cost was $34.7 million.  The Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation/Air Quality (CMAQ) program, in partnership with the Federal Transit Administration, contributed $21.2 million. This includes a CMAQ grant to New York State Department of Transportation of $5.2 million for the intersection improvements. MTA Metro-North’s capital program contributed $13.5 million to the project. The NYSDOT funds and highway design guidance allowed Metro-North to improve a long standing traffic concern, the intersection of the entrance to the Railroad’s lot and  Route 9A.  Now, workers and visitors will have safer and easier access to the VA Hospital across from the intersection, whether coming by rail or by car.

To build the improvements at Cortlandt, several land transfers and purchases had to be accomplished.  Local 14 of the International Union of Operating Engineers relocated to property previously owned by the Keon Center Inc., which relocated to a new facility.  Metro-North also purchased 2.1 acres from the Town of Cortlandt to put together the 9.5-acre site.   The MNRCC applauds this creative solution to an otherwise problematic outlook for the station’s enhancement.  Well done!

For a brief video of the new station click here.

This House Republican federal transportation bill will strip away the dedicated funding stream for the Mass Transit Account, which allows states, municipalities and local transit agencies to plan and fund capital projects with the certainty needed to make job-creating infrastructure investments.  In New York City, the Mass Transit Account funds key investments in the City’s subways, buses, commuter rails, and other forms of public transit.  Slashing this funding stream will result in a loss of $1.7 billion for New York State and will adversely affect City and suburban commuters who rely on public transportation every day.

By way of background, in 1983, President Regan signed into law the Surface Transportation Assistance Act, which created a dedicated funding source for public transportation through the federal gas tax.  This dedicated source of revenue allowed states, municipalities and local transit agencies to plan and fund capital projects with the certainty needed to make these infrastructure investments as efficient and cost-effective for taxpayers as possible.  As congestion rose in urban areas, and rural areas saw their share of car-less, low-income families rise, the need to fund this account has grown.  The Republican proposal to redirect federal gasoline tax revenues away from public transportation will worsen this funding shortage and subject transit funding to the annual approriations process, creating uncertainty for critical job-creating infrastructure projects. Click here for a quick video of the Chairman Joe Lhota’s words.

This new pilot program identified lines in the Central business District (CBD), with significant alternate services, for full closure (all tracks) of a segment over four consecutive weekenights from 10PM to 5 AM, while full regular service is maintained on adjacent CBD lines.   The first Fastrack shutdown occured Jan 9 - Jan 13 on the Lexington line from Grand Central Station to Atlantic Avenue.

While the customers are impacted during these night hours, the benefits are great:
(1) Because of the expanded full closure shutdown period, workers are more productive.  Jobs that typically take weeks or months are accomplished in days.
(2) It is a much safer environment for workmen.
(3) There are fewer train delays due to work gangs along tracks in regular revenue service.  Leader noted that when a train has to pass through a work zone it adds 2 minutes on average to the trip.

While the main thrust of the work was track and right of way, NYCT took this opportunity to attend to other components of the stations that needed maintenance as well: elevators and escalators; fire systems; CCTV monitors and cameras; lighting, tiles, paint, steps; and heavy duty cleaning.

Based on the success of this initiative, NYCT is moving forward on other lines in the pilot program: 7th Avenune, 6th Avenue, and 8th Avenue.   Leader closed the presentation by reminding the audience that “the better you maintain, the more you can put off capital investment.”

Also see the MTA story at http://www.mta.info/news/stories/?story=553