Several Council members and staff were given a tour of LIRR’s operations center and the new adjoining PIO.  To facilitate better communication in times of service disruption, LIRR has moved its public communication staff to a control room next to the operations area.  After the tour, President Helena Williams made a presentation explaining efforts to standardize the dissemination of information through email, ushers and message boards.  She noted that all conductors will soon be carrying cell phones so they can receive real time information about delays.  To improve the dialogue between the LIRR and the Council, new LIRR staff member Holli Dunayer has been named the designated contact for the Council. 

The NYCTRC will hold its annual President’s Forum on Wednesday, April 16th, at 2 Broadway, 20th Floor, from 5 – 7 p.m.  President Howard Roberts and other senior staff will be on hand to answer questions and take comments from the public.  Attendees must register in person to speak, but there is no advance registration.  Also, a photo ID is required for entrance to building.

During the recent President’s Forum, President Peter Cannito showed pictures of the M-8 prototype being made in Japan.  These new cars are badly needed to augment the rolling stock on the Connecticut New Haven line.  Metro-North and the state of Connecticut are jointly responsible for the financing of new cars used on the line.  Under Governor M. Jodi Rell public transportation in Connecticut has been given more attention than in the past, enabling funds to be secured for 300 new cars.  Delivery is expected in 2009.

January 2008 NYCTRC Hosts Transportation Reporters
Five reporters joined the NYCTRC January meeting to discuss how they cover transportation issues. Present were Bobby Cuza from New York 1, Pete Donahue from the New York Daily News, Patrick Gallahue at the New York Post, Marlene Naanes with AM New York, and William Newman of the New York Times. Vice Chair Mike Sinansky posed four questions to the panelists: 1) How have changes in the last year at the MTA affected reporters? 2) What feedback do you receive on stories that you write? 3) How do you determine what stories are news worthy? 4) What could the New York City Transit Riders Council do better as an advocacy organization? Reporters enjoying a lively panel discussion are (L-R): Bobby Cuza, Patrick Gallahue, Marlene Naanes, Pete Donahue and William Newman. In response to the last question, Pete Donahue said the Council should identify and focus on simple things that riders experience every day.  In that vein, Mr. Neuman commented that a story about lost and found operations at the MTA agencies was very attractive because it has wide appeal and interest to many groups.  Ms. Naanes offered that it is important to talk to the public as much as possible.  Mr. Gallahue and Mr. Cuza agreed that it is helpful if the Council stays in touch with the reporters and inform them about what they are hearing and alert them to emerging issues.  Mr. Donahue concluded by challenging the Council to be more aggressive and forceful about putting out positions on specific issues and spending more time talking to the press and getting the Council’s name out.
January 2008 LIRRCC Leadership and LIRR President Williams Meet at Penn Station
LIRRCC Chair Gerry Bringmann and PCAC Executive Director Bill Henderson met with LIRR President Helena Williams at Penn Station in January to discuss concerns related to public information and procedures when service is disrupted and access to Penn Station is limited.  They found that the “out-of-service” message boards and loudspeakers located outside the 34th Street entrance to Penn Station, along with prominent Long Island Rail Road signage, actually are controlled by Amtrak.  The LIRR is in the process of working out an arrangement with Amtrak that will allow them to use this equipment for announcements in the case of service disruptions.  In a follow-up letter from the Council, LIRR was encouraged to reach an agreement as soon as possible so that riders can benefit from these valuable communication tools.
January 2008 March 26th is set for MNRCC’s Annual President’s Forum
	MNRCC has announced that its annual President’s Forum will be held on March 26 from 5 – 7 PM at MTA Headquarters at 347 Madison Avenue, New York City, in the 5th Floor Board room.  President Peter Cannito and other senior staff will be on hand to answer questions and take comments from the public.  Also present will be representatives from the Connecticut Department of Transportation and Bureau of Public Transportation.  Attendees must register in person to speak, but there is no advance registration. No doubt you have heard that Mr. Cannito has announced that he is retiring in July of this year.  We will take the opportunity at the President’s Forum to thank Mr. Cannito for all that he has accomplished while at the helm of Metro-North. We urge you to stop by to not only to ask questions or offer your thoughts about the Metro-North Railroad, but also express your appreciation to Mr. Cannito for his outstanding leadership.
January 2008 LIRRCC Gets Update on Gap Mitigation Activities
(Picture Credit: LIRR)	At the January 10th meeting of the LIRRCC, Al Cosenza, Executive Vice President of LIRR, made a presentation on the status of Gap mitigation.  He explained the factors that contribute to Gap conditions, including track curvature, dual use by freight trains, train speed and the mandated standard distance from track centerline to platform edges.  He noted that the actual Gap for any given train can vary +/- 3” depending on rail and wheel wear, car suspension system and passenger load.  The Rail Road’s Gap mitigation program includes: public awareness; accident review; physical solutions — track surfacing, realignment of platform slabs and placement of edgeboards; and, operational solutions — zoning off cars and relocation of car markers.   There are also special measures being taken at the Syosset station which has a particularly bad Gap problem because of the curved track.  Gap lighting, special announcements, cameras, and special platform conductors have already been implemented.  There is also the possible future extension of the north platform which would create boarding areas with minimum Gap conditions.  For more information about the Gap, see LIRR’s customer safety video at http://www.mta.info/lirr/pubs/video/GapSafety.mpg

December 2007
NYCTRC Loses Dedicated Member, Jon Schachter

Jon Schachter listening in a NYCTRC meeting

On December 22, 2007, Jon Schachter, member of the NYCTRC since February 2006, passed away after being hospitalized for several weeks.  Mr. Schachter was an active Council member focusing on subway and bus operations.  He brought a wide knowledge of equipment and procedures to Council discussions and continually pressed for improved customer service.  He was for many years a member of the Committee for Better Transit, serving as chair of the New York Task Force and leading a number of the Committee’s efforts to improve the NYC Transit system.  He served as a member of the Bellevue Hospital Community Advisory Board, the Manhattan South Vice President of the Citizens Police Academy Alumni Association, the Vice President of the 13th Precinct Community Council and a member of the 17th Precinct Community Council, a public member of Community Boards 5 and 6, and a Board Member of the Stuyvesant Park Neighborhood Association.  Mr. Schachter was a graduate of the New York Institute of Technology and pursued graduate studies at St. John’s University. 

December 2007
Metro-North Welcomes Developers to Beacon

Beacon, NY station looking south

On Friday, December 14, 2007, Metro-North hosted an informational conference and site tour in Beacon, NY for those parties interested in responding to the agency’s Request for Expression of Interest (RFEI).  This is an initiative by Metro-North to spur transit-oriented development around the station.  Submissions are due February 7, 2008.  PCAC Associate Director, Jan Wells, joined the group and heard talks from local officials, citizen organizations and waterfront development interests.  Click here to see photos of the day’s activities.

November 2007
MTA Police and K-9 Unit Visit the LIRRCC and MNRCC

MTA Police Acting Chief Ronald Masciana was guest speaker at the October LIRRCC meeting and the November meeting of MNRCC. Chief Masciana discussed the Directed Patrol program and security issues in stations and on trains. The MTA Police provide surveillance for Metro-North and Long Island Railroads. (Note: NYC Transit police are part of the New York City Police Department.) He explained the importance of the K-9 unit which came into existence after the 9/11 terrorist attack. A trained dog can detect a dangerous material within a few seconds, thus giving security personnel valuable time to take appropriate response measures.

Council members were treated to a demonstration of the ability of these amazing high energy dogs (German Shepard or Labrador Retriever) as the guest K-9 team quickly found an explosive material previously hidden in a backpack in the meeting room. Very impressive!!

The K-9 Division is part of an important MTA awareness campaign “Eyes of New York”.
Click here for more information.

November 2007
A Ride on the Metro-North Inspection Train

Metro-North Railroad recently ran an inspection train along the Hudson Line to Poughkeepsie.  PCAC staff members Ellyn Shannon and Jan Wells and MNRCC member Jim Blair took advantage of this informative trip in the historic MN2 management inspection cars built in 1949.  Points of interest included construction on the new Yankee Stadium station, platform improvements at several stations, the Harmon Shops at Croton, the new Beacon station, and a tour of the renovated historic Poughkeepsie station and new parking facility. 
Click here to see the photos

November 2007
NYCTRC Launches Station Condition Survey
NYCTRC has embarked on a second station condition survey, modeled on a previous investigation which is summarized in the 2004 report “Hit or Miss,” Key indicators for evaluation include: cleanliness, structural condition, customer amenities, customer service and communication.

Fifty stations have been randomly selected through a quota sampling system.  Survey questions are the same as those used in the 2004 study with a few added criteria suggested by the Council at the September 2007 meeting.  Council members are assigned four stations to survey.  Inspections will be conducted on these stations in non-peak hours between now and the end of November, avoiding holidays. There are three distinct areas within each station that are being rated: The first is four entranceways, spread out as widely as possible throughout the station.  The second is the non-paid portion of the control area (the area between the entranceway and the turnstiles).  The third is the platform area of the station, which includes only the platform adjacent to the tracks, and not other areas on the platform level.

A report on the results will be issued in early 2008.

NYC Transit Riders Council Chair, Andrew Albert, discusses the station survey with members of the Council.